Family, Souls, and Secrets

by animefan021513

After being walked through, Jack returns to his pond, but when he does there's a beautiful woman standing there. Mother Nature. She offers him a home and place to hone his powers. What will it be like living there? What people will he meet? What kind of relationships will blossom while he's there? How is he connected to Bunny's youngest brother? Read and Find out!

11. Wedding!

It's been two months since I proposed and today was the day. The ceremony was going to be held in the dining hall, and the tables were going to be removed until it was time to eat. Emily had told me that she spoke with Manny, and to my surprise he spoke back, but I'm guessing that's because she's who she is, but it did piss me off quite a bit, because he wasn't telling me anything. However, since he will be doing the ceremony I supposed I shouldn't complain.

I looked down at my clothes once Nimbus put the crown I got from Flora on my head. "There, now you look like a prince ready to marry the Queen of Nature."

I moved over to the mirror and took a better look at myself. I was wearing no shoes, as usual. I was also wearing my usual pants, but these were black with leather straps that were painted black. I wore a pure white shirt that had frost ferns stitched on the loose sleeves that hugged my wrists and the pattern was also along the collar. Then, over the shirt I was wearing a black vest that also had frost ferns stitched with white thread all along the front of the vest. The next thing I was wearing was something Nimbus and Bram insisted on. I was wearing a white cape with light blue clasps that hooked onto the shoulders of my vest, and the length of it stopped just behind my knees. Finally, the crown that Flora gave me for my birthday in 1812. "You're right." I told him with a look of shock on my face. "I do look like a prince. How in the world did you manage that!?"

"Ah!" Nimbus placed a dramatic hand over his heart and gasped. "Father! I'm wounded! Truly! Don't you trust my sense of fashion?"

I chuckled and gave him a half smirk as I turned to look at him. "Well, with how you sometimes dress in the morning, it can be questionable."

"Ouch! You're lucky it's your wedding day, otherwise we'd have to settle that in a sparring match!" He laughed as he adjusted my crown.

"A sparring match huh? Our score I believe is me a hundred and three, while yours is a hundred and two. I'm still ahead."

"By one point!" He laughed out and let go of my crown. "Alright, the others are waiting for us downstairs, we have to get there before Mother."

"Lead the way, Nimbus."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

We had been standing at the alter for about ten minutes, when I suddenly heard the doors open. There was no music, because we were going to save that for when we first danced as husband and wife. Nimbus tapped me on the shoulder, telling me it was okay to turn around, but when I did, I lost the ability to breathe. In front of her I saw Flora spreading flower petals, but the most amazing sight was Emily herself. She was wearing a crown similar to mine, but her's was made of the purest gold, her eyes shone with pure happiness, her hair was beautifully braided behind her, and there were snowdrops in her hair. She wore a beautiful golden pendent that had a snowflake on it, and the dress...it didn't touch the floor, but it was close, and it was pure white. It had long but loose sleeves that drooped down from her wrists as she walked forward. There was a white sash that wrapped around her waist and cascaded down her front. The collar actually rested along the sides of her shoulders, and crossed her chest beautifully. "Beautiful." I whispered out as she finally came to stand next to me. The moon shined down on us, and it only added to her beauty

"Jackson Overland Frost..."

"That's my name? Truly?"

"Yes..." Manny chuckled lightly. "Now let me finish for this is the only time I will speak with anyone in a very long time. Jackson Overland Frost, take hold of Emily Jane Pitchiner's left wrist with your left hand. Emily Jane Pitchiner, take hold of Jackson Overland Frost's left wrist with your left hand at the same time." We did as he asked, and then I noticed an emerald green sash being lifted off of the alter. Once it was fully levitated, I could tell there was a sapphire blue at the other end. It moved towards my left arm and the green started wrapping around my wrist while the blue wrapped around her's, and it started to glow. "Do you, Jackson Overland Frost, General of Winter, Spirit of Winter, and Embodiment of Winter take Emily Jane Pitchiner, Queen of Nature, Mother to all of Nature, and embodiment of Nature as your wife by the moon, the stars, and everything that exists in this or any universe? Do you take her for better for worse? For ill or well? Do you swear to protect her hopes, her wishes, and her dreams for as long as either of you shall live?"

