DOUBLE TROUBLE

As promised, two new Blackwells and the effect of their arrival on at least one other northern clan. ~ DK

…

"He's here!" Shara began her letter. "My nephew Cade Alon Blackwell arrived this evening on the fifth day of the new year." She knew she wouldn't be able to send the letter anytime soon. The freeze was upon them so unless a star ship or planethopper dropped by that was willing to carry the post to Bralyk Keep, she'd have to wait till the spring thaw to send it. That was alright though. She could keep adding to the letter till then and she knew she'd have more news to add.

She rubbed her huge belly and went on writing. "We almost thought he'd share his birthday with his older brother but Lana was able to celebrate Thias's fourth birthday, and Jamos and I's fourth anniversary and the new year's dawn before she had any symptoms of beginning labor."

Shara supposed she could send a holocomm to Suzelle but the old fashioned correspondence had sort of become the hallmark of their friendship. She reached over and picked up the card she'd received just a couple of weeks ago.

"Salt and Light Greetings from the Bralykburns," it read in fancy Onderonian script. And there was a holostill of Talia in her full midshipman's uniform standing with her norcog Noodle in front of the Bralyk Keep salt formation.

…

Jamos had gotten a good laugh out of it, the very idea of the Bralykburns sending salt and light cards.

"Aye." Marlon chuckled also when he saw it. "The Harkons got one, too. Glover said the kids were happy to see that the cog doing so well."

"I think it's sweet." Lana put in. "Shows how much good she's doing for that man."

"But you don't see him in the image." Jamos snarked, still unable to see any good in Hugo.

Shara shook her head. "He signed his name. That's something."

"Which is more than we did this year." Marlon frowned. "We should have thought of doing a holocard with an image of the whole family."

"Ugg." Lana complained rubbing her belly. "You think I want the entire north with a lasting impression of me big as a brylk?"

"Next year." Shara suggested, with a smile. "Everyone will want holos of these two." She patted her own belly fondly.

…

Several weeks later and Shara understood entirely how uncomfortable her sister-in-law had felt for the entirety of the salt and light celebration. Seeing Lana happily cuddling her newborn and introducing Cade to his older siblings, though, also made her a little jealous to be done.

For months they had joked that Lana would go past her due date and Shara would go early so that their babies would be born closer together or even that Emoth would come first and earn the middle name Alon. Not that Shara begrudged her nephew the honor. She and Jamos had decided on Emoth Oron for their little guy.

"Any time now, my sweet boy," she whispered, tried to find a more comfortable position and then reached for the personal note that had come with the salt and light card.

"I can't tell how happy I was to hear your news." Suzelle had penned in her elegant hand. "Another healthy boy will be such a fine addition to your family. And it sounds like Kason will be a wonderful big brother. I'm glad he had such a nice second birthday, that you all were able to enjoy your visit with the Harkons, and that you weren't too worn out by planning the party. I couldn't believe it when you said that he was already counting to 100 and saying his alphabet. Kason is such a smart boy. I wish I could meet him and the rest of the family."

Shara had invited the Bralykburns to Kason's birthday celebration but she had known it was a long shot that Hugo would accept.

"Perhaps," Suzelle continued. "I'll convince my husband to agree to a visit to Harkon Hall so that Talia can see the twins and we can arrange for your family to just happen to be there at the same time? We will find a way to force these men to lay aside their silly arguments, you and I. I know we will…"

Shara went back to her own letter. "I love your idea about a clandestine meeting at the Harkons'. They always celebrate Miranda's birthday just after the thaw and I'm sure Adria would extend the invitations to your family as well. I know the twins are always a little bored with the games the younger ones want to play and Emoth and Cade should be old enough for a voyage by then."

She sucked in a breath and held it as her stomach tightened. The contraction wasn't painful but it was more intense than… When had she had the last one? It was… She glanced at the chrono on her husband's desk where she had been seated to go over her correspondence. And how long had she been at this? Had it truly been an hour? And this was her… third contraction in that time.

With a smile, Shara tapped the comm unit that was sitting on the desk next to her flimzywork.

Jamos's image popped right up even though he was currently up to his elbows in a sink of sudsy water where he and Kason were washing the supper dishes. "Hello Love! Hey Kase, look it's Momma."

"Watch Momma!" The toddler grinned and brought both his hands down flat against the surface of the water. The resulting splash soaked both he and his father.

"Woah! You'll drown us both, little matey."

"Sorry, Daddy," Kason giggled.

"That's alright, kiddo. You needed a bath before bed anyway." Jamos scooped up his son and grinned at Shara through the holo unit. "I was just about to do that unless you needed something?"

Shara smiled. "Well, I don't think I need anything right now but I just realized since I've been sitting here, I've had about three contractions."

She had his full attention. "You haven't been in there that long."

"I know. About an hour."

"So that would be what? About twenty minutes between?" He asked, grabbing a towel and attempting to mop up he and his son distractedly.

"I guess so." she hurried to downplay the severity of the situation. "They haven't been painful at all. I just thought I ought to start timing them."

"Aye. Do that. Are you sure you don't need anything? I can get Lana or Marl to…"

"No. I'm fine." Shara shook her head. "I'm just going to finish up here and then I'll meet you in Kase's room to put him down after his bath." She laughed. "That is if he still needs one."

"Aye, I think we may have missed a spot right… there." Jamos tickled his son. Kason giggled but Jamos' focus quickly went back to his wife. "You think this might really be it?"

