Chapter Twenty-Six

"C'mon, little guy," Ava whispered as she quickly worked on clearing the baby's air passages.

Victor stood in shock and watched as his grandson fought for his first breath. He tightened his hold on Melinda and was startled when she suddenly began squirming. He did his best to calm her but he knew she was sensing the tension in the room. He gently rocked her but couldn't keep himself from worrying about his grandson and youngest daughter.

Piper caught a glimpse of her fussing daughter but continued to stroke Phoebe's leg. She watched Ava work on her nephew and hoped for the best. She didn't know if Phoebe could handle a tragic loss, particularly of this baby, not after everything she'd been through for the past nine months. Piper nearly let out a laugh, her sister had been on an emotional roller coaster for nearly a year and a half, not just nine months. The baby had to make it. He just had to.

For her part, Paige also stroked Phoebe's leg and kept her attention on that. She couldn't handle watching Ava with the helpless newborn and she couldn't watch Phoebe crying in Cole's arms. Instead, she closed her eyes and whispered a little prayer.

"Paige, can't you try something?" Cole requested in a croaked voice as he glanced away from Phoebe.

"But it's not demonic," Paige whispered in return. "I don't think I can."

"You have to try," Piper softly encouraged her.

Paige hesitated a moment before she moved closer to Ava and the baby. As she placed her hands above the baby's face, from the corner of her eye, she caught Cole focus his attention on Phoebe again. She then glanced at Piper who nodded encouragement so she concentrated on the baby. Her hands glowed softly even as Ava continued to suction out the baby's nose and mouth. Suddenly, the baby coughed and Paige looked back at Piper with excitement. "I think it's working," she whispered.

The baby coughed again and let out an unhappy wail.

Ava sighed with relief, "Welcome back, little one." She turned to his parents and smiled, "He's okay."

"Are you sure?" Cole asked in a hesitant tone. He quickly glanced down at Phoebe who finally turned her face to look at Ava.

"I'm sure," Ava happily replied as she quickly clamped off the baby's umbilical cord. "So, Daddy, would you like to cut the cord?"

Cole shook his head and shakily replied, "I don't think I can move just yet." He looked at a relieved Paige and, while he tightly wrapped his arms around the still-tearful Phoebe, he spoke in a tremulous voice, "Thank you."

Ava turned to both Piper and Paige and, over the baby's strong cries, asked, "How about the new aunts?"

Stunned by the offer, both sisters turned to Phoebe and Cole who nodded their permission. The sisters reached out and together cut their nephew's cord.

"Paige, spread that towel on Phoebe's chest," Ava directed as she held the slippery newborn. Once Paige complied, she reached over and placed the baby on the towel and smiled as Phoebe and Cole looked down at their son with awe. "His Apgar was seven which's low-end of normal but really good considering the incident with the cord." Phoebe and Cole hadn't moved and she chuckled, "It's okay to touch him, you know." They both looked at her with uncertainty and she nodded, "Really, it's okay. Why don't you use the towel and start cleaning him off." She watched Phoebe tentatively touch the towel and assured the new mother, "Go ahead, he's a tough little guy. He won't break."

Phoebe began to gently rub her son clean. She glanced to Cole who had finally reached out and barely touched the top of his son's head. She placed her hand on top of Cole's and, together, they lightly stroked their son's soft light brown hair. "Isn't he beautiful, Cole?" she whispered.

Cole could barely find his voice to answer her. That he was actually looking at, and touching, his son was more than he could comprehend. "So tiny," he whispered as he grew a little more bold and reached out to touch his son's tiny hand.

Phoebe smiled when her son's fingers automatically wrapped themselves around Cole's index finger. She continued to use the towel to clean him off when she suddenly groaned.

"What's wrong?" Cole instantly asked in concern.

"Contraction," she moaned as she cradled the baby and bit her lip.

"It's okay, Phoebe," Ava told her, "you still have to deliver the placenta. Just give another push. It won't be anywhere near as bad as delivering your son. I promise."

Cole immediately shifted position and carefully pressed forward so she could push through the remainder of the contraction. "That's it, you're going great," he murmured in her ear.

"If you think you're ever touching me again" she muttered as she strained.

Cole chuckled and kissed her temple as she relaxed and sagged back against him. "I love you," he stated.

"Prove it," she quietly dared as she returned to the task of cleaning her son.

