**This is it, guys! This is the end. After this chapter will be the Epilogue... I cannot believe we are this close to the finish line. I hope you've loved it and hope you love the Epilogue chapter. I'll write a longer note, then. ENJOY!**

~ Chapter Fifty- Eight ~

Beginning of a New Adventure

"Brooklyn!"

Rose shot into a sitting position, breathing hard, and was momentarily dazed. Cupping her large stomach, she closed her eyes and focused on her breathing.

Opening her eyes, she looked over to her left side, unsure if her mate was even there or not, since earlier he was gone on patrol with the others. However, to her relief, he was there, deeply asleep with a 'Car and Driver' magazine draped over his chest. Her cry hadn't woken him.

Looking over to her right, the alarm clock showed that it was nearly five in the morning and would be dawn in an hour, but the bright lights from Manhattan's skyscrapers reflecting off the snow clouds made the night sky much brighter than usual.

Looking out her window now, thick snowflakes were falling gracefully, and the late mild autumn of October had faded with the passing three weeks. Winter had found New York, even though it was only mid-November.

Rose blinked tiredly, yawned, and rubbed her eyes. Not wanting to wake Brooklyn just yet, she climbed out of the covers and dangled her legs over the edge of the mattress. She was slightly confused why she was suddenly awake until some intense pain hit her again; then, she remembered why she had woken up.

Three weeks had passed by since Emily had come to visit her, and three weeks ago, she thought she was uncomfortable being pregnant, but now, she could hardly sleep anymore out of intense discomfort.

She also had nearly doubled in size with her pregnancy.

The back pain she'd begun feeling three weeks ago had only intensified with each passing night, and the past two nights, she felt like her pelvis was going to crack from the weight and pressure in her abdomen.

Doctor Sato had met with her yesterday and expressed his concerns about her giving birth any day now, told her and Brooklyn to prepare themselves and that he would be on-call from here on out.

To be safe and relieve her from her discomfort, he scheduled her for a C-Section surgery at the end of the week, but it was only Tuesday, and she didn't think she could make it to then.

Unsure why she jolted out of sleep or called out Brooklyn's name, she tried to think about if it was a nightmare or something else. Then, she suddenly became aware that strange wetness suddenly oozed from in between her legs, and she blinked in shock.

Looking down, she didn't see anything out of the ordinary, then groaned.

"Great."

Lately, the pressure had been so bad that she was constantly needing to go to the bathroom as her son was squeezing her bladder, and now, she thought that she had wet the bed.

Trying not to be embarrassed, she moved away from the wet spot, dried, and cleaned it with a wave of her hand without so much as looking at it. Red magic flowed out of her hand quickly, taking away the mess without effort. Now that the easy part was over, it was down to the hard part. Getting up to walk over to the bathroom, relieve herself, and then change her clothes.

Taking a deep breath, the pain in her back was back, and it was sharper than usual, but she could manage until she got a pain reliever pill. Reaching out a hand, she gripped the edge of her nightstand, then used it to help her stand.

But that was a mistake. A huge mistake.

Pain, unlike anything she'd ever experienced before, shot through her pelvis and back, then down her legs.

Screaming, the pain brought her to her knees, making her hand slip, knocking the alarm clock and lamp off onto the ground with a loud clang.

"Brooklyn!"

At his name being called, Brooklyn woke up and catapulted himself off the bed and down by her side.

"Rose?" His voice was deep and hoarse from coming out from his nap. "Honey? What's wrong? Are you…?"

"Get the light," Rose gasped, breathing deeply as more moisture oozed down her legs. She could see Brooklyn's face from the bright snow clouds, but she couldn't see his reaction.

Doing as she said, he turned on the lamp from the ground, and their room was suddenly flooded with a soft, yellow light.

Shaking, she reached her hands in between her legs and touched the moisture there. Brooklyn watched her with wide eyes and looked confused.

"Babe? What are you-" He froze when she brought her hand out from in between her legs, and they both saw what was drenching her hand.

It wasn't urine at all, but blood.

Bright, red blood.

