Greetings from The Lady Mage.
Welcome to the next chapter of Second Chances. This one is still sort of filler- and the next chapter will be filler as well, but after that, we get to hop onto the storyline train. Read, enjoy, review!
Disclaimer: *The Lady Mage stands* I, The Lady Mage, do NOT own Underworld or any of its fabulous characters. I am only borrowing then for the duration of my fanfic, and promise to return them in new/nearly new condition once I'm through.
* ~ * ~ *
"Damon, why don't you go and help Kindra?" Erika asked as the three of them walked down the hallway. "She could use you more than we could, and I can take Selene back to her rooms."
The young lycan seemed to perk up. "If that is your wish." he said, wasting no time in bounding back down the hallway towards Lucian's office.
The blonde vampiress watched him with a soft chuckle. "Those two are really sweet together." she commented.
"Kindra and Damon?" Selene asked absently.
"Mm-hm. They've been lovesick puppies since the day they met seven months ago." answered Erika, leading Selene to the grand stair. "It's so obvious that they love eachother."
"How so?"
The two began to ascend the set of stairs. Erika smiled. "Well, I suppose it is if you know Kindra well enough." she said. "She touches him."
"People touch other people all the time." murmered Selene, following Erika down another long hallway.
"Yes, but . . has she said anything to you about her hands? Anything at all?"
The dark-haired vampiress nodded. "Yes. The one who turned her would burn her hands as punishment."
"Yeah, well, Kindra doesn't touch anyone unless she really likes them. She keeps her hands to herself and avoids contact with people."
"She touched Lucian." observed Selene.
"Yes, she likes Lucian a lot- mothers him, actually." Erika chuckled, opening the set of double doors they had come upon. "That's probably what she's doing now."
As soon as the two women stepped through the doors and into the next hallway, they both heard a soft baby's cry. A look of distress crossed the blonde woman's face, and she hurried past Selene to the fourth door on the hallway, quickly stepping inside.
Selene followed, coming to stand in the doorway. The sight she took in was not the one she expected. The room was a bright nursery all done up in baby blue and white. Erika was bent over a white lacy basinet, lifting a crying newborn up into her arms.
"My poor Nicolas . . " she cooed softly to the baby, resting his head on her shoulder and patting his back. His crying ceased when she spoke to him.
"Whose . . . ?" Selene began quietly.
Erika turned to her, moving the baby down into her arms. "Mine and Marcus's." she answered with a proud smile. "His name is Nicolas. Would you like to hold him?" She came closer so that Selene could see him.
Nicolas was beginning to drift off to sleep again, his little blue eyes sliding shut. He'd been dressed in a baby blue sleeper with a little lamb on the chest, little white booties to keep his feet warm, and a little white cribcap that almost completely covered his light mop of curly blonde hair.
"I . . "
"What's the matter? Never held a baby before?"
Selene scowled. "Of course I have." she said, gently taking the baby boy into her arms.
Erika smiled. "Come on. Your room is just over here." she said, leading Selene from the nursery, three doors down to the last door on the hall. "Home, sweet home." she murmered, opening the door for the vampiress and then following her inside. "So . . when you due?"
"Hmm?" Selene asked, sitting in the rocking chair.
The blonde sat at the end of the bed. "When are you due?"
"Oh. Two, maybe three months . . I'm not sure."
"Ah. Excited?"
"Some."
Erika chuckled. "Boy, you sure haven't changed much!"
Selene rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to the sleeping newborn in her arms. "How old is Nicolas?"
"He'll be 14 days old tomorrow night." Erika answered quietly. "And I'm thankful for every one of them."
"Something happen?"
The blonde girl scowled. "Well, I passed out when I had him- I lost so much blood." she began slowly. "When I started to come to, I heard the midwives panicking about him, but I passed out again before I could say anything. Marcus told me that it took them forever to get him to take his first breath- they thought both of us were going to die."
"Oh."
Before either could say any more, the door opened, and Kindra came in, a little silver platted in her hands. She glanced at Nicolas in Selene's arms. "Oh, did baby awake?" she asked, setting the tray on the vanity.
"We heard him cry when we came into the hall." Erika answered.
"Ah." Kindra turned to Selene. "You can't eat and hold him at the same time."