"I do!"

"Do you, Emily Jane Pitchiner, Queen of Nature, Mother to all of Nature, and Embodiment of Nature take Jackson Overland Frost, General of Winter, Spirit of Winter, and Embodiment of Winter as you husband by the moon, the stars, and everything that exists in this or any universe? Do you take him for better of for worse? For ill or well? Do you swear to protect his hopes, his wishes, and his dreams for as long as either of you shall live?"

"I do!"

"Then, on this day, March 1st 1832, I pronounce you husband and wife." At his words the ribbon glowed brighter and started to disappear, but in it's place just below the palm of my hand and a centimeter below the top of my wrist a tattoo was placed. It looked like a bracer, and the top as well as the bottom of it had golden bands wrapping around my arm, but in the middle there was a leafy vine pattern also wrapping around my arm. I looked on Emily's arm and it was the same for her, but her's was silver, and in the middle it had a light blue frost fern wrapping around her arm. "These will be known as your wedding bands. They will only be visible in Mother Nature's domain unless you tell other spirits you're married. Jackson Overland Frost, I have combined Nature magic with the magic you already possess, but you will have to learn about it on your own. Mother Nature, I have given you the ability to sense Jack's emotions. So should he ever be in danger and The Nine can't get to him, you will know, and with this you will know him better than anyone else. Jackson Overland Frost...you may now kiss the bride, and I say farewell to you all and good luck."

Without needing to be told twice I wrapped my left arm around her waist while my right hand held the back of her neck, and I pulled her closer to me so my lips could meet her's. Once I kissed her, my knees felt weak and I sighed into the kiss that mimicked our first. When I ended the kiss she was grinning at me and her eyes sparkled with joy and love. "I love you, Emily Jane Pitchiner."

"I love you too, Jack..."

"Emily Jane Pitchiner, I entrust my name to you. My true name is Jackson Overland Frost."

"I...thank you, but my name is no longer the same. I am now Emily Jane Frost."

As a few tears escaped my eyes I nodded my head. "You're right. Then, Emily Jane Frost, I trust you with my true name. My name is Jackson Overland Frost. Would you like to say my name?"

She nodded her head as she held my hands. "Your name is Jackson Overland Frost." She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me on the lips once more, but it didn't last nearly as long as I would've like it to. Once she ended it, she looked into my eyes with a fond smile. "And you're my husband."

"And you're my wife." I told her and then took her hand out to the middle and I was about to dance with her, but then she let go of my hand. "Emily?"

She sent me a smirk and looked back at the others who stood by our side. "Alright, now!"

Suddenly they all rushed towards me, and the one thing I heard the most was, "He's really our Father now!" and "Father!"

I couldn't help the joyous laughter that escaped my lips as I tried to hug them all. "I love you all so much!"

"We love you too!" They all said together, but somewhat at different times.

Once they were all done hugging me, Nimbus enchanted a drum to sound like thunder and made it play, Flora made the strings on fiddle play by using many thin but strong blades of grass that were combined with a thin vine, and Bram worked with Isla and Mesi to make a flute. They had all enchanted their instruments so that they would play while we all danced. "Mother, Father...would you please do the honors of taking the first dance?" Nimbus asked with a polite bow as he and the others moved to the side.

"We would be delighted." I told him as I held Emily's hand, and we immediately started dancing to the soft melody that played. It wasn't too slow, but it wasn't too fast either. It was just right for me to sway with her, spin her, and twirl her in a gentle motion that allowed me to marvel some more at her beauty.

We danced for the whole of the song, and I never got tired of the loving gaze in her eyes as she looked up at me. I'm not much taller than her, but just enough to where she looked up, and placed a chaste kiss on her lips as the song came to an end. She then looked at the others and grinned. "Alright, all of you. Your turn to dance with one another!" She laughed out, and guided me to stand with her by the instruments that were playing themselves.

