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I was there when Ruby gave birth again. It was the same amount of miracle every time. Same tragedy and bloodshed but it was also a miracle.

I flew home after she gave birth and looked after the kids. Ruby was relaxing in the hospital after having given birth so there wasn't much I could do to help and the kids needed somebody to look after them before their latest sister, Carnel came home for the first time.

Weiss stayed and looked after Ruby but I was out of there and back at the place in just a moment. Perks of flying. Of course there were downsides to flying. Like being back so soon. Ups and downsides.

Taiyang had been looking after them but he and I said our goodbyes once I arrived to check up on things.

"How's my little girl?" He demanded politely.

"She's fine. She's ecstatic over that new baby smell," I answered. I shrugged that off in the atrium. I had no idea what they were talking about with the new baby smell. I'd smelled the freaking baby both before and after her aura had been unlocked. Nothing. Zilch.

"And you are… less ecstatic," he interpreted with a tiny nod. He rolled his ankle to stretch out his leg as he spoke.

"I can't smell it. Whatever it is that they are talking about when they refer to our babies having some unique smell I can't detect it. I mean they all smell different. And they all smell different all the time. From one moment to the next. But I'm just not picking up on that special something that they are both doing. But hey, good for them I guess?"

"New baby smell?" He wondered and wrinkled his nose. "How new are we talking about?"

"Evidently it lasts the first six months or so," I answered. "Not - like fresh from the oven. Which I imagine isn't the smell that they are referring to."

"And this ain't aura?" He asked.

"Evidently not. I thought it was aura and got shut down. You can go upstairs and give Pearle a sniff. She might still have it."

"I'm not sniffin' a baby," he decided. He seemed set against it on basic principle. Which seemed fair enough. I had no idea. It wasn't a very good policy on principle. Going around and sniffing babies. What madness.

"Well I am. I want to know. I just didn't pick it up on the first… five… five babies… maybe I'll get lucky and catch a whiff on the sixth?"

"You don't really think that," he folded his arms at me.

"Well, no, but I hate to think that I'm missing out on something. These babies are all I have now. Well, Beacon Graduation is coming up. I have a few favorite teams graduating. And that's exciting."

"But you're also sending them off to die. You know what it means. Better than most."

"So what? So I shouldn't be happy for them? What do you do about your graduating kids?"

"I pour one out," he brutally informed me.

"Well I'm not giving up on these teams. They're talented and hardworking. I think they've got a real shot at long careers."

"Not like you?" He wondered.

"No. Not like me. I told you I'd be lucky to squeeze ten years out of your daughter. It's been almost four and I don't feel lucky. Who knows how much longer I'll be able to push things in that regard."

"Sounds to me like she's trying to squeeze the life out of you," he disagreed. "Six. It's a lot. Six."

"So you keep reminding me. I just hope Ruby is done after this one. If she asks me for another one I might just have to put my foot down."

"You can't do that," he had the audacity to laugh at me. Hey now. I could do it. I could stomp my foot and tell her… tell her what exactly. Tell her 'no?' I wasn't that bold. I relied on her.

"But I should. I really really should. Anyways thanks for looking after the little tikes on such short notice. We appreciate that you're there for us."

"Well I'd have liked to have been in the room with my daughter. But I have the feeling she had plenty of support. Between you and Weiss."

"Hopefully we got the job done and -hey! Garnet, no running in the house!" I cut myself off to shout at the toddling toddler who toddled about.

She stopped running with a giggle. She glanced at me and I could see her calculating. The law was on the books but it would take all my effort to enforce it. She took off again sprinting through the house. I chased her down and swooshed her up into my arms.

"You're a naughty young lady," I informed her and bopped her on the nose.

"You ran in the house!" She protested.

"To catch you! You little squirt! You're coming with me now."

I walked back over to Taiyang still holding Garnet in my arms.

"Anyways where were we? Oh right. Hopefully Weiss and I provide enough support. I'm not a mind reader so I can only do so much."

"I'm sure you do plenty. Well I'm off. Call me if you need anything."

"Daddy!" Garnet called out. "I have to pee!" She rocked in my arms.

I set her down and she sprinted to the bathroom. I sighed heavily.

"I just might. Does she get this from your side of the family?"

"Garnet's just a little energetic is all. We don't mind energy do we?" He gave me a kindly wink without answering.

"It's all from Ruby isn't it. At least Nebel is calm. Well. Calmer. More calm."

"I'll leave you to it."

