All characters that are from the TWILIGHT saga by Stephanie Meyer belong to Stephanie Meyer. All others belong to me. I do not receive profit for these stories except for the joyous enjoyment of reviews.

This story follows right after When I'm Gone: Third Installment to GONE Saga, so if you haven't read that one or the two before, please do.

The timeline of the story will coincide with Gabriel Michael Laskaris' growing up years, starting at Seth and Rosa's wedding day, April 12th and will progress from there.

AN: Andrey & Alyx, 5yrs/kinder: Emerie, 7yrs/4th grade: Tyra, 3yrs: Zak, 6yrs/1st grade.

As always, Gabe's birthday is beside the chapter and the family tree is updated with every single chapter so you might want to check it out being there's a new addition to the Lahote household, baby boy William Jacob born in January.

I ask y'all to trust me, always trust me no matter how bleak things may seem and to enjoy the chapter as you read it, and of course, I would appreciate a review -or several.

Love you all!

Chapter Forty-Six (10yrs old)

Tuesday, March 24th

"I can't believe she's calling us to come in –again!"

"Now Leah –"

She interrupted what was sure an attempt to placate her, "You'd think with fifteen years of teaching experience, she'd figure out how to keep two five year olds out of trouble."

Rick's chuckle just added to the irritation she was feeling, slipping her hand into his offered one, too awkward in her advanced pregnancy to refuse his help in getting out of the car, "She's called us fourteen times since they started school…and that last one was completely unnecessary. What the hell do you expect to happen when you give five year olds pinecones, peanut butter and birdseeds?"

Rick laughed as he recalled that particular incident, Leah's rant continuing as they made their way across the parking lot, "Some of those incidents didn't necessitate a call for us to come in –like the glue thing –they're five, I hardly think they did that on purpose."

His laughter just got louder as they reached the front entrance to Forks Elementary, Leah thinking nothing of it as he held the door open for her. She was due in three days but that hadn't been reason enough to keep her from coming along with him when the kindergarten teacher had called them in –again.

"And that whole thing with the paper mache –"

Rick knew he had to find a way to distract her or she was going to get herself worked up and more than likely take it out on Mrs. Birden who was simply trying to survive his boys, "Leah –"

"It's all your fault, you know."

Rick looked down at her in surprise, "How do you figure that?"

"Their penchant for mischief is a Laskaris thing," Leah pursed her lips as she reached back to rub the small of her back, "What with your twin brothers and the triplets –even you gave your mother hell."

Rick let out a bark of laughter, "Ho-oh! I gave my mother hell? What about you, climbing ten foot trees?"

Leah stared up at him in shock, thinking she was going to have to talk with her mother about revealing her secrets, "I was trying to save a cat."

"Oh, sure," Rick scoffed at that as they reached the door to Mrs. Birden's classroom, "Is that why you tied a rope around your waist and the other end to the highest branch you could reach? If I recall, I heard something about you wanting to rappel down the tree."

Leah sniffed as she stuck her nose up in the air, "You heard wrong."

Rick chuckled, dipping his head to drop a kiss on her nose, "Be nice."

She gave him a frown, her eyes twinkling at the resigned sigh he let out, "Fine. Be civil."

"I'll do my best."

Kissing her smiling lips, he opened the door for her, his hand going to the small of her back as they walked into the classroom.

A soft gasp escaped her at the sight of her babies, "What happened to their hair?"

Rick was just as surprised, looking at the teacher as he wondered how she had let this happen.

"We were working on family portraits," Mrs. Birden's smile was serene as she calmly explained, observing the tender way Leah ran her fingers through Alyx's unevenly shorn hair, Andrey sporting a similar style, "I brought out scraps of fabric along with different colored yarn pieces, asked them to be as realistic as possible. While I was helping another student, Alyx and Andrey got creative."

Holding up two ten by fourteen pieces of white cardstock paper, she let that speak for itself.

Each one had eight paper dolls glued to the paper, pieces of fabric making up their clothes, six of the eight dolls sporting dark hair glued to their heads, the other two, "Where did the blond hair come from?"

Mrs. Birden's smile was no longer serene but twisted in a bit of a grimace as she answered Rick's horrified question, "The little girl that sits next to Alyx is a blond."

