Three months later…

The sky was so so clear, with not a cloud in the almost night sky as the stars shone so brightly.

"Oh I see another one!" Lily called out. "That's the little dripper, right Daddy?"

Roman laughed deep in his throat as he pointed up to the sky and leaned his head closer to their daughter's. "No, Lily bear, that is the Little Dipper. A dipper, like a scoop. See the handle on the end?" He pointed it out and Lily nodded more.

"Oh, okay I think I see it Daddy. Just like the bigger one with the handle?"

Brie laughed and saw them snuggled close on the blanket. Lily was laying between them, pointing excitedly at the stars.

Oh the stars. They loved the stars so much now. It was incredible to watch her husband and daughter together like this.

It had started just a little bit from letters when he was still overseas and Roman had told Lily that he could still see the same stars all the way on the other side of the world that she could see here. But now their daughter just loved star gazing with her daddy and wanted to learn all she could about them and asked so many questions about it already at only barely 5-years-old.

"Show me more!" she called out. "Is there another fun one?"

Brie smiled more and listened to them talking about all the constellations and she snuggled in closer to Roman's head, leaning in for a kiss above Lily's head. They were laying on the ice, on a soft wool blanket as Brie watched her husband laughing and tickling their big girl.

She felt her belly start tightening as she curled her body in on her side and bit her bottom lip. She was wrapped up in his wool coat now. But now that he was home Roman was forced to buy another one because Brie said she had just gotten way too attached to it. Especially after thinking he had died, that coat and what it had represented for her she just adopted it now and he was so glad something of his had been able to give her comfort when he hadn't been able to.

Her belly got tighter again and it had been doing that a lot lately. This time within a couple minutes of the last time. They had even gone into the hospital on three false alarms that week alone. They were on a first name basis with the front desk staff in the emergency department by now.

Roman told her it was nothing to be embarrassed about and she knew he was right. But she still wished that it was finally IT when they went in, instead of being sent home again. If anything it was great practice for him, he had said since he had not been there for Lily's birth. So he was loving everything about the whole experience when all Brie wanted was for it to be over.

She was only a few days late of her due date but was so ready for this little one to make their appearance. They had tried everything to encourage that little angel to be born...spicy food, lots of walking, even bowling that their doctor had suggested and anything short of jumping on a trampoline.

Earlier that day...

The door opened and Roman stood in the doorway of the nursery, where Brie was rocking in the chair right then. She was laying back and had her eyes closed, her hand on her very big belly as she heard them bounding up the stairs towards the door.

He looked incredible as always, dressed casual in jeans and v-neck gray shirt and black hoodie. Pulling it down, he showed off his cast free arm. He was grinning from ear to ear with a very jumpy 5-year-old in his other arm.

Lily's dark long hair was bouncing down her back as her arms were around his neck. "Daddy got me ice cream and a star lamp that sparkles on my ceiling Mommy! And a bunch of books about all the stars. Now I can look at the sky just like on the ice!"

Brie was laughing and beaming at Roman and he winked at her. "That's great Baby. We should set it up tonight." Lily ran off to her room after giving her mom a hug and her dad an even bigger hug and thank you for the fun time Daddy date. She was a flurry of bright colors in her pink sweater and striped leggings and out the door in the flash, her arms full of the books they had all bought.

Roman walked closer and Brie pulled herself from the rocking chair and up into his arms. "More contractions?" He rubbed her belly and kissed her softly. She shook her head at him. "No, not this time. Hiccups. I was trying to nap and just can't sleep ever anymore. Not at night or at all. I just want my body back..."

She pouted and he pulled that pouty lip in more between his own before breaking the kiss and nuzzling her nose. "Awe, I'm so sorry Baby girl. I want to help you any way I can. I wish I could be a seahorse and carry him for you even for a little while to give you a break."

He was holding her just under her belly to ease the weight of it from her own body and into his palms, and she let him carry the weight for those few minutes. It felt good. She felt lighter, even only for a short time.