Though it wasn't much, her mind instantly pieced together what was happening. Brooklyn, however, wasn't caught up with what she knew.

"Rose? What's happening?"

Reaching out, he grabbed her shoulders and steadied her when her world grew dizzy.

"I'm fine," she whispered, shaking. "I'm…"

Just then, intense pain shot through her body. Screaming, she pushed herself, so her back was against the side of their bed, and writhed against the waves tearing her body apart.

Her hands began tingling, and when she realized that Brooklyn was trying to connect with her through their soul-bond, she shot their soul-bond down.

"Rose!" Brooklyn cried out, holding onto her, looking shocked that she did that, but she didn't care. Her toes curled into the rug, and her hands were clenched into sweaty fists. The pain kept shooting down her back, down her lower abdomen, through her pelvis, and down her legs.

Brooklyn cupped her face, and when she looked at him, his red skin had paled, and his eyes were terrified. She knew he didn't know what to do, nor what to even think. She could be dying… and with how she was feeling… that was a possibility.

"Doctor Sato," was all she could say as she gasped through the pain. "Call Doctor Sato. Please. Right now, Brooklyn."

"Doctor Sato?" He asked roughly, then blinked, comprehending what was going on. "Rose, is it Gnash?"

"Yes," Rose gasped, nodding, and grabbed onto his claw, screeching through another wave of pain. More blood oozed out from in between her legs along with clear liquid suddenly, and Brooklyn's eyes followed the small trail it made and widened even more in terror.

Rose looked at him and cupped his jaw. "It's time. He… he's coming."

Rose's screams had woken up the entire Castle and alerted the rest of the Clan to rush to her side. Brooklyn lifted her into his arms without effort and carried her to the infirmary. Lying her down on the bed, Rose instantly clutched the sides of the bed frame, laid on her side, and breathed through the pain.

Counting her contractions.

"What's going on?" Goliath asked, rushing in and watching Rose writhe on the bed with blood soaking her nightgown, followed closely by Hudson, Bronx, and Broadway.

"Gnash," Brooklyn said, instantly picking up the phone and dialing a phone number. "He's coming, Goliath. It's time."

Jumping into action, Goliath and Hudson crossed the room to Rose as Broadway left the Infirmary with a running start to gather Angela and Akira. Goliath and Hudson grabbed onto her shoulders and instantly whispered consoling words as Brooklyn quickly relayed information on the phone with Doctor Sato.

Rose was sweating, and her face had paled. She clutched the side of the bed with all her might and forced herself to breathe. All the things she knew to do as a Paramedic, she was trying to do, but nothing could have prepared her for the ripping sensation in her lower back, abdomen, and pelvis.

"Breathe, lass…" Hudson said calmly. "It's going to be alright."

For a moment, she thought so until another wave ripped through her. A guttural scream she didn't know was possible left her throat, and her body was heaving.

The infirmary doors opened, and suddenly Fox, Angela, Elisa, and Akira were running through.

"I've got blankets," Fox announced.

Through the chaos, Brooklyn had Akira take the phone and rushed over to her. "Rose, Doctor Sato is coming. Babe, he's coming."

"Okay," Rose whispered, focusing on his face, then shut her eyes and gritted her teeth as another pain ripped through her.

"How close together are your contractions?" Elisa asked, taking the phone from Akira and speaking both to her and the Doctor.

"Two minutes," Rose said, and Elisa's eyes widened. "Elisa, he's coming, but… but something is wrong." The room went silent then, and Rose focused on her soul-bond to their son.

"What do you mean?" Brooklyn asked frantically. "What's wrong?"

Rose kept her eyes shut and was searching her soul-bond, finding out the reason why. Breathing deeply, she opened her eyes.

"His wings... his wings are caught on my pelvic bone."

"Are you sure?" Brooklyn asked frantically.

"Yes." Rose forced herself to sit up and then looked down at the blood in between her legs. "Some blood is normal during birth, but not this much." She laid back down and cupped her forehead. "Elisa, when is Doctor Sato coming?"