Leah's mouth dropped open as she looked from the pictures to her sons, knowing she shouldn't but she couldn't stop herself, the laughter bursting out of her despite her attempts at holding it in.

"Leah," Rick looked at her in disapproval, not believing she actually found humor in this blatant abuse of another child, "This is not funny."

"You're right, it's not," Leah's attempt to stop laughing ended in a snort, her face flushed as she turned to waddle out of the room as quickly as she could, "I need to find a bathroom!"

Rick's mouth flattened as the door closed behind her, his eyes swinging over to those two heathens she called her babies, their pleased smiles at having made their mother laugh making him angrier, "This is not a laughing matter. Do you see me laughing?"

Their smiles dimmed a bit as they shook their heads, answering in unison, "No."

"So what does that mean?"

They tilted their heads to the side in the exact same angle; Rick couldn't help but wonder if they practiced this or if the synchronization just came natural, "We in trouble?"

"Yes, you're in trouble," his frown was serious enough that they both looked at each other before dropping their eyes to their desk, "If you want to cut your hair, fine, but you do not take scissors to someone else's hair. Understood?"

They nodded, looking up at him when he cleared his throat as a reminder to use their words, "Yes Daddy."

He gave them a long look before turning his attention to Mrs. Birden, "Is there any way we can get in contact with the girl's parents to apologize?"

Mrs. Birden nodded with a smile, setting the papers she still held down on the desk, "Yes, of course. Let me write that down for you."

Andrey and Alyx gave him furtive glances, both knowing what the look on their father's face meant –they were going to be getting the talk as soon as they got home…

It was not going to be good.


Saturday, March 28th

She snuggled into the corner of Daddy's chair, the worn fabric soft and smelling just like him as she stared at the front door.

Granma Sue was in the kitchen making lunch, the smell of cake in the air reminding her how it was a happy day because mama and Daddy were bringing home a baby.

Frowning to herself, she crossed her ankles as she tried to figure out this whole baby thing –she didn't know if she wanted one even though Zak had told her it was going to be her little brother or sister.

She wasn't going to be the littlest one anymore and she didn't know if she was okay with it or not.

And what if the baby was a girl? What if Daddy liked her more because she was the littlest one?

Letting out a soft humph of air, she tucked her knees up into her chest, the intensity in her brown-green eyes increasing as she kept staring at the door, thinking maybe Daddy would change his mind and not bring the baby because he liked her being the littlest one.

The sound of the back door opening and closing got her attention, her eyes moving away from the front door as Alyx and Andrey ran out of the kitchen and down the hallway towards their room, neither one seeing her sitting in the armchair.

Tyra didn't make any noise to get their attention, simply returned to her task of staring at the front door, the sound of Emmie in the kitchen, chattering to Granma Sue while she did her schoolwork becoming background noise as she went back to thinking about this baby Zak had told her about.

Maybe mama wanted a baby because she didn't want to be alone when Tyra started school. Daddy had told her she was going to be going into kindergarten when the summer was over but that was still a long time…why couldn't mama wait until then?

Biting her bottom lip, she wondered if she could get mama to leave the baby at the hospital where they got them –Zak told her that too –until she did go to school, then mama could go pick the baby up so she won't be alone while they were all at school.

Reaching up to tug at one of her pigtails, she thought about this baby again –would it look like her and Daddy? Or would the baby look like everyone else?

Most of the time, she liked being different –she liked that she looked like Daddy because he was her favoritest person in the world but sometimes, it wasn't easy to be the only one of her brothers and sisters to look like she did because she didn't look like their sister but they looked like each other's brothers and sister.

A lot of people told mama how much she looked like Emmie and how they both looked like mama but Tyra didn't see that –Emmie looked like mama with her dark hair and pretty brown skin. But Tyra didn't have mama's dark hair or mama's brown skin…her hair was just like Daddy's, the color of sand from the Greek beaches is what her mama said. And her skin –it wasn't brown but it wasn't that pretty white like Vivi's either…it was the color of the inside of a peanut.

Tyra hated peanuts.

The sound of a car pulling up to the front of their house broke through her grim thoughts as she focused on the door again, her breathing becoming labored as she imagined them coming up the walkway and stepping onto the porch, watched the doorknob as seconds trickled into a minute then two before it started to turn, feeling a bit of panic as the door swung open.