Closing her eyes Brie sighed and laid her head on her husband's chest, slipping her arms around his waist and under his shirt to feel his warm skin. "Mmm that feels amazing Rome. Everything, sinking into you. You holding our baby in your hands like that..." she just trailed off, her eyes slowly opening.

"Any better?" he asked softly and she nodded.

"Mmm very much. I wish you could carry her. You keep saying we are having a boy, Nikki too and even Lily. But I think you are all wrong."

Roman smiled and shook his head. "Well we need him to come out in order for us to prove you wrong then don't we. Maybe I need to do some more convincing..."

Brie saw Roman glancing at the nearly closed door of their daughter's room across the hall from the open nursery door and he pulled her with him and down the hall to their bedroom at her more than waddling pace.

Gently he led her to the bed and stole another deep kiss, cupping the back of her head. "Rome, what are you doing? I'm so not in the mood for anything. Lily is awake and I look like a damn whale...everything is so swollen..."

"Not everything." He grinned and smirked as he pulled the blankets down and laid her under them. She squealed as he tugged her down on the bed while pulling at the drawstring of his sweat pants she was wearing, exposing her huge belly and pressed a kiss there.

"Shh," he scolded her, standing back up and put a finger over her lips as he wiggled his eyebrows all sexy. "This will not be any fun for you if that little girl, all happy with her books in there thinks something is wrong with her mommy."

Brie was partially glaring at him as Roman scooted back to their door and pushed it closed and flicked the lock. "I don't feel sexy at all. I feel huge! Nothing even fits me anymore."

Brie had whined that none of her clothes fit in this last month so she had basically been living in his. His comfy pants, his tank tops and his super soft socks and she knew he thought it looked sexy as hell.

He spun back around with a teasing grin on his face. "Brie baby. You are beautiful and look damn sexy in my clothes. Beside I know this can help us induce labor so please let me help you."

She knew he was right. And he did look as hot as the damn day she met him. Maybe she just needed to focus on that and trust him that being the size of a house right now was not forever. And Roman loved her no matter what.

She was already beckoning him with her finger to get the hell back over to her while pulling her tank top off, leaving her in just her bra and he was already tossing his hoodie on the floor while he prowled like a tiger back to the bed and crawled on top of her, pulling the sheets down.

She resisted squealing more as he made his way up to her head and pinned her down with his knees still up, careful not to put too much pressure on her. Yeah she was such a liar to say she wasn't in the mood...

He laid over her, kissing her deeply and she tunneled her hands in his hair, moaning and whimpering his name. Her hips were already pressing up to his and she was aching for more friction. She pulled at his v-neck, eager for more skin too and he threw it off fast and off the bed.

Brie lifted up as Roman trailed kisses all down her neck and chest and he could not have gotten her bra off fast enough to dive at her beyond sensitive nipples. The doctors said that that was another way to help start labor too and she had wanted to try this too.

Her head fell back in the pillows as his warm mouth felt so good on her aching flesh. He teased her with his tongue, his thumb and licked and sucked and had her almost crying out. But she needed to stay quiet or Lily would hear them and come knocking on the locked door.

Everything felt like it was on fire and she ground her body more against him still laying on top of her. She felt her orgasm building, the rush of feelings the waves crashing. Everything felt so sensitive, so heightened. Her fingers clung to his hair, her other hand, clenched tight at his waist as she moaned more.

Slowly he moved lower and she whined at the loss of sensations. Roman's head lifted and she saw him smile. He kissed down her belly. He left her so close and yet she didn't go over the edge and she whined at him in protest.

"Its coming my love. I promise..." he grinned against her skin and she struggled to be patient.

But she loved watching him kiss her belly There was just something incredible about that and she just wished she could freeze time to capture the beauty of it. She wanted the baby out so badly to have her body back but watching her husband just laying by her stomach and knowing their baby could hear him and he talked to them and he had even seen the cute little imprint of their foot and felt the kicks and was just something she would never want to lose the memory of.

"Mmm, it feels, amazing to feel the rolling movements under my lips," he mumbled. Brie watched him in awe, stroking his hair back from his face. "Compared to not even seeing Lily till weeks after she was born, this is incredible."