"He…" Elisa said, then looked at the Clan in terror, "Rose, he's coming, but he says there's a lot of snow on the ground, and it's slick out. He's called in the surgical team, and they are on their way, as well, but…"

"When," Rose ground out, "will he get here?"

"Between the bad weather and the start of early morning traffic," Elisa paused, then said, "he thinks in forty-five minutes."

It was her worst nightmare.

Rose kept her eyes shut, willing her body to stop shaking and stop contracting, but knew it was not possible.

"That's too long," she gasped out. "Gnash is in trouble, and he's coming now, but my body can't pass him properly. Not while he's in a winged form."

"What can I do?" Brooklyn begged, grabbing her hand. They both knew this was what they had both been dreading since finding out about her pregnancy. "Rose, what can I do?"

"Can we go and pick the Doctor up?" Broadway suggested. "We can glide a lot quicker and easier than cars can in the snow and ice."

"Possibly, but she needs the surgical team to properly and safely give her the surgery to deliver the baby safely," Xanatos added, coming quickly into the room. He rested his arm on the bed frame next to Rose's head. "Do I need to fire up the chopper? Pick him and his team up?"

"No," Rose whispered. "It'll take up too much time to try and land somewhere in Manhattan during the morning commute. It's too dangerous."

"What can we do, then? We have to get Gnash out!" Akira whispered, coming up to her. She, too, was heavily pregnant but wasn't ready to deliver her egg for another month. She looked over at Goliath and Brooklyn and whispered, "It's not like she's delivering an egg. Eggs are pliable and easily passable during birth. Nashville is already in his hybrid form."

Brooklyn was much too pale for Rose's comfort and looked terrified. Shaking, Rose reached out and grabbed his claw. His eyes met hers.

"It's going to be okay," she whispered, breathing deeply. "Stay with me, Brooklyn, and I have nothing to fear."

"I should be the one comforting you," he breathed, kneeling beside her and pressing his lips to her encapsulated hands. He stared at her for a few seconds, and then tears welled up heavily in his dark eyes.

"Rose, don't leave me."

She knew what he meant, and she smiled gently at him. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm the Goddess of Death, and I'm telling you that I will be fine. Nashville will be fine. Trust me. We've been through much, much worse, and have faced death once before."

Brooklyn was shaking but nodded his head. "Well, steer clear of that slimy bastard, okay? Once is more than enough."

Despite the situation and her pain, she chuckled and nodded. "I plan on it."

"How?" Angela suddenly whispered. "How will Nashville be alright if he's stuck inside of you?"

"Well, we have two options," Rose said calmly after thinking it through. "One is to do everything I can to keep him inside of me until Doctor Sato and his team arrive."

Brooklyn nodded at her, amazed by how calm she was. She took a deep breath, then looked away from him and stared at the Clan.

"The very last thing that only comes if either his life or mine is in jeopardy, and Doctor Sato still isn't here, is for someone to take the surgical tools and cut Gnash out of me."

"NO!" Brooklyn nearly yelled and was panicking again. "No, we're not doing that!"

"We may have to," Rose whispered, feeling a wave of pain and contractions coming again. "Brooklyn, please… our son… think of our son! You can heal me, I know you can… but our son, Brooklyn, is in distress. The longer he's stuck inside of me, the worse off he'll be."

Brooklyn stared at her with utmost horror, then another wave of pain hit her. Doubling over, she screamed low and rough screams. Breathing was becoming difficult, and with every pulsing of the contraction, more blood was oozing down her legs.

"Oh my God," Broadway moaned. "I think I need to sit down."

"Breathe, Rose," Elisa said, coming over and moving her hair away from her sweaty face. "Breathe."

Wailing, Rose squeezed Brooklyn's claw and the bed frame as hard as she could. The wave of pain wasn't letting up but was getting worse. Much worse.

"I'm going to vomit," Rose moaned, and thankfully, Akira rushed over with a wastebasket just in time. She vomited until there was nothing left, and Elisa was there with a napkin to wipe her mouth.

