Okay...this chapter skips ahead a bit again, it also is very fast paced and has a shock at the end. Laura...you requested this shock, it's your shock, and you've got a part in it :P
Christmas had marked the start of a new life in civilisation for the Shephard family. They were happy, healthy, and had the life that they never dreamed of. Kaia had started school after the Christmas season was over. She had only started a few months later than the others, so she hadn't missed much, and whenever Kate collected her from school, her teacher always told her how advanced she was for her age. Curtis wasn't due to start kindergarten for a year or so yet, and so Kate and Jack's days at home weren't completely child-free. Kate was glad for that, because having spent every day around her children, she would immediately miss one of their presences.
The only thing that seemed to be a problem for them, was that Kate wasn't quite a Shephard yet. Kaia and Curtis had always been known as Shephard children, and that had been official when, after Kate's trial was successful, her and Jack finally got them copies of birth certificates. They were even able to fill in their weight at birth, even though they had needed to use the food scales in the hatch. So now, the only person who wasn't bound to the family by name, was Kate.
They had plans to marry after the twins were born, in June. June always seemed like a good month to get married. It was warm, but it wasn't sweltering heat, and it wasn't frozen spring days either. It was the start of summer, warm and casual, heralding their new beginnings as a married couple. They'd always acted like a married couple, it would just be nice to have a ring on their fingers to complete things.
But Charlie and Claire beat them too it. Kate wasn't exactly happy about appearing 'fat' in the wedding photos, but when the snaps came back, she saw that the baby bump was shown off nicely by her bridesmaid dress, and she did, in fact, look absolutely fine. Jack wondered what was glowing more - her smile, or her whole face. Pregnancy agreed with her.
Charlie and Claire were the first of the Oceanic survival love stories to get married. They had a ceremony down on the closest sandy beach they could find. The whole ceremony was outside, and they insisted on Eko being their priest. In fact, most of the couples insisted on Eko leading their wedding. It had taken a lot of time for them to arrange the ceremony around the tides, and to find a private strip of beach that was large enough to accomodate so many people.
Aaron was their ring bearer. Charlie was even happier when the boy called him 'Dad' now, because they recieved a very special Christmas present. Claire had sent adoption papers to Thomas, who had signed Aaron away to him. Enclosed was a note, saying that he had no hard feelings towards Claire for wanting another man to be his father, especially, he added, someone who he had seen on the news who had clearly doted on the boy. Claire had showed Charlie this note, and he had hidden it away, if ever the time came where Aaron had to know about Thomas. Clearly, it wouldn't be kept forever that Claire was already carrying Aaron when the plane crashed.
Claire had first attempted to get his birth certificate with Charlie as Aaron's father, but Charlie insisted that they do it the right way, and get Thomas's permission. Claire's worst nightmare was that Thomas would start wanting access to his son, but it didn't happen, and he admitted he was still in no position to think about raising a child. Charlie and Claire had been over the moon.
Aaron had walked up the sandy ailse after his mother, who wore a beautiful white strapless dress. Beside him, walking his new cousin, Megan, and Kaia, who were flower girls. Curtis was their pageboy. When they reached the alter and the ceremony began, Megan and Kaia stood with Kate, Sun and Shannon, and Aaron and Curtis stood with Liam, Jack, and Hurley. Jack had been thrilled when he was asked to be Charlie's best man, but not quite as thrilled as when Kate has been asked to be maid of honour. Of course, Jack was just happy that when the best man had to dance with the maid of honour, he would be dancing with Kate.
As Charlie and Claire looked into each others eyes lovingly throughout the whole ceremony, Jack and Kate did the same, glancing innocently at each other throughout the whole wedding. Both of them were thinking that in only a few months, it would be them reciting their vows at the alter.
When Eko had announced the marriage complete, Claire had leaned into Charlie's kiss, and whispered that she had a very special announcement of her own. Later on, at the reception, she had told the crowds how she was pregnant. Charlie had literally jumped up and down with Aaron on his shoulders, celebrating the knowledge of his next child. Although Aaron wasn't his flesh and blood, he still considered him as his first child.
Whilst Charlie and Claire had travelled to the other side of Australia for a road trip honeymoon across the outback, Aaron had stayed with Kate and Jack for the week. Kaia had been thrilled when it seemed like they were living back on the island again, and first thing in the morning she would run into the spare room, where he was sleeping, and jump on his bed and demand that he wake up. They did go to the same schools for the meantime though, so they weren't completely apart.
Shannon and Sayid had been next to get married. They had two ceremonies, one for each of their religions, and each in the same day. This way, they both had a joining that was important to them. They had Kaia as their bridesmaid, with Aaron as ringbearer and Curtis as pageboy, just like Charlie and Claire did. They were slightly more daring, and jetted off to Paris for their honeymoon. When they had announced that, everyone looked at them like they were mad to be getting back on a plane.