He moved lower and wiggled off her sweat pants, along with her underwear and left her fuzzy socks on and dove more under the blankets.

"Let's see about if we can get things started in there so someone can come find their way out …" he said in his deep voice.

Brie's head fell back in the pillows as she struggled to bite back a moan. She scrambled to find his hair, pushing her hips up to meet his amazing tongue on her. "Oh God, yes Rome," she whimpered out. "More please. Don't stop again."

"Mmm, never, you are all mine." he whispered locking eyes with her before delving into her warmth again.

She was already so close. Her eyes closed and she felt his hands tight around her hips. Brie clawed her hands up his arms, crying out again feeling him so deep and circling just the right spots. He dipped two fingers in her and suckled on her bundle of nerves more. She came fast and so hard in such a short time after barely a few minutes of his delicious pleasuring her and could not believe how quick and intense that had had been.

Roman's palms clenched around her thighs and rode out the trembles taking everything she had to offer and she whimpered and held him as close as she could to her. Panting she was so exhausted after and all she could do was reach for him and he silently slipped back out of bed and unlocked the door before discarding his jeans, socks and underwear and curling in behind her.

He made love to her slow and deep and she must have fallen asleep after because the next time she woke up she was covered up with the blankets and Roman was watching cartoons with Lily on the chair beside the bed.

"Visit to the ice rink tonight yet to see the stars?' he whispered and she nodded.

Roman smiled back, raising his eyebrows at her as Lily was cuddled up against his side on the chair. "You slept!"

Brie looked back at him and nodded amazed. She had. After that beyond delicious orgasm and sex she had actually slept!

He grinned and turned back to the TV and Brie closed her eyes a bit longer. Wow sleep felt amazing.

Roman saw instantly when she cringed in pain. "Baby girl? Are you okay. More contractions? Do we need to go? Did what we do this afternoon actually help?" He sat up and moved closer, spreading his palm over his sweatshirt of hers she was wearing. He looked up fast back at her face. "Oh my goodness Brie, that feels like your belly is a solid rock."

Brie was nodding, feeling the tightening get worse before it faded. Ooh she could only hope that their little inducing playtime did help. It might just be Braxton hicks but man it was hard to breath for a bit there. She didn't want to leave yet. This was the last week the ice would still be here before their special place would be closed for the year again.

Roman had just gotten his cast off this afternoon and everything was healing nicely and this was the first time in awhile they had been able to come here and enjoy the peace of the ice rink. They knew life would be more than busy with the new baby soon.

Her husband had been amazing, coming to birthing classes and practicing her breathing with her. He had rubbed her back and her feet whenever he could, tucked Lily in and laid and read her stories till she fell asleep. He stayed up late talking to the baby and Brie had just watched him laying at her stomach and telling the baby all about this new world they would soon be a part of.

He had been promised no more overseas tours and had been given a medal of honor for saving those children and teacher from the building. There was a ceremony that Brie and Lily had been front row for, so proud of him. He retired to teaching only and she could not be more excited that he was never going back in harms way again.

She nodded now, her palm on her belly as the contraction went back down before he tucked her back in under the coat. Roman's sweet look of concern was precious and she was so excited to be sharing this whole experience with him this time.

They had just been to Dean's grave last week, and she had brought a fresh bouquet of flowers to lay at the headstone. Nikki stayed at their parents and Brie visited her when they got back from Germany, a few weeks after she had gotten the news that Roman was alive.

Nikki had been such an amazing sister and was so happy for her and Lily even finding out that Dean had not come back with Roman. She had said that she would be okay and would visit often and was so happy that Roman would be there for the birth of his son. She kept insisting it was a boy, just like Lily and even Roman had said too but Brie wasn't so sure.

Nikki had been pursuing social work in college and now had decided she wanted to specialize in grief counseling and started a support group for widows in their mom and dad's hometown as she continued her schooling closer to home. Brie was so proud of how strong she was being and had shared with her sister that Dean had saved Roman's life at the end and Nikki had cried in her arms thanking her for telling her.

Brie was nodding that maybe they should head to the hospital again and felt another contraction pull tighter and tighter as she almost cried out at the pain.

