The anesthesiologist finally came and that was a miracle if I ever had one. Because of my metabolism they pumped me with enough to knock out a horse which had me at a prefect peaceful state. The contractions now only felt like an uncomfortable pressure.

"How are you feeling now, Carter?"

I smiled. "I am feeling much better," I said with slight slurring causing the others in the room to laugh.

"That's good I'll come check on you in a little bit to see how far dilated you are. Telling by how close your contractions are," She says looking at the piece of paper coming out of the machine recording my contractions, "We should see these babies at the latest by noon tomorrow."

"Thank you, Dr. Sullivan," Kaldur replied from his spot at my side. He was sitting on the edge of my bed holding my hand and running his fingers through my hair.

She gave him a pleasant smile and a nod. "No thanks necessary, it's what I'm here for."

By the morning people were sleeping, off to the cafeteria or somewhere else to get food, or went to go take care of things at work and were coming right back. I was able to get a couple hours of sleep and was now currently bouncing on a yoga ball right now I was at 8 centimeters dilated and I had gotten a second round of drugs. I felt great!

"Are you sure you're not hungry?" Mom asked before going down to the cafeteria to meet up with Dad.

"I'm starving but I will throw it up," I said bouncing. "I will eat after the twins get here. I should be fine since they are pumping me with vitamins."

"Okay, I'll be right back."

She left the room leaving just Kaldur, myself, and a sleeping Artemis. She has been out for a while. Kaldur was sitting in the chair next to my bed, he hasn't left my side all night.

"Kaldur, get some sleep."

"I am fine," he said with a smile. "You are the one that needs sleep."

"I can't sleep right now," I said still bouncing. "I'm too excited. We are about to finally meet them!"

He smiled and laughed at my enthusiasm. I stopped bouncing and clutched my stomach at the tightness that one was really strong, even with the medication. I looked at the monitor and it is the largest peak I have seen. Thirty seconds later another one hit followed by another. I looked up at him in and smiled. Seconds later the doctor walked in. She smiled at me and gestured to the bed. "Let's get you up in the stir-ups and check. Something tells me it might be time."

She checked and ordered for a delivery suite to be set up with two incubators ready and warmed up. I smiled and grabbed my cell phone. "Mom, get back up here I'm having these babies." Artemis woke up with the noise. She looked cranky until she realized what was going on.

Two nurses came in and prepared me for transport down the hall. Mom and Dad both came running in with huge smiles on their faces. Dr. Sullivan walked in, this time dressed in scrubs. "Mom, I assume you are coming along with the father to be?" she asked.

I nod, "Yes, she's my second person in the room."

Dr. Sullivan smiled. "Well, let's get this show on the road, we have some babies to bring into this world."

We got into the labor suite a big room that was prepared for anything. Natural birth, emergency c-section, anything that knowing my luck could happen. I was placed in the stir-ups and my bed was set to a reclining position. Dr. Sullivan sat on a stool in between my legs. "Okay, Carter, we've eased up on your medicine a little bit so you will feel some pain but we need you to have better control of your muscles to push. Only push when I tell you to, okay? No matter how much your body wants to push you do not, got it?"

I nod, "Got it." The machine showed a contraction coming and this time I felt it. I closed my eyes in pain and gripped the hands that appeared in mine.

"Don't push, Carter, we have to wait for the next one," Dr. Sullivan said. I nodded and did my hardest not to push. "Good job," she said as the contraction ended. "Remember for this one I want you to push with all you've got." I nod, as I feel another contraction coming on. The monitor beeped louder as the pain increased. "Push!"

I pushed and that really hurt. The pressure and pain in my pelvis was like thousands of needles stabbing and they were on fire. "Okay stop pushing, Carter, the contraction is over," Dr. Sullivan encouraged.

I relaxed back into the bed. "Kaldur, you are so luck that this pregnancy is twins and one of each gender, because I am not doing this ever aga—" Another contraction hit.

"Push, Carter, just one more and Manuel will be crowning," Dr. Sullivan said.

"Keep at it, you are doing so well, Carter," Mom said in encouragement.

The contraction ended just as another on hit, "Does this ever end?" I asked angrily as I pushed again. The pressure grew and grew getting more painful.