Nimbus danced with Mesi, Bram danced with Adara, Abungu danced with Isla, and Summer danced with Autumn. Emily and I stood back and watched them dance their own way to the music, and once the dancing was done, or once they were tired, Isla suggested food, and with a wave of her hand, Emily made the tables appear, and the already had a lot of food on them.

Emily and I ate our food, but when we were done, we were practically shooed out of the dining hall and told to go get some rest, because we deserved it. Once the doors closed behind us, I looked at her with a furrowed brow and an amused smile. "Huh, our children kicked us out of our own celebration."

"I love hearing you say 'our children.' It always reminds me that we're married now."

"Yeah..." I looked at my arm where my wedding band was placed. "A shame Manny didn't want to tell me what my purpose as a spirit is."

"You'll find out someday, but for now, shall we heed our children's advice?"

"I think we should." I told her with an appreciative and loving smile as the warmth of her being my wife filled my heart. "The only question is...your room or mine? And which room will I be sleeping in for the rest of our lives?"

"I've grown to like your room a lot more than mine."

"Then my room it is."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Once we made it inside my room, my heart was pounding in my chest with the same fierceness Nimbus's thunder held. She started heading for my bed, but my heart and nerves wanted something a bit more than sleep. I grabbed her hand and gently held it. She turned around to face me and I grabbed her other hand, pulling both of them to rest on my chest as I leaned in to kiss her. I felt her move her hands up until her arms wrapped around my neck, and I stepped closer to her as I placed my left hand on the small of her back, and my right just below the middle of her shoulders.

I took a chance and started trailing my kisses down her jaw line and I felt her hand grip tighten on my shirt. 'I guess that's a yes...'

"It most certainly is." She sighed out.

"Wait..." I said as I stopped kissing her. "...I thought you couldn't read minds in other people's rooms."

"It's not just your room anymore. It's our room, husband."

"I like the sound of that..." I whispered out as I went back to kissing her jawline. I then started going down her neck, and I could taste the vanilla that she once told me she put in her baths. I felt for the string that tied behind her back as I started to kiss her right shoulder, earning soft gasps with every kiss, and the noises she made sent a small pulse of pleasure through me with every gasp. Once I found the tie, I slowly untied it, and allowed the string to fall slack. "...I know we just got married, but you're going to need to tell me to stop now if you don't want this, because if you don't, I don't think I'll be able to stop."

"I don't want you to stop. I know where this is going to lead."

"Good!" I whispered in relief as I started kissing her lips once more while I slid the dresses sleeves down her arms, removing the top of the dress. Thankfully, she took her arms out for me. I placed my hands on her bare back and noticed there was another article of clothing left on her torso. "You're going to have to remove this..." I gave her a mischievous smirk as I tugged on the fabric that hugged her breasts.

"Only if you remove your belt and pants." She grinned at me as she tugged at the rim of my pants, sending a rush of pleasure through my entire body.

"Closer to the bed then..." I smirked as I held her hand and brought her closer to the bed, where I took off both my belt and pants while she finished taking off her dress and started removing what Adara had told me long ago was called a bra.

"You're wearing more than me..." She grinned, but I couldn't speak. I looked at her, and if possible, my heart pounded harder and faster against my chest. She was stunning, and her curves were beautiful. I moved forward and placed my hands on her waist, and the feeling of her skin underneath my hands had me feeling like I was on fire from my chest and to my arms. She let out a gasp as I slid my hands up and caressed her breasts gently. The feeling of them alone was enough to cause a reaction in my lower region. "Jack, you're...still...wearing...more than...me." She whispered out in between gasps.

I immediately solved the problem by taking off my shirt, and I noticed how wide her eyes got. "Emily, you've seen me shirtless before..."

"Oh, yes, I have, but I've never seen you like this..." She trailed off as she placed a hand on my hardening member, and I couldn't help but instantly grab her shoulders and moan from the touch.

