I sprang up from bed breathing heavy. A bad dream, again. They usually come when Kaldur is away. He had some last minute things to take care of in Atlantis before the Twins arrived. I sat up in the bed with my hand on my chest. This was a bad one. I have it once every couple of years, always reminding me that it happened. I ended a life.

It was when I ran away from Dinah and Oliver about a year after they took me in. I ran because I was scared, I didn't want to care for someone again just to lose them, which was highly possible with their profession. I ran away to Jump City, knowing they wouldn't likely look there anytime soon, not after at least checking Star City and Gotham first. I found refuge in the warehouse district, in a worn down building that used to be some kind fish canning company. The roof was stable so it was dry, it was warm and void of anyone living there. I stayed in a small alcove on the second floor. It gave me views of all the exits and the entire first floor.

Two weeks in, I was woken up in the middle of the night by a small cloaked figure walking in through the side door. It was raining outside the wind wiped the door open wide, banging it against the metal wall. Her hood was ripped off her head showing her dark wet hair with a purple hue. I observed as she used her strength to close the door. She ran into a dark corner and curled up in a ball. I watched her for a while as she stayed in the corner jumping at every noise the building made as the wind shifted. After an hour she finally fell asleep.

In the morning when I woke up again, she was still there in the dark corner asleep. I got up from my place and went down the stairs. I went to the nearby farmers market and stole a couple of fruits and vegetables. I went back to the building and saw she was awake.

"Who are you?" she asked quietly from her corner.

"I live here," I replied I looked up at the top where I reside. "Who are you?"

She was quiet and then moved closer into the darkness of her corner. "You don't want to know who I am."

"Why not?" I replied cocking my head to the side. She didn't reply. I walked up the stairs to my place and ate my apple. We stayed there separated for the next two days until finally her stomach rumbling became too much. I walked down the stairs with my hands full of food. I approached her and stopped a few feet away before placing the food on the floor. "Eat, or your stomach will let the entire city know we are here."

I walked up the stairs back to my cot and watched as she slowly reached over and got the food. "You shouldn't starve yourself," I reply. "I can get you food."

"You shouldn't do anything for me."

"This self-pity thing you have going on will get you killed out here," I replied as she shrugged.

As the weeks grew on we got closer, she told me her name, Raven, like the bird. She had a power to manipulate the shadows. We were on our way back to the warehouse after stealing some more food, we were cornered by a group of three men. They came on to us trying to take off our clothes, I let my powers get out of control. All three men slammed into the brick walls. One of them got knocked unconscious, the other two approached us again. The man grabbed my arm I pushed my hand against his face and an energy disc formed slicing through his head. The other man ran away. Raven disappeared, I couldn't find her anywhere. Dinah and Oliver found me the next day and had the murder covered up as a self-defense, the other two men were arrested for attempted human trafficking. The sight of the mane with his head in two will always haunt me. It was the first and only time I have ever killed someone.

I got up from the bed and went down stairs. I made a cup of tea and sat on the bar stool hoping it would calm me enough to go back to sleep. A swift kick to the ribs, however, stopped that process quickly. I pressed my hand to my stomach.

"What is it, Honey?" I asked telepathically.

"Mommy! We get to see you soon!" Alena said kicking up a storm.

"Yes, you will," I said with a smile. "Just a few more weeks."

"No, Mommy, we are coming soon."

I looked at my stomach. "Alena, what do you mean by that?"

Before she could say a word, the pain hit me like a freight train. My stomach tightened and pain erupted from everywhere. It caused me to drop my cup, shattering it all over the floor. I gripped my stomach and the countertop with my now empty hand. It lasted for what seemed like forever when it finally subsided. "Connor! Cassie!" I yelled. Connor was a light sleeper I knew he would at least here me. Within a minute Connor was at the door way. His hair messy shirt on inside out over his sweat pants.

"What's the matter?" he asked urgently.

"I think I'm in— Son of a bitch," I cursed as the pain hit me again. "Yeah, nope, in labor, definitely in labor."

