AN: Hello, all! I know it has been forever, but a friend convinced me to finish it, so here's the last chapter! Enjoy! And thank you for loving this story.
The next few months of the pregnancy were calmer, with Philip wanting Alexander to rest in bed permanently until the birth of the prince. Alexander was not happy with this development, but he acquiesced with Hephaestion promising it wouldn't be for much longer and spending a lot of his own time in bed with him. Then came the day that everything would change.
Alexander woke up from a nap with stiff limbs and pains in his belly.
"Hephaestion! Phai!" Hephaestion had gone to get Alexander a snack for after his nap, but came running along with Cleitus and Ptolemy at Alexander's frightened shout.
"What, Alexander? Is it a fit?"
"No, I think-!" Suddenly, Alexander pitched forward and clutched at his belly as tears streamed down his face and the bed became wet as his water broke.
"Shit," the swear was a quiet sound of surprise from Ptolemy as they all realized that their king was going into labor right before their eyes.
"Sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!"
"No, no, Love, you did nothing wrong," Hephaestion knelt at the bedside, making sure he was at Alexander's level as he beamed, his whole body seeing to shine with his excitement, "Hektor is on his way, Love. He is ready to meet us. Are you ready?"
Alexander hiccuped as tears of joy and pain both shone in his eyes, "Really, Phai? We will have our little Hektor?"
"We will. I love you. Are you ready to move? We need to get you dry and to the birthing chair. It's all right, we have time."
Alexander let Hephaestion pick him up and hold him close, unable to move on his own. Even so, he placed a hand on his belly as Hephaestion set him in the birthing chair and hugged him close, "Soon, my sweet boy, you will be in my arms. I can not wait to finally see you. I love you. Ugh!" Another pain took him and he grabbed for Hephaestion's hand that was resting on the chair's arm. Cleitus and Ptolemy paused in their getting him undressed to aid him along with Hephaestion.
"Breathe, Little Achilles. The pain is just your babe coming into the world. It will not last," Cleitus instructed.
"O- OW! Phai, make it stop!" Alexander tossed his head back and called out into the air.
Hephaestion turned away from Alexander for instruction from his elder officer and Alexander's uncle, his eyes wide in fright.
"Just keep him relaxed. Encourage him. We need to examine him," With a shaky nod, Hephaestion turned back to his suffering beloved as Cleitus addressed Alexander as the pain stopped. Alexander resurfaced with tears streaming down pink cheeks and his curls messy, "Nephew, we need to examine you and see how far gone you are. For that I need to touch you. Is that all right?" Alexander nodded exhaustedly, seeming only half present, "Okay. Ptolemy, soap and water please," as Ptolemy got up and went to fetch what was needed from the bathchamber, Cleitus turned back to Alexander, "You are doing beautifully, Nephew. I am so, so proud of you. You will soon have your babe, I promise. Thank you, Ptolemy," as Ptolemy came back into the room with soap, water, and a clean towel. He watched as Cleitus washed his hands and then copied him, setting the bowl aside after to give them all room to move, "All right, Little Achilles, I'm going to touch you now. Relax. Let your body go loose. You're going to feel a lot of pressure, but I will be done as soon as I can. Moan if you have to. Long and deep, okay? Good boy. Here we go…"
"Ow! Ow, ow, ow, fuck. Let go of me… Let go of me please! Phai!" Alexander cried, unable to do much else.
"Breathe and moan, Little Achilles! You're doing so well, I'm so proud of you!"
"No, No, wait-! Something is wrong-!" Alexander panted, trying to sit up, to move away from the unbelievable pressure.
Everything came to a halt then as all three men stared up at the struggling Alexander, trying to figure out what was wrong. But then Alexander bent in half with a pain as his water continued to break, leaving a puddle on the floor and Hephaestion pale at the sight of it. Ptolemy saw this and, after getting permission from Cleitus to leave, took Hephaestion out of the room.
As they left, Alexander panicked, "No, you can not leave! Please, Phai! Don't leave! Phai! Please don't leave me!"
"It is okay, Little Achilles. Everything is okay. Ptolemy just wants to talk to Hephaestion and then they will come right back. I promise. You're doing wonderfully. Shh, shh… Just think of your babe. He is almost here! Isn't that exciting?" Cleitus calmed and distracted him.
