He smiled at the sleepy call of his name from the one who had called him such a title since they were a small fledgling following him around or riding a top his shoulders, it was hard to believe in times like these that she was growing up before their eyes, time was moving by so quickly, it felt as though it was just yesterday that she had been asking him if she could come to the Infirmary with him to see the patients and the Virtues.

"I'm here, little bear."

Her eyes fluttered lightly, where she could peek out at those who disturbed her while she slept curled so tightly, nodding slightly to his response and allowing her eyes close once again as though it was not much of a disturbance; his being there.

He felt her go rigid under his touch, and he knew that his presence was finally being recognized, he hadn't even removed his hand from her warm swollen belly and had been rubbing his thumb over the smooth skin for the duration of their quick meeting.

Akeelah flew up, wide awake, her eyes going wider then saucers.

The archangel smiled at her, rubbing his thumb continuously over the smooth skin under his fingers. "Did you sleep good?"

"Did I—You're here—The—Please don't be mad!"

"You'd expect me to be, wouldn't you?" he pat her belly softly and pulled his hand down to lay in his lap, she stared at him in terror, as though she were expecting a rather explosive reaction to this secret being found out. "You need to calm down. All this stress isn't good for the little ones."

She only calmed a bit, still staring at him with wide unsure eyes, and so he reached forward to guide her gently back into her pillows behind her.

"I'm not mad."

"You're not?" the young woman stared at him with her unchanging wide eyes. "Why aren't you mad?"

He raised an eyebrow, humming in amusement. "Would you rather I be mad?" Raphael pulled the blanket down to cover her belly again. "Because I can be mad if you want me to be."

She shook her head frantically. "No! That's okay!" she reached for his hand and he let her curl her fingers around it so that she could pull it back to her chest. "I don't want you to be mad." She clutched his fingers tightly as she tilted her head to the side. "Why aren't you mad?"

The Healer chuckled lightly, turning the hand that she had in her grasp, and curled his fingers around hers.

"Because I know that you are growing up." He smiled at her gently. "And that you are in a very loving relationship." He rubbed his free hand over her belly. "If you choose to bear his children then you are allowed to."

The Healer looked to the Power next to them. "I trust that she'd been pulled from training?"

Nisroc nodded lightly. "She has just been pulled."

He stared at the younger angel for a short while before blinking. "Excuse me." The Archangel tilted his head to the side. "She's just been pulled?"

He turned to look back to his growing charge in the next moment, humming at the sight of her tilted head and blatant refusal to meet his gaze, he pat her belly with his free hand until she looked up at him.

"You've just been pulled?"

Akeelah flinched lightly. "I didn't tell anyone."

"Akeelah." She chanced a glance up at him and flinched. "What you did is very ignorant." He tugged her fingers lightly. "You could have seriously harmed your little ones."

He nodded in approval when she curled her free hand around her belly. "I don't want to do that."

"Good. You will take it easy for the time to come." She opened her mouth, and he silenced her with a look, giving her fingers a fond squeeze. "Yes, you may still walk through the trainees. But nothing more."

"I love you, big bear."

Raphael smiled down to her, leaning forward to press his lips to the back of her hand. "I love you too, little bear." He looked down to her belly again, his smile brightening at the feeling of the two little ones weak but vibrant grace, setting both hands over her belly again. "Do you know their gender?"

She shook her head, and he resisted the snort of amusement when the Powers leaned in forward around them, even Oren stepped closer.

"Do you want to know?"

Akeelah went wide eyed. "Do I have to tell Khonsu that I know?"

"That's your decision to make."

She nodded excitedly, looking down to her belly for a moment, and then back up to meet his gaze. Raphael smiled in amusement and let his grace roam free, it tingled over her skin as he reached out to the two budding fledglings, they reached out just as exuberantly as he reached for them.

"One's a girl." He focused on the other. A bit harder to read then their sister was. But there was few who got away from him unnoticed. "The other a boy."