Thankfully, the two arrived safely back at Sydney airport a fortnight later, with smiling faces, and clearly no signs of landing on a deserted island for the two weeks, which restored a little more faith in the airline system for the survivors.
Jack and Kate were still undecided about what they would do for their honeymoon. It would mean leaving the four kids with someone, and at that time, Kate knew that she wasn't going to be up to leaving her newborns behind. It would be hard enough leaving Kaia and Curtis., without the two that she would still be getting attatched to. So they decided that they would postpone their honeymoon. They would have a few nights in a hotel, but save the honeymoon for a few months down the line, when they were both more prepared to fly around the world.
Carrying twins made Kate more tired that ever. She had always been tired carrying her first two children, but twins doubled the load. She was sleeping more than she was awake throughout the day, and one day, to Kaia's horror, she was late picking her up from school. The girls horror was soon forgotten, however, when Kate was awoken by the knocking of the door finding that Aaron had walked her home. God bless that boy.
She felt as huge as two houses, and couldn't remember the last time she had seen her feet without looking in a mirror from the distance. Jack sometimes spent the evening giving her a footrub, to ease her aching muscles, and just to assure her that her feet were still there, despite her insistance that she was simply walking on stumps with shoes attached to them. It was how they taught Kaia to tie her shoelaces, helping Kate when she couldn't reach her own.
At the start of April, however, her energy seemed to return to her. She wasn't surprised either, realising how much sleep she had recently had. Her body felt more alive than ever, and she was happy to be out of bed and moving around. That morning, she had walked Kaia to school with Claire and Aaron, and then herself, Claire, Sun and Shannon were going to check the flowers for the wedding.
She had just signed a few forms when her hand shot to her stomach.
"Kate?" Claire asked.
She doubled over a little as she felt the familiar pain of a contraction tear through her. "I think it's starting." She moaned through gritted teeth.
The girls jumped into action. Sun went to one side and called Jack. Claire went to another side and called an ambulance. Shannon let Kate squeeze her hand until the contraction was over and coached her through just like she had done with the last two births. Kate had forgotten just how much it had hurt.
They arrived at the hospital, and Kate was taken straight to the delivery room. Jack caught them up on the way there, and was immediately by her side, leaving a confused Curtis with the girls outside in the corridor. Then they recieved the bad news...this wasn't going to be happening any time quickly.
"Oh no..." Kate groaned, throwing her head back in the pillow. "Can't you speed it up somehow?" She asked the midwife who had overseen most of her pregnancy.
"I'm sorry, Kate, you've got two laid back children, you're just going to have to wait for them."
Another contraction hit her, and she took hold of Jack's hand. "These two are grounded as soon as they're born." She told him, watching him smile at the comment.
"Don't worry." He assured her, placing a kiss on her forehead. "Everything's going to be fine."
The midwives were right when they said that they were going to be a long time. Whilst Kate was in labour, a lot of things happened in the corridor outside. Charlie collected Aaron and Kaia from school at three, and brought them up to the corridor. Sawyer turned up at around four, and brought his trusty deck of cards to see them through a few hours. He tried to get a few of the passing nurses to join in for a game of strip poker, but they declined. So he, Charlie, and when he arrived, Hurley, played as many games as they could think of. Kaia complained that she was bored several times, and her and Aaron quickly got bored of playing 'I spy'.
Then came the hunger. Sawyer went and got some money from Jack, and then took the kids to get some dinner from the nearest fast-food resturant. He got them ice-creams on the way back to the hospital, which kept them happy for a long time. As they went into the corridor, he doubled back to get a cup of water, and a cup of coffee, taking them in to Jack and Kate. That was much appreciated, but Kate had begged him to bring her coffee. He asked her if she wanted her screaming children to be born on a caffeine high. She had said no.
Curtis fell asleep on Claire's lap around eight-ish, but Kaia and Aaron stayed awake, learning to play cards from Sawyer. Aaron was whipping them all at Texas hold'em. Then, Jack's head poked around the door.
"First one's a girl!" He announced proudly.
"Yay! A sister!" Kaia grinned, as Jack disappeared back into the room.
Ten minutes later, Jack poked his head around the door again.
"Second one's a boy." He announced.
He went back into the room, looking at his exhausted love in the bed. She was smiling up at him through her tired eyes. He sat down next to her, whilst he heard their crying twins behind him. "How are you feeling?" He asked her.
"A lot better for having drugs this time." She said, and he leaned down to kiss, her. Their lips were just about to touch, however when Kate hissed in pain again.