"No..." I moaned out. "You haven't."

"You're not even fully hard yet..." She purred as she moved her hands to my hips and started kissing my chest, and I never thought in my wildest dreams that she would be this mischievous in bed, but I was loving and thoroughly enjoying every second of it. "...you'll be a full seven inches by the time you're fully hard." She brushed her tongue across my right nipple and I let out a loud moan, which apparently encouraged her, because she repeated the action on the other side.

Unable to take much more, I guided her the rest of the way to the bed, and she happily laid down underneath the covers. Once we were both under the covers I took off my underwear, tossed it, and then I took off hers slowly, and also tossed her underwear somewhere. We both took the chance to look at each other, and by the stars she was gorgeous everywhere. "You're gorgeous."

"So are you." She replied with an impressed tone. "This...will be my first time."

"You certainly don't act like it." I chuckled. "But I know. It's mine too." I started massaging her breasts again, causing her to moan lightly. I decided that I would do something similar that she did to me, but instead of just licking, I took her nipple into my mouth and started licking while sucking at the same time. As soon as I started that, she moaned loudly, and though it was said in between moans and gasps, I could hear her repeating my name.

I switched to the other breast, but she caught me by surprise before I could get there. She wrapped her hand around my now thick member, and started sliding her hand up and down. "E-Emily!" I moaned out in surprise, and what she was doing to me, the pleasure she was giving me, caused me to lose my grip on her breast.

She stopped sliding her hand up and down and returned her hand to my chest, where we both noticed how ragged my breathing got from her actions. "I wanted to see if you would actually like it. Turns out I was right."

I chuckled low as I shook my head. "You're filled with mischief today!" I laughed out as I scooted down the bed slightly, and motioned for her to lay on her back. Once she was flat on her back, my breathing hitched as I could see all of her much more clearly. I swallowed the pleasure filled lump in my throat and trailed my hand from her breast, down her stomach, until I found her entrance. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah..." She sighed out. "...keep going." I did as she asked and I used my middle finger to enter her, which quickly earned me a light moan from her. I then started thrusting my finger in and out of her at a steady pace, and I watched as she gripped the blanket beneath her and continued to moan and gasp. After a while, I added another finger, which caused a similar reaction but this time her noises were louder and slightly higher in tone. I tried to stretch her a little so that she wouldn't hurt, because even though I've never done this, I knew it may hurt her. Once my member started silently begging and aching for friction I slowly stopped and gave Emily a loving kiss on the lips. "Jack...please!"

"Please what? I'm yours." I moved up slightly to kiss her gently on the lips, and as I started trailing my kiss down her neck again I lovingly told her, "I'll do anything you ask."

"I need you..." She grabbed my aching member with a pleading look in her eyes as her breathing was ragged, and there was the purest desire and love in her eyes. "...all of you."

I nodded my head and moved myself into position until I was hovering over her. I moved my tip to her entrance and slowly started to enter her. I heard a wince of pain and stopped. "Emily?" I questioned carefully.

"I'm fine...I just have to adjust."

I nodded my head, and kept still, no matter how much I wanted to go further in. Soon she told me I could move, so I did, but then I had to stop again. Once I got the okay from her in the form of a sigh, I started slowly thrusting in and out of her, earning pure pleasure filled moans from her, and as she brought a hand to grip at my arm the other was clutching the sheets and blankets beneath her. "Emily..." I moaned as I felt the smooth and warm friction against me.

"Jack, faster, please!"

Not needing to be told twice, I did as she requested, and the sounds that came next brought me even closer to the edge. She wrapped her arms around my back and I took the opportunity to take one of her nipples into my mouth briefly, causing a combination of my name and a moan. I continued to thrust for a while, growing closer and closer to my end, and I felt it all in my hips and my lower region. "Emily...I'm gonna..."

"Oh, please!" The pleading sound she made as she said that was my undoing. I released inside of her, and she released at the same time. "J-Jack!" She moaned out as she gripped my shoulders.