"Brie, you might be in labor. We need to go." Roman held out his hand, his voice stern and she knew he was right. Lily jumped up so excited about the baby. Brie reached out and Roman pulled her gently to her feet. She felt like a whale, she was so big by now.

Just then she felt wetness and looked down seeing her sweat pants start darkening as she felt a small gush from standing up. "Oh my goodness! It IS time! I think my water just broke!"

Roman looked down and then back up at her worried face. "Hey Sweetheart. I'm right here. You will be just fine." He pulled her into his arms and held her close. Stepping back he cupped her face and kissed her as Lily pulled on his arm to be let up. He bent to scoop her into his arms too and Brie looked at him, scared for what was to come. She felt another contraction really pull tight and she whimpered out in pain.

They had brought the car and parked it right outside the rink and Roman helped her quickly into her door and buckled her in. He got Lily in her car seat and sat back in the drivers seat. Turning his head to his wife she was cringing again, holding her belly.

"Roman?" she cried out. "I know you are excited. And I am so excited that you get to experience this with me. But I'm scared Honey, I really am. Now that it's really for sure. Now I'm scared. "

Roman shushed her, kissing her tenderly. "It's going to be okay my sweet Brie." He rubbed his nose to hers and she smiled. "I wasn't here last time and I am going to make up for that in spades this time around. I'm going to strong enough for the both of us."

He brought out a sprig of dried up mistletoe that was tucked up in the visor of the drivers side of the SUV and held it up over their heads in the car. She was beaming and almost in tears but she wasn't sure if it was from pain or happiness. She was so happy he had come back to her. It felt unreal to be this happy.

Brie grabbed his face and kissed him hard, focusing on everything about him and not the pain. They could do this...they could do anything...together.

Roman's POV

"Aaah! I can't I can't! It's too much!" she was screaming with tears streaming down her face. She flipped her hair up before leaning her sweaty forehead against Roman's as she panted hard.

His long hair was like a dark curtain around both of them, hiding them from the nurses and doctor in the room and the brightness all around. It was just them hidden together, fighting to bring that precious baby into the world.

"Yes you can Brie. I know you can," he coaxed her so softly. Her eyes were locked to his and her hands were wrapped so tight around his fingers, his were looking to turn blue in her grip. He ignored the pain and numbness in his hands and focused on her radiantly beautiful face.

She looked like a warrior crying out and screaming with such fire and intensity. Her one hand moved to grab the back of his neck, clinging tight to his skin. "Roman, I couldn't do this without you baby," she whimpered.

He leaned in and pressed his soft lips to hers and she delved in pulling his head tighter to hers. She only broke away when the next contraction had her crying out in more pain as her head fell to his chest and she felt his one hand cup the back of her head.

"Yes you can Baby girl. You can do anything. But you don't ever have to do anything without me ever again." he murmured, his lips right by her ear. He kissed up and down the side of her sweaty face as she clung to his shoulders.

"I wouldn't miss this for the damn world. The world stole me away of you far too much already and it means nothing compared to my family Brie. You and my babies. Believe that." Roman was stroking her face as he spoke and kissed her head.

He saw her lift her eyes up to him a smile despite the pain and nod ever so slightly before dropping her head back down to his body and turning her head to the side. She panted and cried through another painful contraction and he held her so close to his heart and she heard it beating so loud and so clear. Her nails scraped down his arms till she was still again.

The doctor was checking more and Roman was watching closely to see him nod. It was time to push. They were almost there. He gently lifted his wife's head from his chest and met her exhausted eyes.

"You are my hero here and I am the one that came back the war hero," he gushed at her. He felt so overwhelmed just to be there in this moment. "I'm so ready to meet our son..." he teased her, knowing she would just tease him back sure it was a girl.

Brie smiled at him weakly and pulled herself up to sitting more with him behind her. "I still think you are all wrong."

Roman kissed her cheek. "Well lets find out together. I just want us all to be okay. That is all that matters. Boy or girl is just amazing to me. I already got the greatest gift ever by coming back to you and Lily."