"Yeah. Do that. Goodnight Taiyang."

"Goodnight son."

He strode off and got in his car.

That just left me with five scamps of varying ages to contend with. Usually we needed all hands on deck for the babies alone. Or at least more than one pair of hands on deck.

It was going to be a long night. A toilet flushed behind me and Garnet stepped back out of the bathroom.

"Didja make a mess?" I asked her nicely.

She gave me a grin and shook her head to the negative. Just to be sure I double checked through the door. No mess. But it was harder with girls than with guys to make a mess. That's just… that's just physics and biomechanics.

"Hey why don't you see what your brother is up to while I start dinner?" I asked her.

"I want to stay with you, daddy."

"Aw well aren't you a sweetheart. Will you do me a favor and check on the little ones for me at least. Pearle and Cherry, and Citrone. And we had better make room. There's one more sister coming home. Mommy Ruby finally gave birth so we have little baby Carnel to get ready for."

"A new baby sister?!" Garnet gushed.

"She looks an awful lot like you do. Hardly took after me at all. Except for the hair. She has yellow and red hair. Like a flame."

"Oh I can't wait. I'll go tell Nebel!"

"And check on the little ones, won't you? Garnet? Garnet?!"

She was gone and dashing off through the house. It was on me to check the babies. Some of which were hardly babies any longer. Citrone and Cherry were pushing a year and a quarter. Pearle was threatening a year. They were all growing up so fast. I couldn't believe it as it happened day by day but my children would all know my face soon. I'd give it two years. Maybe three. But then… then I'd have to be gone. I'd have to leave all this behind me. The truth was out there waiting and the god of light and truth was much crueler than the god of lies and darkness. A lie could be comforting. The truth was never like that.

I knew that in my heart.

"Is it true?" Nebel was holding a book under one arm. "Are we going to have another little sister?"

"You are," I informed him. "This should be the last but who knows. Your mothers are baby crazy."

"We should get ready somehow." Nebel picked at his lower lip.

"Like a party?" Garnet asked. "A big party?"

"No kids. No parties. Ruby will want to rest. Weiss will especially want some sleep. No parties. Go check on your younger brother and sisters. Just real quick. For me."

"Yes daddy." Nebel walked away with his back up and little sister spiraling around him.

"How are you not excited?! We get a whole 'nother sister!"

"I am excited. I'm just not flying around like you are about it."

"But think about it! A baby! Mommy Ruby finally gave birth!"

"Dad, calm her down," Nebel intoned.

"Garnet's just a little energetic," I repeated Taiyang. "We don't have a problem with that now do we?" I wasn't sure if we did or not yet. "Go check on your siblings."

Nebel huffed but did as I bid with Garnet in his orbit.

"Shush! You'll wake them up," the four year old said to the three year old.

"Fine. Fine. I'm just so excited. I just can't help it. Think of all the things we can do with a younger sister."

"I can't think of anything," Nebel confessed. "Most of what she'll be doing is sleeping or crying. She needs taken care of."

"But we can help! We're old enough to help now!"

"You want to help?" Nebel asked.

"You don't?"

"You never want to help. I always have to do it because you don't want to. It bores you. I don't see why this new little sister will bore you any less than the ones we already have got!"

"Because she's new. New is exciting!" Garnet gushed.

"You tell me that now…" Nebel muttered.

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Ruby was welcomed back with Carnel to her enormous family.

"Aw! Happy almost birthday little sis!" Garnet squealed.

"She was born yesterday," Nebel shot her a look.

"That makes it almost her birthday," Garnet kept up. "Aw look at her!"

"Isn't she precious," Ruby laughed.

"I haven't slept through the night in months and that counter until I can sleep well again just got reset," Weiss sighed. Ruby looked over at her. Weiss rolled her eyes. "Butyes. She is precious."

"Ruby I got to tell you, if you're looking for another one after this I'm going to be floored," I informed her.

"But what if I decide I want to be pregnant again?"

"Wear a fat suit. I don't know what to tell you. I think this is it for me. So enjoy that new baby smell while it lasts."

"You're making fun of us!" Weiss accused.

"Not really!"

"New baby smell?" Garnet wondered. She walked over to the baby and inhaled deeply. "She smells… clean. Like… is that it? Is that the new baby smell?"

"You're smelling the hospital," I informed her.

"No. She smells clean. This one smells clean. She smells flowery and clean," Ruby denied. "And a bit like smoke."

"Rubes, that's her aura," I denied.