Once I finished, I got up to get us each something to wipe off with and I went to wash my hands real quick. Once we both wiped ourselves off, I put those, and our clothes in the dirty clothes hamper, and made my way back to the bed where my wife sighed happily into the pillow beneath her head. I got under the covers and scooted closer to her, placing my hand on her cheek. "I love you, Emily."

"I love you too, Jack."

"Can you open your eyes for me, love?" She did as I asked and gave me a content smile. "I'm afraid I'm going to wake up, and this will all have been an amazing dream."

"Oh?" She chuckled lightly. "Did you often dream of me in your bed?"

I smiled at her and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Would you be upset if I said yes?"

She hummed and pressed her cheek against my hand while she placed her hand over mine. "Only as long as you're not mad at me for dreaming about you. Specifically in situations like the one we just got through with."

"You mean...you've dreamed of making love with me?"

"Since our first dance, yes, a little. Then, after we confessed to each other, the dreams happened a lot more."

"I'm flattered!" I laughed as I snuggled into my pillow.

"You really shouldn't be. What we just did was far better than anything I've ever dreamed of."

"Oh, now I'm really flattered." I told her with a slight chuckle. "Oh...I love you."

"I love you too. I believe I've said that." She smiled as she closed her eyes.

"Like I said, I'm afraid this is all just an amazing dream."

"You won't know until you actually go to..." She let out a yawn and pulled the covered over her some more. "...sleep."

"I'll see you in the morning, then." I whispered as I gave her a kiss on her head, and allowed sleep to take me.

oOoOoOoOoOo

It's been a month and a half since our wedding, and everything was wonderful, but as I looked at Emily sitting next to me, I noticed there was something off. She took a bite of her food, but then started to look ill. "Emily, are you alright?" She quickly shook her head and ran out of the dining hall. "Excuse me! I'm going to go see what's wrong." I told our children, and I immediately ran after her, following her into the bathroom. She leaned over the toilet and I quickly, but gently grabbed her hair, so that it wouldn't get dirty, and rubbed circles in her back as she threw up everything she ate.

Once she was done I grabbed her a small wash cloth and dampened it, then I handed it to her. "Thank you." She groaned out as she held it to her mouth and started wiping off what was there.

"You're welcome. What happened? I've never seen you sick like that before."

"I...It's nothing..."

"It's not nothing. Please tell me. You're my wife and I love you, I want to be there for you, but you have to let me."

She looked up at me from the floor and started to slowly stand up. She walked towards the sink and placed her hands on the counter of it. "I have life inside me." She muttered, but I heard it.

"Come again?" I blinked at her as I walked over to her side with a pounding heart and shaky breath at what she was telling me.

"Jack, I...I'm pregnant. I'm with child." The fact that she thought that kind of news was nothing hurt my heart a great deal, and she felt it instantly thanks to Manny's gift to her. "I-I'm sorry..." She turned around and quickly tried to say in a panicked state.

I shook my head and gently placed my hands on her shoulders. "The only thing you have to be sorry for is saying that it was nothing." I smiled reassuringly at her as I rubbed my hands up and down her upper arms. "I-Is it...is it true?"

"Yes. I...I can sense it. Not like how others can sense it, or come to know about it. I sense the life in all things. Every living breathing creature, and I can even sense how many pups are in a wolf...I am no exception it seems, because I can feel the life inside me. I'm really and truly pregnant, and I'm having morning sickness it seems."

My heart pounded with joy, and she let out a sigh of relief at the feeling of it due to her connection. I knelt down in front of her and I placed my hands on her hips. "I can't wait to meet you, little one." I kissed her belly and I stood back up. "A-Are you able to sense the gender?"

"No, as much as I would like to, I can't. Besides, it would be way too early to tell or even guess anyway."

"Okay..." I tried to tell her with a straight face, but the amount of joy that was in my chest caused me to let out a giggle as I looked at her belly. "I'm gonna have a kid of my own. They'll be half of me and half of you. I know I'm already a Father, because of our children in the dining hall, but...I helped create it."