Ava reached forward and took the baby again. "Don't worry, I'll give him back," she assured the nervous parents. "I just want to give him another Apgar test and finish cleaning him off for you."

Cole wrapped his arms around Phoebe and she snuggled against him. "What do you want me to do?"

"Marry me," she stated as she turned her head slightly and gazed into his eyes.

"Name the time and place," he said as he kissed her, "and I'll be there."

Phoebe suddenly turned from Cole to her older sister. "Piper?"

Piper had been watching Ava with the baby and turned to her sister. She smiled warmly and assured her younger sister, "I know you love each other and I guess, in spite of everything, you always worked best as a team. I'm not going to stand in your way. Not anymore. Though we should still set some new groundrules."

Phoebe burst into happy tears and held out her arms, "Oh, Piper"

Piper rushed to her side and pulled her from Cole's arms into a hug. "Hush, sweetie, it's okay"

Meanwhile, Cole turned to Victor and promised Phoebe's father, "It'll be different this time."

Victor came closer and put a hand on Cole's shoulder, "It had better be or you'll have to deal with a very angry mortal father." Cole nodded and he patted Cole's shoulder, "Your world's just changed, Cole." He indicated to his new grandson and advised Cole, "Don't ever forget what's most important in your life."

"I won't," Cole answered as he watched Ava wrap his son in a clean blanket. "Is he okay?" he questioned her.

"Apgar's nine," she smiled, "simply excellent for the little guy."

Victor smiled and asked, "May I?" Cole nodded so Victor handed Melinda to Paige and then reached out to hold his grandson. He carefully held the newborn and looked back at his daughter and, in a choked voice, told her, "He's beautiful, Phoebe."

Phoebe pulled back from Piper and snuggled back to Cole. "He's really okay?" she asked Ava.

"He's really okay," Ava assured her with a patient sigh. "I told you, he's a tough little guy."

"He's certainly proven that today," Phoebe quietly said.

Cole kissed her on her forehead, "Junior's strong, just like his mommy."

Phoebe frowned, "No more Junior!"

"What are you gonna call him?" Paige asked as she stepped back to let Victor bring the baby back to Phoebe.

Phoebe lightly ran her fingertips along the baby's soft skin and even counted his fingers again before she looked back at Cole. "We decided that, after everything we've --"

"Leo!" Piper suddenly shouted as her husband orbed into the room. "Where have you been?"

"Hey, Leo," Paige greeted, "you missed all the excitement."

Leo glanced at the new baby and smiled. "He's okay?"

"He's perfect," Phoebe answered as she and Cole continued to gently explore their restless son.

Leo took his daughter from Paige's arms and rubbed noses with her causing her to happily gurgle. She grabbed his nose and he suddenly noticed his wife's unhappy demeanor. "Piper, what's wrong?"

"What was so important that you couldn't be here with your family?" she asked through clenched teeth. "We needed you, Leo. The baby nearly died and you didn't answer my call."

Leo glanced from her to Phoebe and Cole, "I'm sorry. I was involved with -- I was assured the baby would be fine or I'd have been here. You have to believe that."

"It's okay," Cole answered distractedly as he focused again on his son, "Paige was here. She helped Ava save his life."

Unable to think of a snappy remark, Paige merely said to Cole, "Thank you."

Leo tried again with Piper, "Nothing is more important to me than my family." After a moment, Piper finally nodded and went to him. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her, "I love you, Piper."

"I love you, too," she quietly responded as she rested her head against him.

"You know," Ave spoke up, "there's a custom among some cultures that the family buries the placenta in the garden and then plants flowers or a sapling over it. It's a sign of protection and prosperity for the family. I only mention it because it's not often you actually have the opportunity to do so and with this family"

Paige snickered, "We need as much help as we can get." She looked to her Phoebe, "What do you say?"

"It's a lovely custom," Phoebe answered with a glance to Cole, "but we don't have anything prepared or --"

"Leave that to us," Piper decided. "Between all of us, we can get it done right now without a problem."

"Why don't you all go outside then," Ava suggested, "while I finish tending to Phoebe?"

Cole started to move but Phoebe tugged on his shirt. "Don't leave me," she requested. "Please."

"Whatever you want," he assured her with a kiss.

"Are you sure about this?" Phoebe asked her sisters.

Paige accepted from Ava the wrapped placenta and told her older sister, "It'd be our pleasure."

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