Brie was smiling and nodding her sweaty head and crying before she turned and pressed her trembling lips to his once more. "Okay I am ready to push.."

Brie's POV

An hour later they were holding their brand new baby...girl. Momma was right.

She arrived screaming her little lungs out till she was laid on her mom's chest. Brie looked up at Roman with fresh tears in her eyes. He leaned in and kissed her as they looked down in awe at their precious little baby. He had been an amazing coach and such a support through the whole night.

Roman looked back at her as they both kissed the soft head of their baby. She had dark thick brown hair and bright baby blue eyes that she had no doubt would turn that beautiful shade of brown like their daddy's later too. Her precious husband picked the name Holly for all the memories of Christmas and mistletoe.

So little Miss Holly Faith joined the Reign's family and Lily was brought in by Auntie Nikki and bounded up on the bed to see her little sister and kissed her so, so gently. Brie smiled through her tears and hugged her sister and helped her big girl meet her sister for the first time. So so many pictures were taken too.

Family was busy in their hospital room during the day, parents and friends, even Seth and his girlfriend Becky came to see them. Nikki agreed to take Lily for the night while Roman and Brie spent the first night with their brand new baby. The new mom was exhausted and yet glowed with happiness.

The lights had been dim and she had barely had her eyes open as she heard soft sounds coming from the far side of the room. Brie had just fed Holly and Roman changed her and the young mom could hardly keep her eyes open.

But walking by the window in the moonlight she saw her husband in his jeans. hoodie and t-shirt cradling the wrapped pink bundle that was their newborn and holding her to his cheek. He was rocking her and singing ever so softy as he walked back and forth.

Brie was in awe for like a hundredth time since her husband came home.

After the grief she felt, and mourning him, thinking she would never see him again. Now she not only was given another chance at life with him but her daughters were now given a chance to see love modeled to them. They could see hope in their future and maybe find someone as amazing for them too.

The last time she looked at a moonlit window, it was in her bedroom from sobbing on an empty bed, crying into his pillow and desperate to never lose his scent on the sheets.

And now he stood full of life, cradling their baby, rocking her to sleep.

Roman made her swoon like no time had passed since they first met on that ice rink, and he shook his long hair behind his head right then and turned to look at her, those warm brown eyes locked on her even from across the darker room.

Brie smiled feeling those familiar butterflies and he saw her watching him and she moved to open the blankets and he laid back down with their baby between them and leaned up and found her lips so soft and warm and hungrily aching for his kisses. His eyes were shining in the darkness and his smile so wide back at her.

Everything was perfect. She had gotten her Christmas miracle, her husband back in her arms and healthy beautiful girls that would have a daddy to love them their whole lives.

Christmas would always be the most special time of the year for Brie Reigns. She treasured all the memories they made and was excited to experience more precious moments with her husband and sweet girls in the future. They had been through so much to get where they were and she was determined to never let him go again.

The End

A/N I hope you made it to the end to see that it was a happily ever after story. I got the idea from a new article about the Snowball Express and The Gary Sinise Foundation.

1,722 participants went on the trip this year, including hundreds of kids from 650 families. Snowball Express started in 2006 and aims to create a 5 day experience for the families that is fun and inspiring and therapeutic, In 2017 the Snowball Express became an official Gary Sinise Foundation program.

The foundation also builds adaptive homes for disabled veteran, hosts free theater nights for veterans and helps pay for training and equipment for first responders.

Airports got in on the festivities as well. The Killeen Airport, a familiar location for service members deployed through Fort Hood Texas welcomed the Snowball Express participants and man in a Santa costume met the families.

In Nashville, where I had my story take place, other travelers stopped what they were doing and held a rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner. U.S. troops stood at attention and saluted as the song was performed. There were many tears as bystanders honored the fallen soldiers.

I hope you still enjoyed the story. My intent was to tug on your emotions and have you scared for him and in shock that he was gone and experience the relief like Brie felt when she was told Roman was alive. Even in following the Snowball Express story I could not make it a tragedy. I am not brave enough to write that yet and so I hope it made sense how he survived.

Merry Christmas to the WWE Universe from this Roman Empire Girl