"It's both," Ruby pulled the baby away from me in her arms. Little Carnel squealed a little but she didn't cry. "She smells clean."

"Let me smell," Nebel requested. "Please."

Ruby brought the baby around.

Nebel took a whiff.

"Clean…" he hummed.

Ruby gave me an expectant look.

"I smelled her at the hospital. I didn't get any of what you're laying down," I waved her off.

"Fine," Ruby decided. "Keep it all to mama." She kissed Carnel's face quickly and rubbed her cheek against Carnel's. "Who's so precious? You is. Yes you is."

"Ruby you should probably put the baby down for a nap," Weiss gently told Ruby.

"You think so? I was just going to hold her for a while longer?"

"You have five other babies to hold."

Nebel folded his arms. "I'm not a baby."

"Of course you're not. You're a pumpkin." Weiss bent low and poked his cheeks and Nebel smiled despite himself. He turned away from his birth mother's affection.

"You would say that," he grumbled.

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked.

"You're my mom. Of course you'd say I'm a pumpkin. Even if I wasn't a pumpkin you'd still say it."

"That's right son. Mothers are liars. They can't be trusted," I came barrelling in.

"Oh psh!" Ruby dismissed.

Weiss hit me for that but it was darling and so meaningful that I just took it.

"Why would you say something like that?!" Garnet gasped.

"It was a joke," I told her.

"A bad one," Ruby mumbled.

"But it was still a joke," I continued.

"Come on. Let's check on the others in their cribs. Hand me the baby Ruby. I'll put Carnel down. You must be tired."

Ruby handed Carnel over to me and I crossed the house to the bedrooms on the first floor and I laid Carnel down for her nap. I bopped her nose and she shifted in my arms as I did and put her to sleep in her new crib.

I rejoined my family outside where they were checking on Citrone, Pearle, and Cherry. They were standing up in their cribs. In all their little rooms. My family felt… I don't know. They felt finally complete. Like it was all one entire complex inside of waiting for one more.

"Daddy!" Cherry graced me and the pacifier fell out of Citrone's mouth when I entered the twins' room. They'd have separate places later but for now it was convenient for them to share a room.

"Hey baby girl! You being good?" I asked her.

"She's being stinky. Cloud!" Weiss ordered.

I lowered the changing station in the room and leveled Garnet onto it.

"Oopsie," Cherry informed me.

"No. Not an oopsie. All natural. I started cleaning her off on the changing table. I pulled off her dirty diaper and put on a fresh one after wiping her clean. "All better! See baby girl?"

"Dadda…" Citrone reached through the bars on his crib for his pacifier. Nebel handed it to him. He promptly stuck it back in his mouth.

"All better? All good in here?" I placed Cherry back in her crib.

"Looks like it," Weiss agreed. "Pearl's fine. She's sleeping."

"That's all babies do is sleep," Nebel protested. "It's the same with the old babies and it will be the same with the new baby. Wait and see. I'm right."

"But we love them anyway. Don't we?" Weiss reminded him gently. "We are nice to our siblings because they can't look out for themselves. You'll always be mama's big boy."

"But I'll always be other mama's little baby. I can never grow out of it!"

"You will always be my baby," Ruby agreed. She stifled a yawn. "Hew. Who knew that delivering babies can be so exhausting?"

"Literally everyone. Everyone would think that," I rolled my eyes.

"Daddy? Where do babies even come from?" Nebel asked me.

Oh boy.

"Well you see son. When two people, a man and a woman, get in a certain mood they have sex. Sex is when-"

"I'll handle it Cloud. Thanks." Weiss cut me off. She led Garnet and Nebel away but I could hear her talking.

"Sex is when you put your boy parts inside of someone else's girl parts. And that's how babies are made. There's a wonderful exchange of material and nine months later after the baby grows they are delivered," Weiss marched forward.

"I was… going to say something like that," I stuttered off to Ruby.

"No you wouldn't have. Weiss has got this. Leave it to her. Now I am going to take a nap. Just a quick one. Wake me up if Carnel wakes up again."

"No can do," I folded my arms. "You need your sleep."

"Aw, please for me?"

"No. I am doing it for you. Relax yourself. There will be plenty of time to hold the baby."

"They grow up so fast…" Ruby whined.

"They do," I agreed. "So let the baby sleep and grow. Weiss and I have got this. You should lay yourself down. Goodnight Rubes."

"Goodnight Cloud," she bid with a tired yawn.

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-WG