"Hey agoraki," Daddy smiled at her as he walked into the house, carrying the car seat in one hand, a duffel bag in the other, "Why aren't you playing with your brothers?"

She wrinkled her nose, shaking her head as she crossed her arms over her small chest, "They think it's funny to make me mad…I don't like to be mad and it's not funny."

Daddy chuckled as he dropped the bag on the floor, moving further into the room to place the car seat on the coffee table, arching an eyebrow as she leaned to look around him, "Where's mama?"

"She's outside with your brother," Daddy left the front door open, moving across the living room to lift her up into his arms before he sat down in his chair and placed her on his lap, "Emmie wants him to walk her over to Embry's so she can check on her garden."

Tyra nodded, looking over at the open door then back at Daddy, her brown-green eyes huge in her little round face, "Where's the baby?"

Daddy smiled at her, keeping his arm around her as he leaned forward to pull the car seat across the coffee table where she could see what was inside, "Right here. What do you think?"

Tyra studied the little bitty face, watching as a tiny mouth sucked on a tiny fist, bright blue eyes blinking up at her, "I don't know…is it a girl?"

"A boy," Daddy ran his finger down the baby's cheek, its head turning in reaction, the little hat he wore falling off.

Tyra's eyebrows dipped down into a vee as she studied the dark hair, the pretty brown color of his skin and the bright blue of his eyes, "He doesn't look like me."

Daddy smiled at her, tapping a finger on her nose, "But he's still your little brother. You'll get to teach him all sorts of things just like your brothers and sister taught you."

Her bottom lip poked out in a pout as she looked at the baby again, her eyes bright with gathering tears as she turned her gaze up at him, "Are you going to love him more than me?"

"What," Daddy looked at her like he was angry but his voice didn't get loud like it did whenever Ady and Aly got in trouble so she was certain he wasn't mad, "Tyresse Kiannah, I could never love any of you more than the other. I love all of you with every breath I take. Each and every one of you are the best parts of me and your mama –how could you think I'd love you any less?"

Tyra's bottom lip trembled as a tear rolled down her cheek, the tip of her nose turning red the way it always did when she cried, "He'll be the littlest and you will have to take care of him all the time and won't play with me anymore."

"Oh, agapi̱ménos," Daddy wiped her tear away, snuggling her into his side as mama walked into the house, closing the door behind her, "You're right that the baby will need us to look after him but that doesn't mean we won't make time to play with you –I love playing with you and so does mama."

She sniffed, feeling guilty and ashamed for acting like a baby when she wasn't one anymore, looking up at mama before she stretched her arms to be picked up, Daddy giving mama that look she knew meant he didn't like what she was doing but mama picked her up anyway, holding her tight as Tyra wrapped her arms around her neck, letting the sobs come out before they made her sick from holding it in.

Mama gently pushed back the tiny curls that framed her face, giving her round cheek a sweet kiss, "We'll never stop loving you, baby. You're always going to be our little girl, no matter what."

Sniffing back the last of her tears, she pulled back to look into her mama's eyes, the shape and color an exact match to her own, "Promise?"

Mama smiled at her, placing a small kiss on her nose before she sat down in Daddy's lap, "Cross our hearts, pinky-swear promise."

Tyra's mouth spread into a bright grin as a whimper came from the car seat, her pigtails dancing as she whipped her head around to watch Daddy pick the squirming baby up.

"Would you like to hold your little brother," Daddy asked her as he brought the tiny little bundle up to his chest, the baby's bitty mouth opening in sucking motions.

Lifting her small shoulders in a sign of uncertainty, she slid off mama's lap then pulled herself up on Daddy's other side, smiling when Daddy lifted his arms to snuggle her into his chest, the baby safe in his big hands as he placed him in her lap.

"Don't let go," Tyra's voice had a bit of fear in it as she looked down at the little face of her brother, the sound of running feet and a slamming door preceding the arrival of the twins and Zak as they crowded around the armchair to look at the baby.

"What's his name," Zak asked as he reached out to touch a tiny fist, Tyra unable to look away from the chubby cheeks and big eyes as a swell of love filled her, making it hard to breathe right.