"Could be." She was starting to get excited now. She couldn't wait to meet her new little boy.

…

After straightening up her things in the office and meeting her husband and freshly bathed son in the nursery for a good night kiss, that turned into a storyholo and singing his favorite lullaby five times through, Shara had logged 4 more contractions. She couldn't begrudge her firstborn a little extra attention tonight, especially if it was to be his last night as an only child.

They had already moved him from his crib to the little toddler size bed that Thias had recently grown out of. He still looked so little with his golden curls circling his head like a halo on the pillow. Shara knew he would look huge next to his new brother when they brought the baby home.

Jamos had to help her to stand from the spot where she was crouched next to the bed and as he did her stomach muscles tightened again and she grasped his arm for support.

"This one worse than the others?" he asked in a whisper so as not to wake their son.

"I think so." She could still speak through it so it couldn't be that bad, but still as many as she had had and how regular they were had to count for something. "Check the chrono." She panted as the pressure eased.

"Fifteen minutes again, or close to. I think we ought to go to Niamh's tonight." He wasn't taking any chances. She had delivered Thias on her own but Jamos didn't trust himself to do the same after the way he had nearly fainted when Kason was on the way.

Shara nodded. "My bag is packed in our room." Not that they couldn't get whatever they needed sent up to the midwife's office from the Hold. "Do you think Kase will be alright?" She reached down once more to brush back a lock of hair from his forehead.

"He's sleeping now." Jamos whispered urgently, ready to be on their way. "We'll ask Marl and Lana to keep an ear out incase he wakes up. They'll bring him up to your room in the morning and he can meet his new brother."

"Aye."

But in the time it took them to get signed in to the birthing center and hooked up to monitors, the contractions seemed to have stopped. The nurses kept her overnight for observation and sent her home again in the morning still very much pregnant.

"Where's my brother?" Kason asked sleepily when they returned.

"Still in Momma's belly." his father mussed the boy's hair.

Emoth rolled in his comfortable surroundings as if he had no intention of ever being evacuated.

Shara sighed. "Only a couple more weeks."

"If he doesn't decide to come on his own before that." Jamos reminded her.

"Two week or less," she agreed.

…

But just like with his older brother Emoth Oron Blackwell had to be coaxed out into the world. His eyes were bloodshot and his faced bruised as if he had put up a fight but he was perfectly healthy.

"I think he might be a little taller than Kase was." Shara laughed through her happy tears when Niamh placed the tiny miracle in her arms. And she was proven correct. He measured out to be exactly the same birth weight as his brother but had half a centimeter on him in length.

Introducing Emoth to Kason and their cousins was just as special as Shara had dreamed it would be. Of course they took a million holos and she documented everything for Suzelle in her ever lengthening letter.

…

Suzelle had eagerly awaited the arrival of the first ship carrying post when the freeze finally ended. She was already ripping open the flimzy and had drawn out the first sheet of handwritten text when she got back to the Keep holdfast from the dock where she had collected the fat envelope. She hardly acknowledged her husband as she swept through the dining room engrossed in the events of the past 3 months since the last time she had heard from her friend.

"What's her problem?" Hugo huffed.

Talia smiled. "She finally got a letter from Lady Blackwell."

He harrumphed in response. Hugo didn't particularly like the friendship that had been developing between the two women but he didn't begrudge his wife her own social life. She was stuck up here with he and Talia at the Keep after all and she had never complained in the nearly a year of their marriage. "Didn't we already get the birth announcement holo from Blackhold a couple of months ago?"

"Aye." Talia watched the way her stepmother gazed at the holos of the two new baby boys with their siblings. "But Lady Blackwell will have sent her more details than just what went out in the general announcement."

Hugo returned, seemingly disinterested, to the holonews on his data pad.

His daughter, however wasn't done with the conversation. "Papa you know your anniversary is coming up."

"Anniversary of what?" he asked, not looking up.

"Your and Suzelle's wedding."

"Oh that. Aye." He nodded vaguely. "Guess I'd better get her something. Or I could take her down to let her pick something out herself in Iziz."

"I think I know what she'd really like." Talia pointed to where Suzelle was staring at dreamily at the images of the infants.

Hugo glanced up and raised an eyebrow. "What do you know about such things?"

"I know you love her." Talia pressed.

Hugo grumbled, "I loved your mother."

"Never asked you to stop loving momma," His daughter could be every bit as tenacious as he could. "... but she's with the salt gods. Suzelle's right here and she can love you back." She waited a moment for a response and when she got one she sighed and rolled her eyes. "I gotta get ready to leave for my voyage tomorrow."

"What? Oh, aye." Hugo was studying his wife now. She was his wife. He did have feelings for her even though he had never acted on them. He'd let her have her space choosing to shower her with gifts rather than physical affection. Still if it was a child she desired, he supposed he could attempt to provide a solution. If that's what she wanted…

…

Suzelle devoured every word and image that Shara had shared with her. "I know it has seemed like Hugo has taken forever to warm up to you and your presence in his home. From everything Jamos and Marlon and Lana have told me about him, I know he's a stubborn man. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, though. He's protective, and he's loyal to his family and he's made his vows to you. He'll come around and when he does I pray that the salt gods will give you a double blessing."

…

Talia mentioned having sisters way back in the chapter Jamos goes to the Harkons'. Hmm… Perhaps we're about to find out a little more about these mysterious Bralykburns…