Akeelah stared at him as he pulled away. "I'm having a girl? And a boy? Both?"

"Both, indeed," he smiled in adoration. "Do you have names for them yet?"

She nodded. "Lyra and Izar."

Oren smiled at the names in amusement, she was never one to leave an opportunity alone. "Stars."

The young woman looked down to her belly with a smile, nodding to the Virtue absently, and curled her hands around the smooth skin. The others turned to look at the Virtue Captain in question, his smile taking them all by the mind, curiosity shining in their eyes.

Nisroc tilted his head. "What?" Oren nodded to the one on the bed. "The names she choose, they mean 'Star', fitting given her ability to create them."

His commander gave him a strange look. "Why do you know that, Oren?"

He looked a bit offended, but there was no real heat behind the expression, pressing a hand to his chest as though he'd been insulted. "I know many things."

The Healer chuckled, reaching out to pat him on the hip. "Oh, don't be so sensitive, you know we're only playing."

"I don't know that."

"Do you want me to lift your spirits?"

Oren jumped out of his reach when he dug his thumb into the curve of his hip, shaking his head in assurance. "No, that's fine, I'll take your word for it."

The young woman on the bed looked up with an amused smile, letting go of the Power's hand to tap the Archangel on the arm, he turned to look at her at her silent request. She looked passed him to the Virtue, smirking lightly in a way one did when they were about to throw another under the proverbial bus, and he narrowed his eyes at her look.

"I think he needs help."

Oren huffed lightly and pointed a finger at her. "Don't think that being with child will keep me from coming at you."

She giggled and hid behind the Healer, under her blanket, the Archangel reached back to pat her on the legs and brush his fingers over her cheek.

"Joking aside, you will take it easy from here on, no strenuous activity." He poked her on the nose. "I would order you to bedrest, but I know you would simply find a way to sneak off. If you feel anything let us know immediately." Raphael turned to look at the Powers around them. "I trust that at least one of you will be staying with her?" he smiled when they all nodded.

He had no doubts that they would stay by her side from here on, at least one of them, it was rare for those of the Host to have little ones. Nephilim were not a common occurrence, though their population was not a struggling one, they had become rather sparse after the last three decades.

"Very good," he nodded to them all once. "Get more rest." He turned to his charge with a gentle smile and guided her back to her pillow. "We'll come around to check on you in a bit."

…

Zaveriel helped her guide his tunic over her head with a gentle ease, helping her tuck the ends into the waist of her trousers from behind, turning that way was becoming a difficult task to complete. He stepped around to the front when she nodded, long braids jerking against her back, and he held his arm out for her to grab onto.

The messenger looked over his shoulder. "We're going out! Don't wait up!"

From behind him they heard the Healer's voice call back in turn, and knew that he was pointing at them, even without turning to see for themselves.

"Take it easy. Nothing too vigorous."

"We're gonna go storm Hell!"

"I would skin you both."

They laughed together at the empty threat as they exited the great archway that stood as the entrance of the Infirmary. The sun was shining, as bright as ever above their heads, casting them in a warmth as though they were covered in an unseen blanket.

As soon as they entered into the warm day outside, Zaveriel turned to his companion, his lips brushing over the side of her head.

"What do you want to do today?"

She turned to him with a smile. "I could really go for some peaches right now."

He nodded in the direction of the Garden. "Then let's go get us some peaches."

They stepped down the first stair, and continued on to the next and the next, crossing into the bustling traffic that was the Axis. Angels turned to look at them as they passed, some huffing as they crossed into the way and forced them to step aside in another path, others merely smiled and stepped away on their own choosing.

Zaves led her through the bustling Axis and off to the worn path that led up to the Garden. As he usually did, Joshua gave them a knowing smile in greeting as he tended to a withering lavender tree, they waved as they usually did, and walked through the trees for the small orchard behind them. He guided her to an upturned tree and helped her sit on it.

"I'll get you a big one."