"Your mama named him Xavier Ilean," Daddy smiled up at mama, his arms still around Tyra keeping a secure hold on the baby as Aly grinned at the tiny kicking feet, a sock slipping off.

"Will he scream if I tickle his toes?"

A wave of protectiveness rushed over her as she looked up at him, her brown-green eyes glittering with the strong emotion.

"No Aly. Don't pull my baby's toes."


Friday, April 3rd
Seattle, Central Library

Embry had to work hard at holding back his laughter as Emmie placed the huge Britannica Encyclopedia on the table with a slight drop that resounded in the silence before she scrambled up onto the chair, patting the one next to hers, "Sit here, Mou."

Setting his own stack of books down, he sat down and watched her struggle with the heavy book, finally succeeding in placing it right beside her notebook, the purple and blue butterfly printed backpack set in the middle of the dark oak table they'd commandeered before going in search of their books, "So what are you looking for, Princess?"

"I'm writing a paper on the evolution of flowers," Emmie ran her finger down the list of contents, humming under her breath as she turned the page to continue her search, "Mr. Benson wants to use it to convince the principal to let me skip to sixth grade."

Embry's eyebrows rose in surprise, his own research paper forgotten as he turned to look at Emmie who practically had her nose pressed to the tissue thin paper of the encyclopedia. Reaching for her backpack, he pulled the case containing her glasses and placed it by her elbow, "Put your glasses on."

Emmie wrinkled her nose but she did as he said, reaching up to swipe the bangs that covered her forehead –they were starting to get long, "I don't like wearing my glasses."

"Be that as it may, you need to be wearing them when you're reading," Embry turned sideways on his chair, resting his forearm on the table, "Now, what is this about your teacher wanting to skip you into sixth grade?"

"Mr. Benson talked to mama and Daddy, told them how I was very smart and needed a bigger challenge and how he wanted to make sure they would be okay with it before he suggested it to the principal," Emmie lifted her shoulder as she played with the spiral of her notebook, not sure what the look on his face meant.

"Emmie," Embry ran his fingers through his hair as he looked down at her fidgeting fingers, "You're not even eight yet –you'll be nine when you start middle school."

"That's what mama said," Emmie scrambled up to kneel on the chair, wanting him to understand why this was important to her, "She's worried that I'm too little but Mr. Benson said how skipping me to sixth grade would be better because I'll know all my classmates when I go into middle school instead of having me go to fifth grade then skip me into middle school where I won't know anyone."

Embry shook his head, hearing the enthusiasm in her voice but not sure if this was such a good idea –she was still a little girl, for goodness sake, "What did your mama and Daddy say?"

"Mama isn't sure about it and Daddy said he'll think about it and that they'll let Mr. Benson know before the school year is over but I asked Mr. Benson what I could do to help the principal make the right decision just in case mama and Daddy say yes. So I'm doing this paper to help show my ability to read, write and understand. It's kind of dumb, I think, but he said it'll help –along with my mathematics test and the science project that I entered for the science fair."

Embry's mouth hitched into a one-sided smile, loving the way her blue eyes twinkled with excitement, "You really want this, uh?"

Emmie's nod was enthusiastic and utterly adorable as she leaned forward to touch a small hand to his face, one of his big hands keeping her from falling off her chair, "I do, yes. It'll be so great to learn more stuff –the fifth grade teacher will be teaching division next year but I already know it along with the basic rules of algebra. That's why Mr. Benson decided to talk to mama and Daddy 'cause during recess last month, I asked to stay inside to do my homework. When he checked my math homework, he noticed some of the stuff you're teaching me in my notebook so he gave me some algebra stuff to do and was really surprised when I only got one wrong."

"You got one problem wrong?"

Emmie frowned up at him as she sat back on her heels, "It wasn't my fault. Mr. Benson didn't make it clear in the equation that he was looking for y and not x."

Embry laughed, not caring about the looks he was getting from the other library patrons as he pulled Emmie off her chair and into his lap, dropping a kiss on her head, "In that case, I think you're more than ready for sixth grade and algebra."

Emmie grinned up at him, wrapping her arms around his torso as she set her head on his chest, the deep thump-thump of his heart her favorite sound ever, "Mou."

"Yes Princess."