"Here." Erika stood up and lifted Nicolas from Selene's lap. "You can hold him all you like after you eat, okay?"
"You have to eat, too." Kindra said the the blonde vampiress. "You've got a baby to feed as well." She went to the tray, and retrieved two little bowls with two little spoons. One was handed to Selene, the other set on the nightstand for Erika. "Hand him over." she said playfully, holding her arms out for Nicolas.
"What's this?" Selene asked, staring down at the pink glob in her bowl.
Erika handed Nicolas to Kindra, then lifted her own bowl. "It's blood pudding." she answered. "It's really good. Try it."
"It's good for you." Kindra said, cuddling Nicolas on her shoulder. "And it'll be good for your baby as well. Your child is a hybrid- she needs more nutrition than blood alone."
"Did you get Marcus and Michael something?" Erika asked.
"Yes- blood and sandwhiches." The girl scowled. "I had to sit over Lucian though."
"You made him eat again?"
"I can't make him do anything." Kindra said softly. "But if I bug him long enough, he'll give in."
Erika chuckled. "Anyone else but you, Kindra . . . "
"I think he likes the attention." said the girl. She took a seat on the bed next to Erika, laying Nicolas down on her lap. He whimpered, thinking he'd been put down. "Oh, Nikkie, you spoilt thing, you." she cooed, pulling him back up to her shoulder.
"He's not spoilt." Erika argued.
"Erika, you're in denial." Kindra chuckled, standing up and heading for the last door in the room to be opened.
"Where you going?" Selene asked.
"Into the nursery." Kindra answered, stopping before the door. "We had this set up before we found you." She opened the door, and stepped into the dark room. A few seconds later, she flipped on the switch, flooding the room with light.
Selene appeared in the doorway, her bowl half-finished in her hands. The room was done up in white with a lacy basinet like Nicolas's, and a crib, changing table, rocking chair, and dresser all in dark cherry. In the crib lay two unopened sets of sheets- one pink and one blue in preparation for either arrival.
"Cute, isn't it?" Kindra asked, crossing the room to another door.
"What's in there?"
"My room." answered the girl. "On the other side of that is Nicolas's nursery." She opened the door. "I told you I was your nanny- I'm Nicolas's nanny as well- at least when Erika and Marcus must sleep. When your baby is born, she'll be under my care while you rest as well." explained the girl, stepping into her bedroom.
The dark-haired vampiress followed, taking in the simple room with its twin bed and matching desk, dresser, and vanity. The walls were the same panneling as was everything else, but instead of tapestries, paintings of flowers and daytime landscapes were hung. Above the bed's headboard, seven little sheets of paper hung in a single giant glass frame- each a different drawing, each obviously drawn by a child's hand, and each signed with a different name: Anya, Lance, Vian, Eiyden, Karsa, Henri, and Charlette.
"They liked to draw." Kindra said, noticing Selene focusing. She went to the nightstand and lifted a little blue pacifier, then popped it into Nicolas's mouth. "I encouraged it of course. It was a wonderful outlet for them- and Vian, he was very talented. He could have been an artist."
"Selene?"
Both women turned to the sound of Michael's voice, and walked back through the nursery and into the bedroom. Lucian, Marcus, and Michael were scattered about the room- Lucian in the leather reading chair in one corner, Marcus beside Erika on the bed, and Michael standing near the rocking chair.
"Back already?" Kindra asked, coming out before Selene, a content Nicolas on her shoulder. She scanned the room. "Where is Damon?"
"Julian called him away." Lucian answered.
"Ah." murmered the girl, taking Nicolas and settling him into Marcus's arms.
"This the baby you were talking about?" Michael asked, watching.
"Yes." Marcus nodded.
"Since Michael and Marcus are here, Selene is alright, and Nicolas is not crying, . . " Kindra began to Erika. "May I be excused?"
"Sure." answered the blonde with a smile.
"Thankyou." Kindra said, turning to the door.
"Kindra." The girl halted at the sound of Lucian's voice. "He's up in the training room." said the alpha, knowing exactly why the girl wanted to leave.
Kindra blushed ever so slightly, then slipped out the door.
* ~ * ~ *
So, what do you think? I just love baby Nikkie! What do you think? Tell me in a review!
