Chapter 13: The Royal Heir

Minako bounced in her seat next to Kunzite on the sofa. Ami was reading frantically on the instructions of a box with Zoisite, who was rubbing her back gently. Makoto was kicking Nephrite's ass in an arm-wrestling match on the table. Rei was massaging her forehead with her fingers while Jadeite was rubbing her thigh gently. Sakura sat reading some documents from the study while Aina was reading a medical book from the library. Meanwhile, Serenity and Endymion made their way down the stairs, bickering.

"Mamo I tell you now that there is no need for me to be in the hospital tonight. She won't be born on my birthday tomorrow" Serenity says and he sighs. He watches as her hands rub her stomach. She almost looked like she was ready to pop.

"I still think that you should go" Endymion tries to reason. She shakes her head, flopping her body onto the sofa, where everyone watched. "Aina, how long is she?" he asks. Aina puts down her book and flicks back her hair. "King Endymion, I assure you it's soon. She looks like she's about to burst open." Aina says and Endymion smirks, knowing he was correct. Serenity huffs and crosses her arms.

Serenity knew that she had to absorb everything beautiful about this. Knowing that this was her only daughter she would have. The only experience with pregnancy she guessed she would ever have. She didn't want to have her daughter yet; she wanted to feel her daughter's kicks knowing that if she looked after herself, she looked after the baby with no effort.

But she was terrified knowing that once her daughter came into the world, she had no clue what to do. She was immature, not ready to be a mother. Scared in case Seiya came back, that he would attempt to kill everyone she knew and loved. Even her daughter.

"Usako" Endymion said loudly, causing her to jump. She looked up at him. "What's wrong?" he asks her, and she shakes her head.

"I'm fine," she says as she picks up a strawberry and eats it.

"No, you're not, we've been calling you for ten minutes now," he says, and she shakes her head.

"It's a pregnancy thing, you wouldn't understand" Serenity whispers.

"Well then I can try," he says. she shakes her head; individual strands of hair flying everywhere.

"Leave her Endymion," Sakura says gently. He stands up and walks away, feeling tense If something is about to happen. He watches her closely from the far corner of the room, noticing her common winces in pain before her hand slides and rests on her stomach. Serenity notices him watching her.

"It's fine, she's just strong or it's just the practise contraction." She says and he sighs. The girls decide to get her to open her presents now; he figured they felt it too…

Something was bound to happen. "Here, open Mine and Kunzite's" Minako bounces as she passes the sixteen-year-old the large box. Serenity waves for Endymion to come over and help her, and he complies. Lifting the box, he saw multiple things in there, Baby gear, more clothes and accessories, art supplies.

"Art Supplies?" he asks as he pulls them out and Serenity beams at Minako from the collection of art supplies she had handed over.

"Yeah, Serenity was good with drawing when she was little, so it's become a hobby and a talent. Along with singing, dancing, and painting" she says, and Serenity hugs her cousin.

"Thanks Mina" she says as she places them gently back in the box. She moves onto another with a wince and a second rub of her stomach. After non-stop gift giving, she reaches her last gift from her Husband, Endymion. "Mamo, you really didn't have to get me anything" she says and he shakes his head.

"Nonsense, You're my wife. It seems silly not to" he says, and she smiles at him. She opens It to reveal a necklace, with a crescent moon on it. Her eyes tear up. "I walked past it in town, thought of you immediately. So, I thought it would make a nice addition to matching earrings." He says and she hugs him gently.

"It's beautiful, can you?" she asks, and he complies. It fits in perfectly with everything. She smiles before attaching her lips onto his. Then, something wet dribbled onto her legs from inside her dress and she groaned. "I think…" Serenity whispered, coming up with an explanation. "I think our daughter wants to leave now" she whispered towards her husband. Then gently, he picked her up and carried her towards the hospital wing.

*Several Hours Later*

"Mamo" Serenity groans as another contraction hits her. "It hurts" she groans again once it's over. She had five minutes until another one would hit her. His hand reached to wipe the sweat of her head before kissing it.

"I know, but your so close. Your so much closer to ending this than you were a couple of minutes and hours ago." He encourages her. He turns towards the nurse who shakes her head.

"I'm sorry Princess, only one more centimetre to go" She says as she takes her seat near the bed. Endymion looks back at his wife who is on the bed, holding his hand for dear life.

"It feels like she's trying to tear me apart from the inside" she groans, and he nods.

"your almost there" he encourages.

*An Hour Later*

A cry fills the room, followed by a light. Endymion looked over to see his daughter glowing before the moon symbol faded away. He held Serenity's hand through all of it, and his daughter was finally here.

A few minutes later, the placenta was removed, and his daughter was taken away to be cleaned and checked. Serenity tried to slow her breathing carefully. And removed her hand from Endymion's to stretch it. It was sore from squeezing his hand so hard. "How's the hand" she barely managed to whisper, a smile forming on her sweaty and heated face. He laughed.

"Never going to be the same again. I'll deal with it." He says. "How is… everything?" he asks and she smiles slightly, but her eyes are full of the after pain.

"I don't feel so bloated anymore. My body is finally mine and not our daughter's. I'm sore, yeah but that's only normal" she shrugs. "I'm tired but I really want to hold her" she whispers as she fights off heavy eyes. She could hear fighting outside.

"We're her Senshi, her sisters in a way" a female yell. It sounded like Minako. "What do you mean you won't let us in?"

"I need to see my daughter" She could tell that was Queen Serenity. The doors burst open and Serenity smiled.

"Hey mama" she whispers, and the Queen smiled.

"I was so worried. When I heard I literally ended the call that you were in your final stage of labour" she whispers as she takes her daughter's hand gently.

"How did you do this?" Younger Serenity whispered. Sakura only smiled at her.

"I have your father by my side" she whispered. "I was a lot worse than you. I was in here for longer, even though you were quiet a small child, I was a lot worse than you. I yelled at your father at one point telling him to leave… which he did, but I was emotional. He came back after that, during my final stage, then you were born" Sakura sighed. "I'm proud of you. You're a lot younger than I was, but also you managed to control your emotions so you didn't take it out on Mamoru" She says and Serenity smiled.

"I actually did, but he refused to leave" she laughs.

"I should leave you to sleep" Sakura says and Serenity nods. A few minutes after Sakura leaves, a nurse carries in their daughter and Serenity holds her.

"Usagi Small Lady Serenity" she whispers and Endymion smiles.

"Sounds perfect, a mini you" Endymion whispers as he traces her cheek. A nurse tries to fix his hand and he refuses. "I'll get it looked at later" he says, and she nods, before leaving. His head turns back to look at his wife and finds her and his daughter asleep.