Akeelah smiled and nodded, watching him dart off to search the trees for the best peach he could find, searching far and wide for it. She watched him patiently and laughed when he jumped for it, the one that he had found, the one he had choose to be the perfect fit and jumped for it in the tree. It took him a couple tries, but he managed to curl his fingers around it, and pull it from the tree above him.

Jogging to meet back at his friends side, he sat on the trunk next to her, breathing deeply, rubbed the peach clean on his own tunic, and passed her the fruit he'd found. It was plump, definitely ripe, and she laughed as she took it.

"Zaves, any would have been fine."

"Not for my niece and nephew it wouldn't be!" He urged her to take a bit. "They get nothing but the best!"

"They're not even here yet and you're already spoiling them!"

"Gotta start early if I want to be the favorite uncle!"

She elbowed him slightly, humming in delight as she took another bite of her gifted peach, he grinned at her and leaned closer to knock their shoulders together. "You've got competition, then."

"I'll beat 'em!"

She laughed, throwing the pit of the peach to for the soil to take back, and turned to look up at him. Even Zaves had grown bigger then her, though he'd always been taller, she was just short.

"I don't know Zaves, Nis is in that competition too, and he's pretty good."

The messenger huffed in exaggeration, nodding in turn, admitting defeat in that aspect. "Yea, he's a pretty powerful opponent, but I'll beat him."

"Good luck."

They sat in companionable silence for a bit, listening to the gentle breeze though the treetops, the soft chattering of birds above their heads. She took a deep breath, soaking in the smell of the Garden, the fresh air that circled all around them.

"I wanna go explore, Zaves."

He stood immediately, holding a hand out for her, and she reached back for it in turn. Their fingers curled together, and he pulled her gently to her feet. Akeelah curled the fingers of her right hand into the crook of his left elbow, following in kind when he turned to lead them from the Garden, they both waved their farewells to the Gardener on their way out.

"Where do you want to go?"

She shrugged, looking up at him with wide hopeful eyes. "I don't know Zaves. Just take me somewhere." Throwing her head back, she closed her eyes tightly. "It's so boring staying in the Infirmary!"

"Well, you wouldn't be there if you had told someone earlier." She glared at him and he held his hands up in surrender. "I'm just saying, Akee'."

He smiled to her, leaning over to kiss her nose. "Come on, let's go see what we can find."

They walked through the Axis for some time, looking at the stalls, picking up random knick-knacks, talking to random angels who crossed their path. They stopped in front of the Villa's gate and he turned to look down at her.

"You wanna go see Gadreel?"

She nodded, giving him a smile, and rubbed her belly softly. "I think we all wanna see him for a while." He smiled, nodded, and reached forward to undo the latch from the gate and led them inside. Gadreel was reading on the porch of the Villa, and looked up as they approached, smiling in greeting, and set his book to the side as they came to stand before him.

"Hello, my friends." He cradled her belly softly in his hands. "How do the little ones fare?"

Akeelah turned immediately to her friend, with narrowed eyes, and gave him an accusatory glare. Zaveriel raised his hands and gave a small laugh.

"He acted like he knew!"

She shrugged lightly, everyone was bound to find out eventually, and cradled his hands in her own.

"They're great. Lively. They kick at everyone." She squeezed his left hand in comfort. "Can I show you?"

The retired sentry smiled, nodding to her request, and she moved his hand around her belly for a moment before finding the spot she was looking for. They waited patiently for it to pass, and then it did, a slight kick pressed against his hand.

He smiled at the feeling. New life in this new world they lived in.

"It's like they know your hands there!"

"They are smart little ones, taking after you, they are quite lucky."

"Zaves!" the call of the messengers name brought them to silence, the voice being from the Messenger, in search for his captain. "There you are!" Gabriel came to stand next to him, smiling at the company that they shared, raising an eyebrow at the sight of the sentry touching a hand to his grown charge's belly.

"Um, Gadreel, why are you feeling the nugget's belly?" he looked over to her in concern. "Do you feel sick?"