"You're bleeding worse now," Elisa suddenly said, and her panicked voice made Rose grit her teeth. It was up to her to tell them what to do now.

"Grab the ultrasound machine," she gasped out, "and place the stickers on my stomach. We need to listen to Gnash's heartbeat and make sure he's okay."

While Elisa was doing that, Rose shut her eyes and dug deep within her bond. She let Brooklyn in, and together, they focused all of her energy on finding their son and feeling his heartbeat.

If you stay connected to me, you're going to feel all the pain.

I don't care. Brooklyn said back. I'm here for you, and I'm going to make sure you and Gnash make it through this.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to let them shed. She felt around her bond and then suddenly found their son.

Rose instantly pulled out of their bond and looked at Brooklyn with wide eyes.

"I was right, his wings are caught in my pelvic bone, and he's in distress! Brooklyn, we have to get him out! Now!"

"I'm not slicing a knife across your abdomen, Rose," Brooklyn said through gritted teeth. "You and our son are going to live! Do you hear me? But, I'm not doing that."

Tears welled up in Rose's eyes. She was begging with him now. "If you don't get him out soon, Brooklyn, he's going to suffocate and die!"

Brooklyn flinched and looked lost. Numb.

"Is he in his Gargoyle form?" Goliath suddenly asked Rose seriously, and she nodded.

"Yes, and he can't get out of me."

Brooklyn shut his eyes and was breathing deeply to calm himself down. "Give me another option, Rose. Anything. Give me anything else to do for you and our son."

"Can yeh encourage him to shift into a human?" Hudson suddenly asked, looking worried beyond measure, and Rose looked at him with wide eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, this may be a long shot, but I think I'm havin' an idea here. Puck used to train young Alexander and was teachin' him magic, even as a babe. Couldn't yeh help your son shape-shift and even use yer magic to make him change his form into a human's?"

Rose froze and stared at Hudson with wide eyes. His words slowly dawned upon her like a lightbulb in the dark.

"Of course…"

Her magic. Why didn't she think about that?

"Yes, that might work," Brooklyn gasped, catching on, then grasped Hudson's arms. "Hudson, you're a genius!" He whipped around and grabbed Rose's hand. "Hudson is right! Talk to our son, Rose! Help him shape-shift into his human form by using your magic! I'll help give you strength if you need."

"But what about sunrise?" Lexington asked, looking downright scared. "Dawn is coming in a half-hour! We don't have the sunstone from Oberon yet. We'll turn to stone before she gives birth."

"Rose won't be alone," Xanatos said. "She has Fox, myself, and Elisa here to help."

"As will I," Brooklyn said, grabbing his sunstone necklace out of his loincloth suddenly and placing it around his neck. The reddish-orange stone rested against his wedding ring necklace. "I'll be here the whole time, my love. I'm going to help you bring our son into this world, and I'm not going anywhere."

Nodding and feeling relieved that he was staying with her, Rose grasped his claws and then shut her eyes. She had to get her son changed into a human before her next set of contractions, and before more pressure was placed upon his little body.

Diving into their soul-bond again, she felt Brooklyn's strength lighting her magic with great electricity and fire. Like fuel, she felt stronger than ever and focused all of her magic upon their son's soul and the small body within her womb.

Willing him to change into a human, she gave her son everything she had and changed his form to accommodate her own better.

A bright light suddenly encompassed their bond, and she felt the change occurring within her body. The pressure lessened slightly as well as the pain. Inside her womb, something felt different… lighter…

Her magic faded, healing her and her son as it went, and she and Brooklyn pulled out of their bond. Rose could feel her heart rate slowing down, and she felt like she could breathe for the first time.

"Did it work?" Goliath asked, seeing her relax, but still looked terrified for her.

"Yes," Brooklyn said, winded slightly, then rested his head against Rose's. "Yes, I think it did."

Rose was breathing deeply and felt another wave of contraction coming, but it wasn't horrible. The pain wasn't ripping or tearing her body apart but was stabbing pressure. It wasn't pleasant, but she could breathe through it, at least, and to her relief, no more blood was coming out of her.