"Maybe you can talk to mama and Daddy –"

"No, no, no, no, no, no," Embry shook his head as he reached to tilt her face up by placing his hand under her chin, her big blue eyes begging shamelessly but this was one line he didn't cross, "I will do anything –anything –for you, Princess…except tell your Dad what to do."


Wednesday, April 8th
Seattle

Powersource Magazine
THEY'RE BACK!

The latest music video by the hottest due in the music business has hit the top f the charts within days of its release. Although the Young-Star wedding wasn't open to the public, the video itself has given their many fans a peek into what must have been a beautifully touching event.

'Glass' was written by both Lian Young and July Star, the wonderfully touching lyrics expressing the amazing journey they've travelled to find each other. Rumor has it there's a new video in the making, the label's CEO personally flying into Seattle where the newlyweds are currently residing to approve the final editing.

Sources say Young and Star sang the song –written by both –at their engagement party which was held at the club they were both discovered at.

'If I Didn't Have You' will be their newest hit, no doubt about it, especially since it's the official announcement of Young and Star's newest chapter of life –that's right, they've got a little one on the way!

So if you'd like to see Star's baby bump along with an obviously besotted proud papa, tune into your music video channel of choice two weeks from today. For now, though, big congratulations to Lian and July from us and all their fans –so happy to have you back!

Julie and Lian had come up to Seattle to meet with Natalie but Julie was really missing Lyn so she'd called her up. Her little sister had been excited to see her and since it was her one day off, she'd invited them over for dinner, Julie going straight to the apartment she shared with Collin while Lian met with Natalie and the producer at the record studio they've been using.

So here she was, watching the silly antics of her little sister and the man she had married, somehow feeling like she was invading their private time together but she supposed if Lyn had mentioned it was also Collin's one day off, she would have gone with Lian until it was time for dinner.

Had she done that, she would have missed this show which, to be honest, she was enjoying the hell out of it.

The radio was on in the kitchen, Lyn and Collin singing along with the band as they worked together to prepare dinner. She couldn't stop laughing at their antics, enjoying the smooth way they moved around each other in the small kitchen of their two bedroom apartment, making it obvious this was something they did often.

The song changed to the opening chords of Foreigner's Hot Blooded, Collin closing the oven door before he turned and wrapped his arm around Lyn's waist, her back to his front, both of them swaying to the rhythm of the music as they sang out loud:

Well, I'm hot blooded, check it and see
I got a fever of a hundred and three
Come on baby, do you do more than dance?
I'm hot blooded, I'm hot blooded

Julie laughed as Lyn tossed the sliced bell pepper into the salad bowl, placing the chopping knife down on the cutting board before she turned in her husband's arms as they sang together:

You don't have to read my mind
To know what I have in mind
Honey you ought to know
Now you move so fine
Let me lay it on the line
I want to know, what you're doing after the show

Collin dipped Lyn over his arm, pulling her up and off the floor, spinning her around and setting her down to grab the loaf of French bread from the bread box:

Now it's up to you
We can make a secret rendezvous
Just me and you
I'll show you lovin' like you never knew

She watched in awe as Collin tossed the loaf of bread up in the air, Lyn catching it on a spin before placing it on the cutting board, letting out a laughing shout as Collin's hand landed on her denim covered bottom:

If it feels alright, maybe you can stay all night
Shall I leave you my key?
But you've got to give me a sign
Come on girl, some kind of sign

Tell me, are you hot mama?
You sure look that way to me

She knew her face was turning red, she was laughing so hard –those two were seriously something else!

Collin stepped up behind Lyn, his hands on her small waist as she shimmied against him, laughing when he dipped his head to sing into her ear:

Are you old enough? Will you be ready when I call your bluff?
Is my timing right? Did you save your love for me tonight?

Julie laughed at the way Lyn's face flushed a bright pink, refusing to think as to the reason behind her little sister's reactions although the close proximity of her husband pretty much spoke for itself.

The overwhelming urge to pee had her rising to her feet, a gasp escaping her as the entire room slanted sideways.

"Julie!"

The music stopped, Lyn's hands on her shoulders keeping her from falling as the room continued to spin, the pounding in her head somehow compounding the feeling of vertigo as she was urged to sit down, Lyn's hands leaving her shoulders as another pair of hands, larger and rougher than her sister's, wrapped around her wrists.