The Lady Mage
Welcome to the next chapter of Second Chances. This one is still sort of filler- and the next chapter will be filler as well, but after that, we get to hop onto the storyline train. Read, enjoy, review!
Disclaimer: *The Lady Mage stands* I, The Lady Mage, do NOT own Underworld or any of its fabulous characters. I am only borrowing then for the duration of my fanfic, and promise to return them in new/nearly new condition once I'm through.
* ~ * ~ *
"Damon, why don't you go and help Kindra?" Erika asked as the three of them walked down the hallway. "She could use you more than we could, and I can take Selene back to her rooms."
The young lycan seemed to perk up. "If that is your wish." he said, wasting no time in bounding back down the hallway towards Lucian's office.
The blonde vampiress watched him with a soft chuckle. "Those two are really sweet together." she commented.
"Kindra and Damon?" Selene asked absently.
"Mm-hm. They've been lovesick puppies since the day they met seven months ago." answered Erika, leading Selene to the grand stair. "It's so obvious that they love eachother."
"How so?"
The two began to ascend the set of stairs. Erika smiled. "Well, I suppose it is if you know Kindra well enough." she said. "She touches him."
"People touch other people all the time." murmered Selene, following Erika down another long hallway.
"Yes, but . . has she said anything to you about her hands? Anything at all?"
The dark-haired vampiress nodded. "Yes. The one who turned her would burn her hands as punishment."
"Yeah, well, Kindra doesn't touch anyone unless she really likes them. She keeps her hands to herself and avoids contact with people."
"She touched Lucian." observed Selene.
"Yes, she likes Lucian a lot- mothers him, actually." Erika chuckled, opening the set of double doors they had come upon. "That's probably what she's doing now."
As soon as the two women stepped through the doors and into the next hallway, they both heard a soft baby's cry. A look of distress crossed the blonde woman's face, and she hurried past Selene to the fourth door on the hallway, quickly stepping inside.
Selene followed, coming to stand in the doorway. The sight she took in was not the one she expected. The room was a bright nursery all done up in baby blue and white. Erika was bent over a white lacy basinet, lifting a crying newborn up into her arms.
"My poor Nicolas . . " she cooed softly to the baby, resting his head on her shoulder and patting his back. His crying ceased when she spoke to him.
"Whose . . . ?" Selene began quietly.
Erika turned to her, moving the baby down into her arms. "Mine and Marcus's." she answered with a proud smile. "His name is Nicolas. Would you like to hold him?" She came closer so that Selene could see him.
Nicolas was beginning to drift off to sleep again, his little blue eyes sliding shut. He'd been dressed in a baby blue sleeper with a little lamb on the chest, little white booties to keep his feet warm, and a little white cribcap that almost completely covered his light mop of curly blonde hair.
"I . . "
"What's the matter? Never held a baby before?"
Selene scowled. "Of course I have." she said, gently taking the baby boy into her arms.
Erika smiled. "Come on. Your room is just over here." she said, leading Selene from the nursery, three doors down to the last door on the hall. "Home, sweet home." she murmered, opening the door for the vampiress and then following her inside. "So . . when you due?"
"Hmm?" Selene asked, sitting in the rocking chair.
The blonde sat at the end of the bed. "When are you due?"
"Oh. Two, maybe three months . . I'm not sure."
"Ah. Excited?"
"Some."
Erika chuckled. "Boy, you sure haven't changed much!"
Selene rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to the sleeping newborn in her arms. "How old is Nicolas?"
"He'll be 14 days old tomorrow night." Erika answered quietly. "And I'm thankful for every one of them."
"Something happen?"
The blonde girl scowled. "Well, I passed out when I had him- I lost so much blood." she began slowly. "When I started to come to, I heard the midwives panicking about him, but I passed out again before I could say anything. Marcus told me that it took them forever to get him to take his first breath- they thought both of us were going to die."
"Oh."
Before either could say any more, the door opened, and Kindra came in, a little silver platted in her hands. She glanced at Nicolas in Selene's arms. "Oh, did baby awake?" she asked, setting the tray on the vanity.
"We heard him cry when we came into the hall." Erika answered.
"Ah." Kindra turned to Selene. "You can't eat and hold him at the same time."