She rolled her eyes. "You're just as bad as Raph. I feel fine." He seemed only a little convinced but from her comment before hand, left it alone beyond asking. Turning more to her, he raised his eyebrows, taking in her attire.

"Is that Zaves tunic?"

His captain nodded in answer to his question for her. "Yep, fits like a charm."

Gabriel looked between them both with scrutiny. "Why isn't she wearing her own tunics?"

Akeelah sighed softly, sparing a glance with her two friends, and turned to face the Messengers head on.

"Because mine don't fit anymore."

"You should have seen it," Zaves giggled lightly. "She wore Nisroc's last week. It was so huge on her!"

She pointed a finger at him. "Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I won't hit you."

Gabriel took a moment to catch on to what she said, even if she didn't appear to realize that he was slowly comprehending what had just been stated, glaring at her friend beside him the way she was.

Zaves laughed and shook his head. "I'd like to see you try." He rested his hands on his hips, "What would your mentor think, fighting in an unfair fight, we both know I'd never hit you back."

"I don't care what he'd think! He'd believe me if I told him you deserved it!"

"Wait." They turned towards the Messenger as he held his hand up to bring them to a halting silence. "Wait." He shook his head and gave a particular look to all three of them he stood before. "What do you mean 'pregnant'?"

She smiled at him as though he were a fledgling. "It means," pressed her hands to her belly, "that I have twins growing in here."

He stared at her for a minute, looking as though he were about to be told it was all a joke and start laughing, looking between the three of them for either one to break the punchline. His eyes widened when none of them made any motion to do so.

"You're…..But you don't look it!"

She laughed softly. "Thanks?"

"Was it the Egyptian?"

Akeelah nodded brightly. "I named them; Lyra and Izar. Khonsu is ecstatic. He's told nearly everyone in the ancient city at least twice. Anubis says we're having a little of puppies. He thinks he's a funny guy."

He looked between them all, smiling brightly at the knowledge that he was about to be an uncle or a grandfather, he'd take whatever title he thought suited him best.

"You're having babies!" he stepped forward, opening his arms for her, and she stepped into his embrace. "We can gush about our babies together! I got so many pictures! We have to get you everything; toys and nappys and bottles and everything!" He hugged her closely, mindful of the swollen belly that pressed against his front, and they pulled away quickly. Gabriel knelt before her, taking her tummy in his hands, and spoke as though he were speaking directly to them.

"Hi babies, I'm Uncle Gabe, the favorite uncle!"

Zaves looked offended. "Hey!"

…

"Raph, I need a tonic for one of my young new ones."

The Healer nodded, pulling his hands away from his charge's belly, and pulled the blanket back over her to go and make the requested tonic for the unlucky choir angel to need one. Lucifer frowned lightly at them as he whispered something and stood, the Healer turned to nod at him, and he stayed him with a look for a moment.

"What's going on?" he crossed quickly to her side and sat on the edge of her bed, reaching out a hand to press to her stomach himself, as though his brother was feeling for a stomach ache. What met his touch instead had his eyes widening. He felt a slight push against his hand, just a minute little thing, and he looked between his younger brother and the young woman he had taken as his charge all that time ago. "Are you…?"

Raphael excused himself quietly to fetch what he'd come for and he turned to meet the starry eyes of his grown fledgling.

"Are you with child?"

Hesitantly, she nodded. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"Why didn't you?" the Morningstar sounded hurt that something as big as this had been kept a secret from him.

"I thought you'd be angry at me." He hummed under his breath, reaching out to lift her chin with a finger, so that he may see into her eyes. "Why would I be angry with you?" he stroked a curled out of her eyes, tucking it behind her ear. "You are young, yes, but I would have been excited for you. The happiest I've been in the longest time."

"Are you mad now?"

Lucifer shook his head. "No, I'm not mad, I swear." He leaned forward to kiss her nose. "I'm happy for you. We are going to have new little ones in our family soon. How can I be mad at that?"