"Get my bag," Collin kept his eyes on Julie's face, counting the pulse at her wrists, not liking the way she was breathing, "Julie, can you hear me?"

She swallowed back the urge to throw up, her ears ringing strangely as she tried to focus on Collin, his voice sounding oddly distorted, "Yeah…"

"Are you feeling dizzy?"

"Yes."

"Nauseous?"

Swallowing again, she gave a small nod as Collin took the stethoscope and blood pressure cuff from the soft leather briefcase he kept them in, "How's your vision?"

She blinked a few times but it didn't help, "A little blurry."

The pressure on her right arm increased in increments, Lyn's voice nothing but a buzzing sound in the background.

"Call Patrick," Collin told his wife as he lifted Julie into his arms, "We gotta get her to the hospital. Her blood pressure's one seventy-eight over ninety-eight, she's hypertensive."

Lyn ran into the kitchen to turn off the oven, grabbing the car keys as she dialed the number of the obstetrics unit director, giving him the details as she followed behind Collin, de-activating the locks to their silver blue Tahoe.

"Steven's the OB on call," Lyn got behind the wheel, Collin staying in the backseat with Julie as he took her blood pressure again, "Lian's on his way, he's calling her OB so they can fax over her history."

"Blood pressure's one eight-four over one o two –Lyn, call Patrick again. We're going to need the OR team on stand-by."

"Got it."

Julie couldn't concentrate on anything they were saying, the buzzing sound of their voices fading in and out as she tried to breathe through the pain that was her head. Everything was just a blur of lights and sounds, her heart feeling like it was going to burst out of her chest as she tried to take in air but it was getting difficult to do so.

Lyn parked at the emergency entrance, leaving the Tahoe as two orderlies came out with a stretcher, Steven –a fellow OB resident –accompanying them along with two nurses from labor and delivery.

Collin placed Julie on the stretcher, looking across at Steven, "Her blood pressure's shooting up –you're going to need to do an emergency cesarean."

"We've got the neonatologist on stand-by," Steven took over taking her blood pressure, calling out the vitals for the nurse beside him to record, "BP is one eight-eight over one o five, respiration thirty-four, pulse eighty-three –Collin, we need permits signed for a c-section."

"Her husband's on the way," Lyn joined them as they made their way down the hallway past all the emergency cubicles, pushing through the double doors, "He's having her obstetrician fax over her history."

"Let's put her on magnesium sulfate," Steven told the nurse, writing out the order before turning his attention back to his patient, "It should keep her from seizing while he gets here. Can you sight the permits, Lyn?"

She shook her head, a knot in her stomach as she watched her sister losing consciousness, "Lian's her medical proxy –their doctor had them draw up the paperwork in case something like this happened."

"All I can do for now is keep her stable," Steven checked his watch, not liking the fact that her respirations were increasing along with her pulse, "How long is it going to take him to get here?"

Lyn's phone rang before she was able to answer, the screen flashing Lian's name, "That's him. Lian? Where are you? The front entrance? Take the elevators up to the fourth floor, I'll meet you there."

Hanging up, she reached out to squeeze Collin's arm, "Have them draw up all the permits. I'm gonna go get him."

Collin nodded as the nurse returned with the magnesium sulfate along with the needed supplies to put in an IV, the entire team working efficiently as they continued to move towards the elevators.

As soon as the elevator doors opened onto the fourth floor, the rest of the team converged around the stretcher, Collin stepping out of the way as they moved towards the operating room.

"What's going on," Lian stepped out of the other elevator, Collin stopping him from following after Julie, "We need you to sight the permits first, Lian, then you can be with her."

"What's happening," Lian's face was tight with worry as he moved towards the nurse's station where they had a clipboard with the permits ready for him.

"She's hypertensive," Collin explained in concise terms, knowing that in the state of shock Lian was in, he would have a harder time understanding anything but the most basic of explanations, "Her blood pressure's climbing and although they've put her on magnesium sulfate, the best solution is an emergency cesarean."

"The baby?"

"We have the neonatologist along with the respiratory therapist in case there are any complications on that end."

"She's only thirty-six weeks," Lian stared at the permits, his fingers tight around the pen the secretary had handed him.