"He's crowning, Carter, keep pushing."

I kept pushing until suddenly I didn't have to anymore and all I heard was a loud wail. "And it's a boy," Dr. Sullivan cheered causing me to open my eyes to see a little shriveled up baby covered in white and red screaming like a banshee, and I began to cry like a ...well him. Kaldur cut the cord with his free hand and the nurses took him away to get cleaned up and evaluated. I looked up at Kaldur and saw tears forming in his eyes too. I went to smile and have an enduring moment but Alena apparently wanted to make her appearance too. I delivered the placenta and immediately the contractions picked up again. "Come on, Carter, you are just half way through," Dr. Sullivan said. "I know you are exhausted but we need you to push okay?"

I nodded because I was honestly to out of breath to say or do anything else. Pushing constantly has exhausting. Kaldur pushed my hair from my face and kissed my forehead. "He looks just like you." Before I could reply I slammed my head into the bed as the pain hit again.

"Come on, Carter, just a couple more pushes, she's about to crown," Dr. Sullivan encouraged. I nodded as I pushed and pushed until eventually a loud cry filled the room once again at just a slightly high octave than the first. "And there's our girl!" I opened my eyes again to see them take a pink blanket covered baby away to clean up and get evaluated just like her brother. I looked up at Kaldur with a huge exhausted smile on my face. "I did it."

He grabbed my face and kissed me hard. "Yes, you did, and they are beautiful."

"Carter," I turned to look at my mom. "I'm going to go take pictures and go show everyone."

I nod, "That's okay, Mom, I'm fine here," I said squeezing her hand in mine. "Thanks."

She leaned forward and kissed my forehead. "Always."

The good doctor and her team of nurses got me all cleaned up and in order and finally gave me my babies. Now I could say they were cute and adorable and were the most beautiful things in the world, but they honestly looked like miniature old people. They don't look like me or Kaldur yet but I can see Manuel has my hair, my original dark brown, and Alena has her dad's blonde curly hair. They both have a light tan complexion. I smiled as I held Manuel and Kaldur held Alena by my side. I brushed a finger against his cheek causing his eyes to slightly open which was hard due to the jelly they placed over them to moisturize. "Hi, Manuel, it's Mommy."

"Mommy," he said in his mind with a sigh.

I smiled and moved him to be closer to my face so I could kiss him on the forehead. "Mommy, I'm tired."

"Go to sleep, Honey, you just had a very big day," I said ending with a yawn. "We'll be here when you wake up along with the rest of the family."

"You need to get some rest, as well," Kaldur said quietly kissing my temple. "You have had a long night as well. Our family can wait just a little while longer."

I nod as I yawn once more. I lean back into the bed and make sure I have a secure hold on our son and fell asleep. I had woken up a couple of times like when they moved me back to my room and when the nurses drew blood from all three of us and did some of the minor tests. They all came back fine. I was holding a sleeping Alena when I heard a quiet knock on the door. I looked up just as it opened to see my mom.

"Is it okay for us to come in?" she asked in a hushed tone. I nodded my head. She opened the door widely and the family all but ran in. The girls crowded the bed, Cassie immediately got into the bed with me carefully.

"Oh look at her," Cassie said in amazement. "Was I this cute when I was a baby?"

"No," I answer immediately with a smile. "You wouldn't stop screaming that brought you down a couple notches."

She gave me a look of disbelief and rolled her eyes. "Well are you going to hold her forever or is it my turn to cuddle my beautiful niece?"

I shifted my hold causing Alena to stir. "Get a good grip and support her head and neck."

"I know how to hold a baby, Sis," she said. "The Allen twins needed cuddling too."

"Hush and do as I say," I teased. She held on and tightly as she leaned back and got comfortable.

"Did you choose a middle name yet?" Artemis asked curiously. She know I have been going back and forth about the middle name.

"Alena Taylor," I said with a smile. "It is the closest we could get to an English derivative of Mom's actual name."

"Alena Taylor Durham," Zee said with admiration. "It has a nice ring to it."

"So does Manuel Lance Durham," I said with a smile looking over to Mom. "Dinah nor Laurel weren't all that manly."

I've never seen my Mom so close to crying.