Akeelah giggled as he kissed her on the nose, scrunching her nose up at the feeling, and leaned away from him. He tugged her closer, leaning over to press his lips to the side of her neck too, pecking the skin there playfully as well. She giggled again, scrunching her shoulder up, "Luciiii!" she whined in breathy giggles and pushed against his chest. He chuckled into her neck and pulled away, caressing her cheek lightly, end brushed his nose over hers.

"Tell me of your two little ones. I must know them if I am to be there favorite uncle."

…

He looked up to the knock on his bedroom door, forgetting the paperwork on his desk, as he gently called entrance to the one who had requested it. A smile immediately crossed his features when the head of his little star poked in through the crack that was made.

"Can I talk to you, Micha?"

The archangel nodded immediately to grant the request, sitting back in his chair, she smiled and pushed the door open. She stepped in silently, closing the door behind her, and padded gently over the threshold to stand at his side. He backed his chair away and pat his lap for her to sit on, and softly, she looked down.

"I need you to move back a bit more."

The Viceroy raised an eyebrow but did as she said, scooting his chair back a few more paces and she gingerly sat in his lap. He tried to wind his arms around her waist but found it to be a surprisingly difficult task.

"Little one?"

She took a deep breath and he knew that she had closed her eyes, tensing in preparation for what may come as the reactions he'd have to the revealing of her news, her fingers curling in the legs of his trousers.

"I'm pregnant."

It took him a moment to comprehend what she had said, not believing it at first, and she turned to spy at him from over her shoulder.

He curled his fingers around her waist. "You're with child?"

She nodded hesitantly.

"I'm going to kill him."

"No, Micha, no." she turned as best as she could, and he felt her belly rub against his as she did, only solidifying the news that she was with child. "Please don't!"

"He has deflowered you. You are growing his children within you. He will die for these crimes."

"Micha." She took hold of his face, pressing her forehead to his, and stared into his eyes. "I said yes. He asked me first and I said yes. I wanted to."

He stared into her eyes for a long moment, leaning forward to kiss her on the nose lightly. "He treats you well?"

"He loves me, Micha, he treats me so great."

"And he is happy you are with his children?"

She nodded. "He's already had a nursery built into his temple. We've named them and everything."

"And you are okay with this?"

Akeelah nodded quickly.

Finally, after a long moment, he smiled to her. Tugging her braids lightly, he kissed her nose again, and brushed his to hers.

"All I care about is that you are taken care of, and that you are happy, you are both of these things?"

Akeelah nodded again.

He smiled and leaned back, looking down to the belly that brushed against him, and hesitantly reached forward to curl his hand over it.

"We will build our own nursery here for them, this shall be there home, we haven't had real young ones since Gabriel had been created." Michael smiled up at him. "Will you introduce them to me?"

…

The two young ones, demigods of the Egyptian sort, were born sometime in the dark of night when the stars shined the brightest over head and the full moon illuminated the sky. They all sat in the back hall of the Infirmary, waiting on the edge of their seats waiting for any word of the two babes, they all been shut out rather forcibly from the backroom, with the exception of Oren and Kokabiel slipping under the Healer's arm. Khonsu had been allowed in, along with Isis, while they all waited for the news that beholden them.

Her screams echoed through the hall, and all heads turned in the direction of the door, staring at it as though someone would come out by shear force of their stare. The Powers stood back, leaning against the wall silently, arms crossed over their chests as they winced from the pitch of the screams. The Morningstar and Viceroy were pacing the hall silently, their own arms crossed, peering at the door as they stepped passed it. The Messenger sat on the bench with his Captain, fiddling with their hands in similar fashion, waiting for the others behind to door to come out with any sort of news.

There was one final scream, and then silence, they all held their breath for any sort of word to be given. Silence echoed the loudest around them. The Powers pushed away from the wall, their arms still crossed, and came to stand at the side of the bench the Messenger and Principality sat. Michael and Lucifer came to a standstill, the lot of them just staring expectantly at the door before them and breathed a sigh of relief to the anticipation building within them when the door was pushed open gently.