"Lian," Collin clapped his hand on his shoulder, keeping his gaze steady on him, "If they don't do the cesarean, she'll start seizing…she could have a heart attack, a stroke…go into multi-system failure. You need to sign those –now."


Everything had gone well without any complications and although he'd been assured by both Julie's doctor and the pediatrician seeing to their baby, he was still feeling anxious as he watched his wife sleep.

This woman had an iron grip on his very soul, if anything were to happen to her, he wouldn't survive –it didn't help that the moment he had laid eyes on that tiny little being they had made together, it had felt like his chest had been ripped open. Those tiny little hands, with their perfect ten little fingers, was now the keeper of his heart.

Between those two, he was completely and unashamedly owned.

Reaching out, he gently moved a curl off her cheek, tucking it behind her ear as he leaned down to kiss her forehead, smiling at the soft sigh she gave, long red-tipped eyelashes fluttering before they opened to reveal the bright amethysts that were her eyes.

His very heart was in his eyes as he smiled into hers, stroking her cheek with his thumb, "Hi."

Her smile was slow but just as devastating as always, long fingers touching his face, "Hi."

"Don't ever scare me like that again," his voice came out choked as he rested his forehead against hers, his fingers curving along the side of her beautiful face, his mouth touching hers briefly in an achingly sweet kiss before he pulled back, "I thought I was going to lose you."

The tenderness in her smile caused the ever present knot in his throat to thicken, "Never, Julian. You're never going to lose me. I'm sorry you were scared…I was too."

Lian kissed her again, his fingers burying into her hair as she sighed into his mouth, the taste of her so sweet it had him gasping for breath.

She let out a sigh, moving to sit up, Lian immediately pushing the button to lift the head of the bed for her, "How's our baby?"

"Beautiful," Lian grinned as he took her hands in his, the steady beat of her pulse reassuring him in a way no amount of words from professionals could, "Four pounds, thirteen ounces. Seventeen and a half inches long…and as gorgeous as her mama."

"A girl," Julie's eyes were bright with unshed tears, "We have a girl."

"A little doll," Lian's grin grew a bit more as he sat on the side of the bed, holding both of her hands in his, "She's still at the nursery but the nurses there say she's doing great. They'll bring her in as soon as you're ready for her."

"I want to see her," a tear escaped the corner of her eye, rolling down her cheek to be caught by Lian's fingers; "I want to hold her."

Lian nodded, leaning forward to kiss her forehead, "I'll go talk to your nurse –we might be able to get a wheelchair and go to the nursery."

"Do you think they'll let me shower first?"

"I'll ask," Lian cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing away the tears that kept rolling down her cheeks, "Natalie's in the waiting room –she's already got the PR people working on a press release…she asked about a possible photograph."

"Rose can do that," Julie let out a sigh, the overwhelming emotions she was experiencing slowly residing, "We can have her do the photographs and we'll pick one to give to Natalie for the article."

Agreeing to that, Lian went in search of the nurse and before long, Julie was in the shower with the help of the nurse's assistant. Clean sheets on the bed and wearing her own nightgown, Julie opted to sit in the recliner instead of returning to bed.

Pulling the brush through her hair, she was glad Lian had remembered to bring in the duffel they had stashed in the trunk of their car after their last doctor's visit –they had been told about the possibility of an early labor and the need to be prepared just in case.

A smile broke across her face as the door to the private suite she was in opened, Lian walking in with Seth and Rose following close behind, several dozen balloons bobbing over their heads, "Hey!"

Rose grinned as she set her camera bag down on a nearby table, Seth placing a huge caramel brown teddy bear with a beige snout and paw-pads on her bed, "You look great."

"I feel much better," Julie smiled up at Lian as he moved to stand behind her, relinquishing the hairbrush to him without a fight as she laughed at the sight of the bear, "That's one big teddy bear."

"It's the biggest we could find," Seth looked over his shoulder as a knock sounded, the door opening to let in Lyn, Collin and Jiao, "Come join the party."

"Why, thank you Seth," Lyn gave him a teasing smile, a glass vase filled with white roses and purple irises in her hands, "You're such a good host."

Everyone laughed, Jiao moving across the room to lean over Julie, wrapping her arms tight around her as she whispered into her ear, "You did so good, baby –she's beautiful."

Julie blinked back the urge to cry, her own arms around her mother's petite frame, "I don't even remember most of it but I'm so anxious to meet her."