He was frozen in place. I look at him exasperated. He shrugged seeing my annoyance. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Get me my phone! I need to call the doctor, Kaldur, hell everyone," I said with a huge sigh.

"Wake up Cassie too, please," I said with a sigh.

He left the room and I heard him go upstairs, knock on Cassie's door, go into my room. They both came back down. "It's time," Cassie said with a yawn.

Before I could answer her, the pain erupted again causing me to groan in pain as I gripped my stomach. "Yeah, it's time," I said holding out my hand for my phone. Connor placed it in my hand and I called the doctor. She would be prepared and ready with a specialized staff in a secure hospital. I called Kaldur next.

"Carter, what's wrong?"

Before I could answer, another contraction hit causing me to drop the phone. Cassie picked it up and answered for me. "Yeah, she's in labor head to the hospital. We'll be there in a few." She hung up the phone and called Wally.

"Wally, wake up," she ordered. "Carter is in labor and she needs to get to the hospital pronto!"

Within minutes, Wally was in the kitchen along with a still groggy Artemis. I went to get off the stool and, of course, my water broke. "Oh come on—" I got cut off again with another contraction. "Cassie grab the hospital bag and a new pair of pants please, I'll change in the bathroom."

She ran up the stairs and was back in a minute. She dropped the bag on the counter and grabbed my hand to help me move to the bathroom. "Don't worry about the mess, I'll clean it up. You get changed, I'm ready to be an aunt already," she said closing the door without a word.

I washed myself as best as I could and put on the new pants. I went back to the kitchen to find it already cleaned, she probably used magic. I was picked up by Wally, who commented on how slow I was moving, and brought me to the garage where they were getting in the car. "Don't worry, we will call everyone and bring your bag, you get to the hospital before you give birth."

We, of course, reached the hospital in less than five minutes I was checked in and changed into an uncomfortable night gown and I was brought to a private suite in the Labor and Delivery department. I was leaning on my side gripping the hospital bed rails as I went through another contraction. "Just think," I said breathlessly. "You and Artemis will be here in a couple of months going through this."

He grinned, "She told you."

I snorted, "Of course, she told me. She tells me everything. I told Kaldur too, I hope you don't mind. It was just too exciting."

He nodded. "Yeah it's fine. We were planning on telling everyone soon. I told—"

"Barry, yeah, we know," I said with a smile. "Surprised you haven't told Dick yet."

"I haven't gotten a chance too," he said with a grin. "He's always with Starfire."

I grin, "Of course, he is." I looked at Wally. "Walls, I'm scared."

"Why?"

"I, what if I'm not a good mom? What if I mess up these kids? What if I do something stupid and end up dying? Kaldur says I'm going to be mom, but I think he's just biased cause he accepts me even for how emotionally fucked up I am and—"

"Carter, stop talking," Wally ordered. "Why you over think things, I have no idea, but you are being an idiot right now. You are going to be an awesome mom to those kids so stop worrying about how bad of a mother you're not going to be and start preparing for being the great mom you will be."

I smile as my vision blurs from forming tears in my eyes. "Thanks, Walls."

The door to my room opens, I turn to look over my shoulder. I smile at Kaldur as he walks in the room. "Hey."

"Hey," he leans forward and kisses my forehead. "Of course, they decide to come the one night I am away from your side."

I laugh. "What can I say? they are our kids," I say as I close my eyes as I feel another contraction starting. I turn over and grip the railing hard as the beeping on the monitors increase.

"Oh, that was a good one," Dr. Sullivan commented as she walked into the room with a nurse by her side.

"Yeah, depending on which end you are on," I snark. "Because from my end this pain says anything but good."

"It will be worth it when you are holding your babies," she said with a smile. "When you first came in you were two centimeters dilated, we are going to check again since you're contractions are progressing so if you don't mind—"

"Got it, Wally, get out for like two minutes," I said. "There is no way you are seeing my lady bits."

He got out of the chair and began making his way to the door. "You don't need to tell me twice. I'm going to find Artemis."

They checked my progression and I only moved up a centimeter. "You are still on course," she said in response to my grimace. "The anesthesiologist is going to be in shortly."