"Hephaestion, Phaistion, stop," as soon as Ptolemy closed the outer door that led into the corridor, Hephaestion was pacing in circles.
"I can not be here, I have to be in there!"
"Not until you calm down. Your fear is not helping Alexander. Fear makes birth more difficult and painful. So we are going to sit here and talk until you feel ready to be Alexander's support."
"If I miss-" Hephaestion threatened halfheartedly.
"You will not miss your son's birth. We have time. And you will not lose them either," he said, knowing his comrade's greatest fear.
"But-" Ptolemy could see that Hephaestion was near a breakdown.
"No. No buts. Everything will be fine. Alexander and your son are strong. All you must do is encourage Alexander through the birth. Can you do that?"
"I- I- I am really scared," Hephaestion admitted, voice shaking just a little.
"I know. But know that neither you nor Alexander are alone. We are all here for you. Are you ready to go back in?"
Hephaestion nodded weakly, taking Ptolemy's hand as the elder man led him back into the room. Ptolemy stepped away to wash his hands again as Hephaestion went to go sit by Alexander's head, the man gasping in relief upon seeing him.
"Phai… I thought you left me."
"I would never. What do you need?"
"Just you…" he smiled before gasping in pain again, "No, no, no. Not again…"
"It's okay, Little Achilles. Just let your body go loose. Don't think, and your body will take over," Cleitus told him, calm.
This time, Alexander didn't scream, but his face was twisted in agony as he bent forward, groaning. Hephaestion could tell that he was trying not to push, as his labor had a long way to go yet.
"Fantastic. Just beautiful. Let's breathe together. Big breath in, slow breath out. Feel it leave your whole body, right down to your toes. Such a good job," Hephaestion looked to Ptolemy over Alexander's head, who nodded discretely to him and gave him a small smile. Hephaestion let go a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, hiding his smile in Alexander's matted hair. He was ready.
The next fourteen hours passed just like this, and then came the time for Alexander to push.
"Just a few more hours and you will have your boy, Little Achilles."
"Thank Hades…" Alexander gasped, too tired to even glare in Hephaestion's direction for putting him through this.
As soon as he began to push however, they could all tell something was wrong. Alexander continued to struggle, but something in the air seemed to change. There seemed to be a doom hanging over the king and prince. Then, just as the baby's head started to emerge, Alexander garbled something and then pitched forward, his body shaking uncontrollably.
"Shit!" Hephaestion screamed in surprise before breaking into tears, "No, no, no! Alexander, please don't leave me!"
"Calm, Hephaestion, everything will be fine. Little Achilles, stop pushing, your body will do that on its own. Everything will be fine. Your Hektor will be fine," Cleitus reassured him even though Alexander could not respond.
In about half an hour, the child's head was born, then the shoulders, and then the seizure stopped.
"Oh thank Zeus!" Hephaestion exclaimed in relief.
"Wha- Ow! Why does it hurt?!"
"Your baby boy is almost here, Little Achilles! One more push and you can see him," Cleitus encouraged.
Alexander's body took over before he could respond, and he screamed in both pain and shock. Hephaestion could tell that the seizure left him unaware of what was going on, but this was not uncommon.
"Our little Hektor is almost here, Xander. I am so proud of you. You're doing such a good job. I love you."
"There you go! All done, Little Achilles, all done! No more pain, I promise," Hephaestion looked over Alexander's shoulder to see a bundle of perfect pink skin, and fell in love. "My son…" he thought in awe as he heard the child's first cry, tears welling in his eyes.
"My baby… Did I hurt him?" Alexander asked dazedly.
"She is gorgeous, Alexander, just perfect."
"It's a girl?" Hephaestion asked quietly, his voice choked by emotion, "I have a daughter?"
"A perfect little princess, Hephaestion," Cleitus grinned up at him, handing her to Alexander, "And there's your Momma, sweetling."
"She has my hair, Phai! And those violet eyes, oh!"
Hephaestion bent down to see his girl better, and she clutched onto his finger so tight he was sure she would be strong. Thinking back on the last nine months that they had waited for her, he knew her name immediately.
"Hello, Elpis. My beautiful daughter."