"That is very true." She sighed with an understanding smile.

"We have to tell the others. They're worried about you." I kissed her on the cheek briefly. "You know they'll start to ask a million questions anyway."

"I know...you're right."

Once we made it back to the dining hall we were immediately greeted by our children as they carefully rushed towards us. "Is everything alright, Mother?" Adara questioned with pure worry in her eyes. "You've never rushed out like that before."

"Yes, well...nothing like this has never happened before." She answered with a slight smile.

"What do you mean?" Abungu asked with a questioning brow.

"Everyone, I need you to carefully listen to everything she's about to tell you." I told them as calmly as I could despite the pure and utter joy that coursed through my entire body at this point. "It is very important, and I have a felling we're going to need your help. Okay, Emily, go ahead and tell them."

"Everyone..." She breathed in deeply before saying it out in one breath. "...I'm pregnant. I'm with child." She smiled at them all as she continued. "I'm pregnant with Jack's child."

"Are you serious?" Bram questioned with a wide smile.

"Yes, very. I can sense it just as I can sense life inside other animals. I'm really and truly pregnant."

To mine and everyone's surprise, Nimbus came forward and immediately knelt in front of Emily. "Nimbus?" I questioned with concern, because he wasn't kneeling like I was to her in the bathroom, he was kneeling like one would to a Queen.

"I, Nimbus, Spirit of Thunderstorms, Lightning, and Rain, vow now and forever to love and protect Father's child that currently rests in your womb, Mother. I vow to guide them and rescue them from the harshest of storms. I vow to teach what I can to them, and if I should ever betray my vow, I state here in this moment that I willingly forfeit my powers and my life." The others soon followed after him while he stayed on his knee.

Abungu was next to speak. "I, Abungu, Spirit of the Forests of Earth and trees, vow now and forever to love and protect Father's child that currently rests in your womb, Mother. I vow to use my forests to protect them and strengthen their defenses. I vow to teach what I can to them, and if I should ever betray my vow, I state here in this moment that I willingly forfeit my powers and my life."

"I, Bram, Animal Spirit of Birds, vow now and forever to love and protect Father's child that currently rests in your womb, Mother. I vow to be their wings in order to lift their spirit and their heart should the need arise. I vow to be their bird's eye view of the world so they may know it better. I vow to teach what I can to them, and if I should ever betray my vow, I state here in this moment that I willingly forfeit my powers and my life."

"I, Adara, Spirit of Fire, Flame, Wildfire, and heat, vow now and forever to love and protect Father's child that currently rests in your womb, Mother. I vow to always help keep them warm both physically and emotionally. I vow that I will keep the flame of courage bright in their heart. I vow to teach what I can to them, and if I should ever betray my vow, I state here in this moment that I willingly forfeit my powers and my life."

"I, Mesi, Spirit of Water, Rivers, Lakes, and Ponds, vow now and forever to love and protect Father's child that currently rests in your womb, Mother. I vow to always be a steady stream of kindness and reassurance when I'm needed. I vow to teach what I can to them, and if I should ever betray my vow, I state here in this moment that I willingly forfeit my powers and my life."

"I, Isla, Spirit of the Earth, Mountains, and Valleys, vow now and forever to love and protect Father's child that currently rests in your womb, Mother. I vow to keep them grounded when their emotions may get to be too much. I vow to help them gain the emotional and mental strength of the strongest boulder and highest mountain. I vow to teach what I can to them, and if I should ever betray my vow, I state here in this moment that I willingly forfeit my powers and my life."

I, Summer, General of Summer, vow now and forever to love and protect Father's child that currently rests in your womb, Mother. I vow to protect them from the harshness of Summer, and I vow to be the reason they enjoy it. I vow to give them as many bright and shining days as I can while keeping the balance of Nature. I vow to teach what I can to them, and if I should ever betray my vow, I state here in this moment that I willingly forfeit my powers and my life."