"Here." Erika stood up and lifted Nicolas from Selene's lap. "You can hold him all you like after you eat, okay?"
"You have to eat, too." Kindra said the the blonde vampiress. "You've got a baby to feed as well." She went to the tray, and retrieved two little bowls with two little spoons. One was handed to Selene, the other set on the nightstand for Erika. "Hand him over." she said playfully, holding her arms out for Nicolas.
"What's this?" Selene asked, staring down at the pink glob in her bowl.
Erika handed Nicolas to Kindra, then lifted her own bowl. "It's blood pudding." she answered. "It's really good. Try it."
"It's good for you." Kindra said, cuddling Nicolas on her shoulder. "And it'll be good for your baby as well. Your child is a hybrid- she needs more nutrition than blood alone."
"Did you get Marcus and Michael something?" Erika asked.
"Yes- blood and sandwhiches." The girl scowled. "I had to sit over Lucian though."
"You made him eat again?"
"I can't make him do anything." Kindra said softly. "But if I bug him long enough, he'll give in."
Erika chuckled. "Anyone else but you, Kindra . . . "
"I think he likes the attention." said the girl. She took a seat on the bed next to Erika, laying Nicolas down on her lap. He whimpered, thinking he'd been put down. "Oh, Nikkie, you spoilt thing, you." she cooed, pulling him back up to her shoulder.
"He's not spoilt." Erika argued.
"Erika, you're in denial." Kindra chuckled, standing up and heading for the last door in the room to be opened.
"Where you going?" Selene asked.
"Into the nursery." Kindra answered, stopping before the door. "We had this set up before we found you." She opened the door, and stepped into the dark room. A few seconds later, she flipped on the switch, flooding the room with light.
Selene appeared in the doorway, her bowl half-finished in her hands. The room was done up in white with a lacy basinet like Nicolas's, and a crib, changing table, rocking chair, and dresser all in dark cherry. In the crib lay two unopened sets of sheets- one pink and one blue in preparation for either arrival.
"Cute, isn't it?" Kindra asked, crossing the room to another door.
"What's in there?"
"My room." answered the girl. "On the other side of that is Nicolas's nursery." She opened the door. "I told you I was your nanny- I'm Nicolas's nanny as well- at least when Erika and Marcus must sleep. When your baby is born, she'll be under my care while you rest as well." explained the girl, stepping into her bedroom.
The dark-haired vampiress followed, taking in the simple room with its twin bed and matching desk, dresser, and vanity. The walls were the same panneling as was everything else, but instead of tapestries, paintings of flowers and daytime landscapes were hung. Above the bed's headboard, seven little sheets of paper hung in a single giant glass frame- each a different drawing, each obviously drawn by a child's hand, and each signed with a different name: Anya, Lance, Vian, Eiyden, Karsa, Henri, and Charlette.
"They liked to draw." Kindra said, noticing Selene focusing. She went to the nightstand and lifted a little blue pacifier, then popped it into Nicolas's mouth. "I encouraged it of course. It was a wonderful outlet for them- and Vian, he was very talented. He could have been an artist."
"Selene?"
Both women turned to the sound of Michael's voice, and walked back through the nursery and into the bedroom. Lucian, Marcus, and Michael were scattered about the room- Lucian in the leather reading chair in one corner, Marcus beside Erika on the bed, and Michael standing near the rocking chair.
"Back already?" Kindra asked, coming out before Selene, a content Nicolas on her shoulder. She scanned the room. "Where is Damon?"
"Julian called him away." Lucian answered.
"Ah." murmered the girl, taking Nicolas and settling him into Marcus's arms.
"This the baby you were talking about?" Michael asked, watching.
"Yes." Marcus nodded.
"Since Michael and Marcus are here, Selene is alright, and Nicolas is not crying, . . " Kindra began to Erika. "May I be excused?"
"Sure." answered the blonde with a smile.
"Thankyou." Kindra said, turning to the door.
"Kindra." The girl halted at the sound of Lucian's voice. "He's up in the training room." said the alpha, knowing exactly why the girl wanted to leave.
Kindra blushed ever so slightly, then slipped out the door.
* ~ * ~ *
So, what do you think? I just love baby Nikkie! What do you think? Tell me in a review!
The Lady Mage