"Rose, how are you feeling?" Brooklyn asked her, still pale from anxiety. He was more stressed out than she was.

"I'm contracting," she gasped, breathing through the pain, "but it's a doable pain. I can handle this until Doctor Sato gets here."

"And if he doesn't? With as much as you've been struggling, it might be best for you to get him out as quickly as you can," Fox said, coming up to her. "Do you think you can deliver your son without medications?"

"If I have to, then that's what I'll do," Rose answered her. Brooklyn knelt next to her and continued to hold her hand. She closed her eyes and rested against his arm. She then looked up at him and saw him watching her with great worry.

She smiled and gently touched his face. "I'm going to be okay. The worst pain has passed. Now I just need to bring our son into this world. I can do this."

"Oh, I know you can," Brooklyn whispered, his voice thick with emotion and his eyes welling up in tears. "You are capable of anything you set out to do, my love. And I… am in awe of you. I'm just going to worry myself to death until Gnash gets here. Okay?"

Rose chuckled. "Okay. Just remain calm. Everything is going to be alright now."

Minutes passed, and while the pain had normalized, it only intensified with each new onset of contractions. But, still, Doctor Sato wasn't there yet.

Rose used the time of waiting to close her eyes and rest against Brooklyn's arm, breathing and wincing through the wave of pain every couple of minutes. Bronx was whining quietly and pacing the floor, and when Rose opened her eyes, she saw how antsy the rest of the Clan was.

"The dawn is upon us," Goliath suddenly said, and Rose couldn't believe that a half-hour had passed already. Everyone hugged and kissed her, giving her and Brooklyn well-wishes, then left the infirmary. Goliath walked over and grasped Rose's hands tightly in his.

"Will you two be alright?"

"Yeah," Brooklyn answered, sitting down in a chair, "I'll be with her the entire time, Goliath."

Goliath nodded. "When will you get sleep?"

"Tomorrow morning, I'll probably go into stone sleep, depending on how Rose and Gnash are doing, but I'll sleep throughout the day when I can."

"Alright… well…"

"Goliath, I'll be alright," Rose whispered, smiling at him. "We'll see you tonight, and you can meet your newest clan member."

Goliath smiled gently, leaned down, and kissed her forehead. "I cannot wait to see him. I know Brooklyn will take good care of you. Best of luck. We'll see you both tonight." Walking over to kiss Elisa goodbye, he then left the room.

Shortly after he did, Rose saw the rays of the sun come up and peak through the doors. But thankfully, Brooklyn stayed in his flesh form.

"Thank you for doing this," she whispered.

Brooklyn smiled at her. "I'd do anything for you, Rose. You know this."

"I do."

Another pain crashed through her, but this time she felt even more pressure in her pelvis, shooting down in between her legs.

Push. She needed to push. That's all she knew.

Rose shut her eyes as her entire body tensed up with pain and a long and heavy cry left her lips. By now, Fox and Elisa were the only ones left in the room.

"Alright, Rose, it looks like you're ready," Elisa said. "We're doing this then."

Rose nodded and sat up in a half-sitting position, never letting go of Brooklyn's claw. Her body was naturally clenching, and she could do nothing but push what her body was forcing out.

Next to her, Brooklyn's eyes were wide and never left hers.

"What can I do?" He begged quietly. "Because… by the Gods, if it means I'll never again have sex with you, I swear to you, I will. Anything to never…"

"Shh," Rose cut in, smiling. She reached out and touched his face. "It's okay. You don't need to swear off anything, just relax, hold my hand, and stay with me."

Brooklyn kissed her hand and leaned closer to her. "I'll never leave you."

"Good," Rose breathed, smiling, even in tremendous pain, "because you're about to meet your son."

Rose saw a glimpse of Brooklyn's joyous smile when another wave of pain came. Giving it all she had, she shut her eyes, screamed, and pushed.

Hours passed by, but time had seemed to stand still for Rose and Brooklyn. Shortly after sunrise, Rose delivered a healthy baby boy. A human. Their son.