Kokabiel stepped around the corner, propping the door open with her hip, and raised an eyebrow at the lot of them being there.

"Do you guys want to meet them?"

They all stepped forward, nodding in turn with each other, and she raised an eyebrow when she opened the door wider and gestured them all their entrance.

The Healer was washing up in a basin of water, healers milling about doing little tasks, Oren was standing at the foot of a wide feather bed. He was smiling at something they could not see, not yet, and peered over his shoulder at the sight of them approaching.

He stepped away a pace, coming to stand at her side instead, when they turned the corner and came to stand before the bed. Khonsu sat next to her on the bed, stroking the head of one of the little ones. Bright starry eyes looked up at them, smiling in wonder, and they returned the smile in kind.

Akeelah lay against pillows, a clean tunic belonging to the Healer covering her, her face sweaty against the pale glow of the candles flickering all around them. In both of her arms, she cradled two little ones, a light caramel in color, one with tufts of bright blonde curls and the other with tufts of dark curls, sleeping peacefully against their mother's chest.

"Oh, little one," the two oldest archangels came to sit by her side, the eldest reaching out with a finger to stroke it over the soft cheek of the babe wrapped in a pink blanket. "They are beautiful." Gabriel and Zaveriel came to stand at her other side, Nisroc to Zaves left side, smiling down at the babes as they slept so peacefully. At the end of the bed, the other Powers congregated, Paul and Sasha among them.

Titus and Abraxos knelt at the end of the bed, leaning against the edge, and between them Sasha and Paul knelt too. Puriel and Raguel leaned against the posters of the bed just behind them.

They all gave small sighs of adoration when the little on in the pink blanket opened small bright blue eyes, cooing softly as she reached for the finger stroking her cheek, a little hand waved a bit as teeny fingers curled around the finger.

Michael smiled at the feeling of tiny little fingers curling around his, curling his finger slightly. "Welcome, little one."

…

The newest squadrons of training turned to their mentors in curiosity at the sight of the great Power Captain walking through the legions with a small babe with wild curls in a pink cloth diaper cradled on his arm, leaning back on his chest as it suckled on his fingers, cooing around its snack at all the ones they pulled to a stop to explain the maneuver again, and then had then begin again to make sure they got it right.

The questioned the sight of the Commander walking through them, with an infant sitting on his arm with wild dark curls wearing a blue cloth diaper, suckling at one of his fingers, as they made their rounds together.

Their mentors merely shrugged and turned them back to their training once again.

Nisroc smiled down to the babe he carried, stroking his thumb over her cheek softly, she turned to look up at him and smiled around his finger in her mouth. "You are a great spotter, little Lyra." She cooed up at him and nibbled at his finger with her soft gums.

He walked forward still, coming to stand before his own squad as they trained, he called reset and they did as ordered. One stepped away though, making their way to the pair of them, he smiled at their approach.

"I don't believe I said to pull away."

She laughed at his words, cooing at the babe on his arm, the little one giggled excitedly and reached out for her.

"Let me see my baby, Nis."

The Captain chuckled and raised his arm as his trainee curled her fingers around the babes middle and, supporting her head, lifted her from off his arm. The baby girl cooed happily, fingers curling around the braids that hung in front of her, her mother leaned down and kissed her on the nose and the babe giggled around her fingers, reaching up for her mothers nose.

"Are you having fun with Uncle Nis, Lyra?"

The infant cooed again, her little fingers curling over her mother's lips, and she pressed a kiss to the little palm in front of her mouth.

"He's you favorite, isn't he?"

"Of course, I am." He lifted the babe from her mother's arms, brushing braids over her shoulder as he caressed her cheek. "Just as I was your favorite, little baby Power, wasn't I?"

Akeelah snorted and elbowed him in the side, it did little to affect him, and he chuckled at the feeling.

"I'll never admit to anything."

"You don't have to. I already know."