Story in a Nutshell: Gabe rocks his babies to sleep one night.

Note: This is inspired by the Reba McEntire song You're Gonna Be, so... Yea if you recognize that you know why lol.

I'm going to let you know, that I'm no longer going to be putting Gabe/Elena stories into this collection anymore. Mainly because I think they'd constitute longer stories and this is just for stories that focus on Elena and her family in the past and future. Any ideas I get for them will be one-shots or filler for a longer Gabe and Elena story that I have been working on. Sorry about that!

Spanish translation:

Come, let's sing a little lullaby, come, let's sing a little/ My baby girl is sleepy, blessed be, blessed be/ Little spring running clear and loud/ Nightingale that in the forest/ Sings and weeps/ Hush, while the cradle rocks/ Come, let's sing a little lullaby

Elena had twins, they had twins, he thought as Gabe tried very hard to fight his wife. "Sleep," he persisted as Elena tried every chance just to hold her twin babies. They had been holding both infants for the past several hours since giving birth. Everyone had a chance from Isabel to Naomi's boyfriend, Jorge. "Sleep you need to give your body a rest. Both girls are asleep already." Which is true, both of them in tiny cradles that a day old baby could sleep in.

She looked to be struggling between making sure the girls were asleep for the night and sleeping herself. Sighing, she looked at the bed as he watched her. He tried so hard to make sure she got enough sleep. "Fine," she said after a minute.

"I'll stay up to put them back to sleep," he said as both crawled into the bed together. Elena looked at the cradles as did he expecting a cry but nothing came. Both of them fell asleep as he tried to wake up every so often. Making sure Elena was fully asleep, Gabe got out of the bed to check on the babies as he looked into each. Baby number one, Mirabelle, had a bright blue bedding and decorations that they were going to use regardless of gender. She seemed to like it as soon as they put her in the cradle. She cooed a little as she fell asleep in the tiny space.

Baby number two had simple white sheets and bedding to use. Neither of them had expected a second child. Never the less, the seamstresses had found a pretty shade of purple dye that they wanted to use. So, little Iliana would have more purple than necessary in her wardrobe and room when they were done being made up.

Getting out of the bed he looked over into them making sure they were asleep. Maybe they would just sit there awake before deciding the need to cry. Gabe looked into the cradles just taking it all in. There were two of them he thought as he watched them sleep. It had barely been a day since Elena had pushed out children into the world. Their children, his children, he thought as they were left alone in their room. Maya had pushed family and friends away alike so the new family could be together. Unable to rest properly, he sat on the floor at the foot of the bed. A cradle on either side of them. Both of them slept as he wanted to hold one so badly right now. Although Gabe knew not to wake them up he only watched. On his left Iliana slept peacefully. On his right Mirabelle twitched a little.

"Hey, you're going to be okay," he whispered as he rocked it back and forth. He peeked inside to see six pounds and two ounces looked back at him. Gabe felt a shiver run through him as a pair of small brown eyes blinked, Mirabelle Nunez Castillo. Closing his eyes briefly he then reached in to pick up the little girl.

She smiled up a him as he held the infant close to him. Hold her close and snuggling against him as he took in the new baby smell. His daughter, he thought as he held her close to him. Already over protective, he thought gathering his mind. One hand supporting the head and the other on her bum. He remembered what aunt Maya would tell him about being a dad for the first time. It wasn't like holding your cousins. He had to admit that it was true as he felt himself become more protective and yet weak at the knees.

"Hi, I'm your dad," he whispered to the infant. "I'm… I'm going to take care of you and… and… I'm going to love you and protect you.. Unless you have to learn that on your own." He saw Elena nap as he didn't want to disturb her sleep. So, he took a careful step, still holding her, as he stepped out of the bedroom and onto the balcony. He never took his eyes off of the small eyes that looked at him. A smile graced his face as he stood overlooking the rest of the castle and some scenery.

The baby started to wriggle a little as he automatically went to check the diaper. Nope, still dry he thought hoping that she wasn't hungry. He didn't want to wake Elena just to feed her. Elena had refused to hire a wet nurse for the first couple of months. She wanted to feel what it was like and keep them close to her. He understood but it was going to keep her awake throughout the night. Should he sing to her? Or something else to lull her back to sleep? His mother always told him that she would talk to him back to sleep. Until he was less funny whenever she gave him a lecture that is. "I'm going to try," he said before pausing. "I'm going to try to have all of the answers for you. And be a good dad for you."

In his arm the baby gurgled as he made her smile. Her nose crinkled as a smile lite up on Mirabelle's face. That was Elena's smile, at least the kind that he imagined would grace her small baby face. They had his eyes though, bit and brown as he looked into them, he in turn got those eyes from his mother. Staring at her he could only see the next couple of years go by fast. Big girl beds, loose teeth, parties, and boys, he thought to himself.

Gabriel Nunez wasn't an emotional person and tried to stay very rational in difficult situations. That didn't stop himself from blinking back what felt like tears.

"Life's not always going to be fair but you just have to believe. Have a good heart," he said swaying a little on his feet. He blinked back the wetness, "You're going to be a lot like your mother and a bit of me." His baby girl turned a head at him as he looked over the night sky. Gabe started to hum a little as a lullaby started to escape from his lips. Not Elena's special song but one that he would hear every occasionally from being around female cousins.

"A la nanita nana nanita ella, nanita ella
Mi niña tiene sueño bendito sea, bendito sea
Fuentecita que corre clara y sonora
Ruiseñor que en la selva
Cantando y llora
Calla mientras la cuna se balancea
A la nanita nana nanita ella"

Snuggled against his arms and asleep Gabe smiled as he tucked her back into her cradle. Next to him on the bed Gabe laid down next to his wife as Elena smiled up at him.

"I think we're going to be great parents," she said as he pulled her into a goodnight kiss.