Nashville was everything they remembered him being, but in a newborn bundle of soft skin, he was so much more than they could have imagined. As a human, he was barely seven pounds, had light tan skin, a head of white-blonde hair, and an adorable nose she knew he would grow into. His other forms they hadn't seen yet, but it didn't matter to them.

They both knew that this was their son.

Doctor Sato had arrived shortly after his birth but found that both mother and child were healthy. He tended to the rest of what came after birth but had to do nothing more. Rose's Fae body had adjusted better to the human form and made everything much easier for her to pass.

Gnash was cleaned, diapered, and then placed in a blanket where he laid sleeping on Rose's chest. Elisa, Fox, Xanatos, Coldstone, and Coldfire had joined her when the sun went down, and all were cooing over their newborn son.

Just then, the doors to the infirmary burst open, and the clan stood in the dais, looking around for Rose, Brooklyn, and the baby.

When they saw them all, healthy and happy, cheers of joy erupted in the room. They all ran in, encircled around Nashville, Rose, and Brooklyn, hugging, kissing, and offering them their congratulations.

Rose and Brooklyn barely had a moment with their son, as, over the next little while, he was passed around from clan member to the next. But it was special for them to see. Even though Broadway and Angela had an egg that was ready to hatch in the spring, this was the first flesh newborn child they'd ever held.

Angela was holding him in the crook of her arm, then suddenly cried out in surprise.

"What?" Brooklyn asked, jumping off the bed and rushing over. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Angela breathed, leaning her son for him to look at. "It's just… he was a human… and then he suddenly changed into a gargoyle. Look!"

Brooklyn leaned over her arm to look at his son, and sure enough, a small beaked, white-blonde-haired, tan-skinned baby with small feathered wings and pointed ears replaced the tiny human baby. His son was a perfect match of both himself and Rose, and his heart melted with utmost joy.

"Oh, he's so precious! Can I please have a small turn?" Akira cooed, reaching out to take him next. Watching her hold a newborn gargoyle while being heavily pregnant with her own egg made both Lexington and Brooklyn tear up.

"Good work, buddy," Broadway said, clamping Brooklyn down on the shoulder. "Little dude is seriously cute. You and Rose make beautiful kids."

"Yeah," Lexington added, staring at Akira with wonderment before turning to look at him, "that goes double for me. I'm so happy for you guys."

"Thanks, Lex," Brooklyn said, wrapping his arms around both him and Broadway. "Soon, you and Akira will deliver an egg, and then Angela and Broadway's egg will hatch. Here in a year, we will all have our children hatched and here with us in the flesh."

"Yeah," Broadway added with a happy sigh. They all watched the merriment of the birth. From people hugging and congratulating Rose to Hudson and Goliath taking turns in holding the small gargoyle bundle with such tenderness, it brought tears to Brooklyn's eyes.

"The new trio," he whispered, and both Lexington and Broadway looked at him. "Our children… will be the new trio." He paused, wiped tears from his eyes, and hugged his brothers to him. "It has been an adventure, guys, and you two have stuck with me through it all. Thank you."

"Hey," Lexington said, lightly punching his arm, "thanks, bro. It's been fun."

"Yeah," Broadway added, "an adventure I'd have no other way than with you two knuckleheads by my side."

Smiles were exchanged with each other when a small but shrill wail suddenly erupted from the blankets within Goliath's giant claws.

Smiling, he handed Nashville over to Elisa, who carried him over to Rose's already outstretched arms. Brooklyn clapped his claws over his brother's shoulders again, then made his way over to her.

Rose naturally made room for him to slide onto one side of the bed as she adjusted their son in her arms. Nashville's grey eyes were now open and were peering up at him and Rose. Smiling, Brooklyn helped support Gnash in her arms, then wrapped an arm around her and kissed her forehead.

"He's so beautiful, Rose," he whispered, holding her close. Tipping her chin up, he gazed into her tired, amber eyes. "You've brought our son into the world, and he's perfect. I'm so proud of you." He cupped her face gently, then laid deep kisses on her cheek before she moved and let him claim her lips.