I, Autumn, General of Autumn and Fall, vow now and forever to love and protect Father's child that currently rests in your womb, Mother. I vow to help them through whatever change they may go through, I vow to be a clear and crisp voice of reason if need be. I vow to teach what I can to them, and if I should ever betray my vow, I state here in this moment that I willingly forfeit my powers and my life."

I, Flora, General of Spring, vow now and forever to love and protect Father's child that currently rests in your womb, Mother. I vow to show them all the lovely and magical new things that come with spring. I vow to be bright and colorful for them should their days become dark and gray. I vow to teach what I can to them, and if I should ever betray my vow, I state here in this moment that I willingly forfeit my powers and my life."

"My goodness...all of you..." Emily breathed out in pure astonishment, and I felt the same as she did.

"Mother...Father...do you accept our oath and vow?" Nimbus questioned, and though seriousness never suited him, just this once, it fit him a great deal.

I looked at Emily and she looked at me, and we smiled at each other before looking at our children. "We accept your oath and vow." My eyes instantly widened as they started to glow brightly. Nimbus glowed with a royal purple light, Bram glowed with a black light and I didn't even know that was possible, Abungu glowed with an emerald green light, Adara glowed with a ruby red light, Mesi glowed with a sapphire blue light, Isla glowed with a maple brown light, Summer glowed with such an orange hue of light it resembled a sunrise, Autumn glowed in a similar way, but the light was almost the opposite of Summer's. Almost as if he was the sunrise, and she was the sunset. Then finally, Flora glowed with a green and white light. Their lights grew brighter for a moment, and then they were gone.

They all stood once more and each one came to hug Emily and then me before moving back to where they each had knelt, and they patiently waited for us to say something. "Why did you do that?" I asked with a pleased smile on my face.

"Because, Father, you and Mother are having a child together." Nimbus explained with gentle tears falling from his eyes. "It's one thing for us to consider one another siblings, and to consider you and Mother the way we do, but now you and Mother will have your own child. Your child will be biologically yours."

I took a good look at my children and noticed they all shared the same expression. They were glad for us, but there was also something akin to self doubt and sadness mixed together deep in their eyes. I scoffed out a laugh and shook my head. "All of you, come here..." I walked towards the tables and away from Emily until I thought there was enough room. "All of you stand together like you were over there." They did as I asked and nodded my head. I then knelt down to them, clutching my staff tightly, and I heard them gasp in shock. "I, Jackson Overland Frost, vow on my true name to always love, cherish, protect, and be there for each and every one of you. You are my children, and nothing will ever change that. I will love my biological child with the same amount of love that I have for all of you, which is endless. Nothing will keep me from loving you, and I vow on my true name to still be there when you need silence as deafening as a thick blanket of snow. I vow to be your sparring partner so you can hone your skills, I vow to listen to your complaints, desires, and about your days. I vow to be there for every dark day you may have. I vow to dry every last tear. I vow to scold you when you need it, and praise you when you deserve it. I vow to be your Father, no matter what! Do you accept my oath and vow?"

"YES!" They all shouted at the same time, and just as I finally stood back up, they all rushed to hug me with tears falling freely from their eyes. While they hugged me, I was glowing a brilliant white, silver, and light blue for a brief moment, and then it disappeared when they stopped hugging me.

"Are you all alright?" I asked them while they wiped their tears.

"Yeah..." Bram chuckled out through his tears. "...it's as usual, Father. You know exactly what's wrong with us, and you tell us what we need to hear the most."

"I'm glad to hear it." I then walked over to Emily and smiled at her teary face. I gently placed my hand on her belly and looked at Mesi and Adara. "Mesi, Adara, you were both mid-wives once. Could I ask you to..."

"OF COURSE!" They chorused in excitement, interrupting me.

"Well, I'm glad to have such a wonderful family!" Emily laughed out. "This is certainly going to be interesting, but all of you need to understand, this isn't going to be a normal pregnancy. Jack and I are both spirits. This will be an adventure for us all."

"We'll get through it together!" Flora piped up with pure joy in her eyes.