"Thank god," I said with relief.

Once she left, literally everyone came in the room. Zee, Dick, Wally, Artemis, Connor, M'gann, Cassie, Mom, and Dad all walked in. Mom was immediately at my free side. She sat on the bed and moved my hair from my face. "How are you feeling?"

"Honestly, I feel like Garfield as a Tyrannosaurus is currently sitting on my pelvis and lower abdomen. I also simultaneously want to eat, sleep, vomit, and drink my body volume in water," I said with a sigh as I shifted. "But other than that I'm just anxious, I haven't been able to talk with Manuel all night since he is out of my reach and Alena is exhausted from all the contractions. I just want them to be here."

"By tomorrow, you'll be holding them in your arms," she said still playing with my hair.

I nod, "I know, where's Roy?"

"He couldn't find a baby sitter and Jade is out of town," she said with a little distaste.

"I understand, he can come in the morning and bring Lian, I haven't seen her for weeks," I say with a yawn. "What about Roy? Has anyone talked to him?"

"He says he is fine and to stop worrying," Dinah said with a roll of her eyes.

"And of course when he says vague crap like that I'm going to worry," I said with a sigh. "What about Jackson? Was anyone able to get a hold of him?"

"I got a hold of his unit's satellite phone, he was out on a patrol in one of the nearby towns," Cassie said. "They will let him know as soon as he gets back."

I nod. "Okay, that's everyone accounted for right?" I asked. "Dick, you told Bruce, Tim, and Barbara?"

"They were with me when Cassie called, they'll come visit tomorrow."

I nod, "Let Bruce know if he brings anything worth more than $20, I'm going to kill him," I said I grimaced as a small contraction hit.

"I'll try but you know how he is," Dick said with a shrug.

"Well, if he is going to bring anything, he should bring Alfred's triple decker German chocolate cake," I said moving the bed to let me sit up. "That's something I could get behind."

"Same," Wally commented.

"Who said you were going to get any of it?" I ask with a smile.

"What you aren't going to share?"

"Um, hell no," I said simply. "That's Alfred's triple decker German chocolate cake. That cake could persuade me to commit murder."

"Not even a slice?" Wally asked in anguish.

"A crumb the size of quarter," I compromise. "What about Garth and Tula?" I ask turning to Kaldur. "And your mom do they know?"

"Garth and my mother both know," he said grasping my hand. "Tula was still asleep, Garth swore to tell her in the morning."

I nod, "Good that's good. What about Uncle Clark and Barry? And—"

"A message has been sent out informing everyone," Mom said with a smile. "Now stop worrying and—" The machine to her right began beeping erratically.

I curled into a ball and gripped the rail as it hit. "Fucking hell this hurts."

"It's okay," Dad said as he came up to me and grabbed my hand. "We are here."

That one lasted longer than the ones before. I relaxed and made the bed recline. "I'm just going to stay down here," I said quietly.

"Where the hell is the anesthesiologist?" Mom snapped.

"Mom, this is going to hurt regardless. Besides it's not the worst pain I've felt. Remember when that building exploded in the Glades and I got impaled by the plank of plywood. Now that really hurt."

"Yes and you didn't go or do anything for two months," Mom replied.

"Even when you were healed after one month," Dad replied giving a pointed look to Mom.

"It was when we were trying to find Roy," I replied. "This still really hurts though. Top three on the most painful experiences of my life."

"What's the other one?" Dick asked curiously.

"Let talk not about that one," I said quietly as I turned to grab Kaldur's hand. He knew exactly what I was talking about.

"Mom, can you get me some ice?" I asked quietly. "And please don't try to punch a nurse."

Everyone in the room let out a laugh. Dad smiled, "How about I go?" he left the room without a word.

"I feel bad," I replied, "I'm probably going to be in labor until tomorrow and you guys are all here."

"Oh please," Zee replied speaking for the first time. "Do you really think I am going to miss any of this? These are my god children we are talking about."

I smile and before I could respond another contraction hit.

"This is going to be a long night," Dick replied.