"Knock, knock," a nurse walked into the room, a wheeled bassinet beside her, "Looks like the welcoming party is here."

Julie grinned as the nurse moved across the room, everyone making awed sounds as they caught sight of the tiny bundle, "And now that the guest of honor is here, we can get started."

The nurse laughed, checking all the identification on both Julie and Lian's wrists, as well as the baby's, before instructing them on what to do in case the baby starts choking or stops breathing, letting them know her next feeding would be in an hour.

They all thanked her before she walked out of the room, having left the sleeping baby in Julie's arms, everyone crowding around the chair.

"I've never seen anything that tiny," Seth had his arm around Rose's shoulders, studying the small features of the tiny face visible above the pink swaddling blanket and the snug cap on her small head, "Even Carlos wasn't that small."

"She's a little doll," Lyn smoothed the back of her fingers over the baby soft cheek, "Hey, baby girl. I'm your Aunt Lyn –anything you want that your parents won't give you, you come to me, okay?"

Julie's chuckle wavered slightly as she gently unwrapped her baby, wanting to see her from head to toe, "You're going to spoil her rotten, aren't you?"

"Yep," Lyn grinned, purple eyes dancing as she looked over her shoulder at her husband, "You can pay back the favor when we have ours."

Collin's face went slightly pale at that, his eyes swinging from the baby to Lyn, "That's gonna be a while."

"She's got your eyes, mama," Julie smoothed a finger over the small forehead, the closed eyelids slanted at the corners, her soft skin a beautiful almond hue.

Jiao's lips trembled as she gently removed the little cap to reveal the dark hair that covered the tiny head, "She's absolutely beautiful –and so small. What's her name?"

Julie looked over at Lian –he was now crouched beside her, an arm across the low back of her chair –smiling at the look on his face…she could see the all-encompassing love in his dark brown eyes as he stared at their baby girl, "I got to pick the first name while Lian picked her middle name. We haven't told each other so this should be a surprise for everyone."

"In that case, you'll have to explain the meaning behind the names you choose," Lyn took the gift bag that Collin had been holding, pulling out a pink onesies she had found at the gift shop, "Then w can dress her up and have Rose take your first family picture."

"Then y'all can go home so we can rest," Lian gave them an apologetic smile as he covered his baby's tiny head with his large hand, her hair fine silk against his palm, "We've got another wave of visitors coming in a few hours and mama's going to have to feed our baby soon."

Julie lifted her baby up to place a soft kiss on her soft cheek, amazed at the delicate details of her face –a beautifully shaped nose that was all Lian, high cheekbones with dark lashes resting against them and a beautiful cupid bow's mouth, "Are we going to have to wake her up?"

"Do you eat asleep," Collin teased, letting out a small grunt as Lyn's elbow landed in its usual spot between his sixth and eighth rib, "Always the same spot –do you have radar or something?"

"I'm ready to take pictures," Rose held up her digital camera, smiling as Julie and Lian worked together to change their baby into the pink onesies, "I'll give whichever you pick to Natalie by tomorrow morning."

"So," Lyn grinned at the glitter lettering across the tiny chest –Daddy's Lil Cowgirl, "What's my niece's name?"

"Her first name is Jillian," Julie smiled at her husband, loving the tender way he was putting white and pink socks on her tiny feet, "It's the medieval form of Julian and it means youthful."

Lian's smile spread into a grin, his dark eyes glittering as he leaned in to kiss her lips, his arms wrapping around the two that were his entire world.

No one paid attention as Rose proceeded to take pictures, which was fine by her –she preferred these kinds of settings instead of the posed kind.

"What's her middle name," Jiao asked as she gathered Julie's long hair, plaiting it into a Chinese braid over her shoulder just the way she used too when her girls were young and dependent on her.

Lian smiled into Julie's eyes, stroking his hand over her hair, never looking away as he shared the name he had picked, "Sying (Sigh-ing). It's Chinese for –"

"Star," Julie, Jiao and Lyn answered in unison, all three smiling at Lian like he'd answered the world's toughest problem.

"Jillian Sying Young," Seth nodded with a smile, giving his cousin a good hearted slap on the back, "A beautiful name for a beautiful girl."

And indeed it was.