"He is perfect, isn't he?" She whispered, closing her eyes and snuggling into her mate for warmth. "I'm glad he was born in his human form, but I think I prefer him in his gargoyle form. I can't get over how adorable his tiny wings and beaked nose are." She stroked Gnash's small beak and cooed, "look how tiny he is!" She sighed and rested against Brooklyn. "We did good."

"We?" Brooklyn chuckled, "what's this 'we'? I said I would help you bring him into the world, but I honestly didn't do a damn thing. It was you who did all the work."

"Hm… well… most of the work comes after he's born." Rose yawned and leaned against his chest. "You can take the first shift of watching Gnash while I sleep."

"I was already planning on it," Brooklyn breathed, kissing her on the forehead again. By now, Elisa walked over, grinning brightly, and sat on the edge of the bed.

"He's beautiful. You guys have made one stinking adorable kid. I'm so proud of you both."

"Thank you," Rose whispered, growing delirious from lack of sleep. "Thank you for helping deliver him. I'm sure you didn't want to, but I appreciate that you did, all the same."

Elisa waved her comment away. "Eh, it was nothing. I've delivered a few babies in my job, usually on the side of roads, mind you, so this was nothing. You and Brooklyn died for all of us to live, so I'd say it's a way to pay you back."

A small cry suddenly rang out from the blankets again, making Brooklyn jump, and the most adorable mewl came from Nashville.

"Um," Brooklyn said, looking unsure what to do, but Rose grinned at him, sat up, and took the baby in her arms. Unwinding him slightly so he could sit more skin-to-skin, she threw a thin blanket over her shoulder, moved her shirt down, and brought the whimpering baby to her breast to feed.

Gnash quieted down instantly, and Rose threw a cocky smirk at Brooklyn, who was watching her feed their son in awe. His eyes locked onto hers, then he leaned forward and kissed her lips.

"I love you so much, Rose. Every time we experience more life with each other, I fall even more in love with you." He then leaned down, stuck his head through the small opening of the blanket, and kissed Gnash's head. Then he whispered in his son's ear, "Just so you know... those were mine first, and I call dibs when he's done using them."

"Brooklyn!"

Rose pushed his head out but then threw her head back and laughed. The sound was one of the most beautiful sounds he had ever heard. Shaking her head but grinning from ear to ear, Rose continued to feed their son, then rested her head against his chest.

"You're a beast. You know that, right?"

"I do," Brooklyn said, holding her tightly to him and getting emotional. It was a wonder for him to hold his wife in his arms while their child fed on her breast. Looking down at his small family, he realized that he was holding his whole world in his arms. Tears welled up in his eyes, and his heart was fit to burst.

Rose glanced up at him right as he leaned down and rested his face against hers, breathing heavily.

"Brooklyn, are you crying?"

"No, I'm not…" Brooklyn wiped at his eyes and held Rose and Nashville closer to him. "Just have dust in my eyes…"

Rose grinned endearingly at him, raised a hand, and guided his lips down to meet hers. Not caring that people were watching them, they kissed deeply and passionately.

"I love you so much," Rose whispered.

"I would normally say, 'not as much as I do," Brooklyn said, "but you have, officially, blown the competition out of the water for what you've given me, just now. But, just know that I love you too. With all of my heart, body, and soul, Rose. Every part of me belongs to you. We are one, now and forever."

Rose smiled. "Hmm, I like the sound of that."

A few minutes passed in silence as they both stared down at their suckling baby with love, awe, and amazement.

"So…" Rose looked up at Brooklyn again and smiled, "now that we are parents, and since a baby changes everything, are you ready to go on a new adventure with me and raise our son?"

"With you?" Brooklyn smiled down at her and cupped her chin tenderly. "Always."

Rose's smile and utmost joy mirrored his as she brought her lips to his. "Here's to the beginning of new adventures, then, my love."

"To new adventures, my darling Rose," Brooklyn breathed back, crushing his lips to hers in a passionate kiss, sealing that promise for their bright and glorious future.