"Kate?" He questioned worriedly, and one of the midwives came over, checking her.
The midwife called out to the other nurses. "We've got another one on the way."
"Another one!" Jack and Kate asked at the same time, shocked.
Kate shook her head. "No, that's not possible. I've just had them both."
But it was possible, very possible, and seven minutes later, another baby was added to the cries.
"Three." Jack murmered in disbelief. "Three babies."
"I never thought that three was a big number before." Kate mumbled tiredly.
"How do you feel now?" Jack asked her, grinning from hearing his children.
She smirked, rolling her eyes up to meet his. "Like a parade just came out of my vagina."
Jack laughed, leaning down to kiss her, and this time, the arrival of an unexpected baby didn't interrupt them.
Kate looked up at him. "Where are the others?" She asked. "Kai and Curt..."
"They're outside with everyone."
"Can you bring them in here?" She asked.
Jack nodded, and went over to the door, whilst with the midwives help, Kate pushed herself into a sitting position. He spotted Kaia, and called her in. She hopped to her feet and ran over to him, going passed him to see Kate, and then he saw that Curtis was awake as well. Curtis reached his arms out to Jack, and Jack went to him, lifting him into his arms. He thanked them for watching the two, and then heard a long string of congratulations.
"Another two kids...you going for some track record, doc?" Sawyer smirked, shaking his free hand.
"Well, there was one more surprise than we counted on." Jack laughed. "She had triplets."
"TRIPLETS!" The screams came from all of them. The shock was greater to them than it had been to Jack, but he supposed that shock wouldn't set in for a while.
"Two girls, and a boy." He nodded.
He left them to their gossiping and squeeing, and went back into the delivery room. Kaia was sitting up on one side of Kate already, and he placed Curtis on her other side. Then came the bundles. Jack smirked, and smiled at Kate. "I think we're going to need an extra pair of hands."
"I'll do it!" Kaia said excitedly. "Can I? Can I hold my sister?"
Jack and Kate looked at each other and nodded. "Which sister?" He asked her. "You've got two of them."
"Two sisters?" She asked in disbelief. "Wow...thank you!"
Jack smiled, and the midwife placed a bundle in his arms. "This is the eldest daughter." She said, indicating a wristband marked 'Baby Shephard 1'. Jack looked through the blankets to the little girls face. It was screwed up where she was still crying, but she still looked beautiful. He placed a kiss on the child's forehead, and then carefully handed her to Kaia. Kaia was very good, holding the baby gently, but not letting her fall either. Kate looked over happily watching her girls until they came over with another bundle.
'Baby Shephard 2' was their newest son. Kate held him in his arms, whilst Curtis stood up on the edge of the bed, still only level with Kate's head, and looked at his baby brother. He liked this, because it made him taller than someone now. He wouldn't be the little baby anymore, because he was a big brother.
Jack was given 'Baby Shephard 3', their unexpected and random daughter. Her hand flung out of the blankets as he held her, and he knew that she was going to be a fiesty one, just like her mother.
"I guess this one must have been hiding behind the other two." Jack suggested, sitting down on the edge of the bed.
"So thats why we never saw her on the ultrasound." Kate realised, leaning forwards as Jack showed her the latest addition.
It suddenly got a bit quieter in the room, and Kaia looked up excitedly. "Mommy! Daddy! Look!" She said. "She stopped crying."
True, the eldest daughter had stopped crying, and was looking at the room around her, still her with eyelids firmly shut however. Kaia giggled and smiled at her parents, and then at her sister. "Can her name start with a 'K' like mine?" She asked.
Naming the children had taken a long time. Kaia wanted her sister to start with a K, and Curtis wanted his brother to start with a C. Kate had suggested Christian for a boy, but Jack had declined. He knew that seeing the name Christian Shephard everyday would be too painful for him, and probably also for his mother as well, so they decided to use that for a middle name. Instead, they named their son Cody. Their eldest daughter was named Kasey, but when it came down to the youngest daugther, they couldn't settle on a name. It felt strange to name her with the K-C rule they seemed to have going, seeing as she was unexpected. They soon decided to start another rule. The J-K-L rule, and named their youngest daughter Laura.
Eventually, the children grew tired, and Sawyer agreed to take Kaia and Curtis home with him for the night. At this point, everyone else came in to see the new babies, and a few pictures were taken. 'A few' meaning about fifty altogether.
And so, this is how the Shephard family ended up with five children. Kaia Sahara Shephard, Curtis James Shephard, Kasey Shannon Shephard, Cody Christian Shephard, and Laura Claire Shephard. Not forgetting their dog either. Altogether, there would be eight of them in the house.
Things were never going to be the same again...they would never be very quiet either.
