A/N: There is a time-skip this chapter. Colette had just found out she was pregnant when we last left them. She was two weeks pregnant when she found out and so this takes place about 9 months later, give or take a week or two. She will be having the children this chapter and one is going to be a boy and the other a girl, to keep gender ratios even. I didn't want poor Lloyd to be outnumbered by girls and I didn't want Colette to be outnumbered by boys, so I compromised. Now, Sheena, say the disclaimer.

Sheena: Yes ma'am. Joanna owns nothing Tales of Symphonia, but if she did, Kratos would never leave, and you could have both Kratos and Zelos in your party at the same time and not have to decide between them.

Me: Hey! Don't...grrr. Never mind. Just read!

Tales of Symphonia

The Search for Genis

Chapter 7: Emily Freya Irving and Edmund Kratos Irving

Colette yawned as she sat up in bed. It was certainly a beautiful day, complete with a clear sky, the sun shining brightly, and only a few white puffy clouds. She grinned and glanced over at Lloyd who was still sound asleep. She giggled and gently shook him, "Lloyd, get up!" She had on a white, maternity nightgown.

Lloyd grumbled, "Why?"

Colette giggled, "Cause it's morning, sleepyhead. Don't you know what today is?"

Lloyd looked confused as he sat up, yawning, "Eh? Oh wait...are you...?"

Colette nodded, "Yeah...it's time for me to give birth. I'm...a little scared...Professor Raine told me that childbirth is really painful."

Lloyd got a determined look in his eyes, "I won't leave you, Colette. I'll be there for you through everything."

Colette smiled, "I know, Lloyd. Thank you." She planted a brief kiss on his lips before she felt one of the twins kick her. She grimaced, "Oww..."

Lloyd blinked, "...You okay, Colette?"

Colette nodded, "Yeah...I think that these children really want to come though. I think they're anxious to meet their daddy." She smiled at him, kissing him and laying her head on his chest to cuddle.

Lloyd sighed and put his arms around her, cuddling with Colette for a bit. She had been more cuddly ever since she started to show. Not that he would complain, it was nice, but he wondered if this would last. Most likely not. We'll both be busy with the babies. I guess I'd better enjoy her while it lasts.

Colette grinned up at him, "Lloyd...thank you for everything you've done for me these past months. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Lloyd replied, "Ahh, you're welcome." He grinned back down at her and hugged her.

The next moment, Colette's water broke, getting the velvet sheets wet.

Colette felt the wetness and gulped, "Lloyd...it's time...will you go and get Professor Sage, please? When you do get her, tell her my water broke..." She squeezed his hand tightly.

Lloyd flinched at how tightly Colette was clasping his hand but nodded, "All right, I'll be right back, Colette." He kissed her hand, pulled his own hand loose, somehow, and ran to get Raine.

Colette winced as she felt a contraction, "...Lloyd, please...hurry..." She whispered after him.

Lloyd was running as fast as he could to find Raine. He found her in Regal's office, holding his hand as she talked to him. He cleared his throat, "Excuse me, Regal, but can I borrow Professor Sage for a minute?" He sounded urgent.

Regal blinked, but nodded, "Sure...what's wrong, Lloyd?"

Raine asked, "Is Colette all right?" She knew that the twins were due within the next few days if not today.

Lloyd replied, "...She's in a lot of pain, and her water broke, whatever that means."

Raine nodded, "I see. Take me to her at once!" She planted a brief kiss on Regal's cheek, then looked to Lloyd, "What are you waiting for?"

Lloyd blinked, "Oh, right. Come on!" He grabbed her by the hand and ran out of Regal's office.

They arrived at the hotel within minutes, finding Colette in the advanced stages of labor, clenching the sheets tightly in her fists.

Raine told her, "It's okay, Colette. I'm here, I'll help you...how far apart are your contractions?"

Colette replied, "A minute...Raine, am I going to live through this? I heard that...a lot of women die giving birth..."

Raine nodded, "Yes, you will. You'll make it through this alive, I'll make sure of that." She turned to Lloyd, "...Why don't you go stand outside, Lloyd?"

Lloyd shook his head, "No, I'm staying right here! I promised Colette I wouldn't leave her!"

Kratos came into the room at the next moment, "Maybe you did promise that, but if you stay here, you're liable to get yelled at by Colette. A lot of women say things when they give birth that they really don't mean. Trust me on this one, Lloyd."

Raine replied, "Yes, Lloyd, listen to your father. Colette will be fine, I'll take care of her and help her have your children." He looked to Kratos, "If you feel the need, you can stay with Lloyd and talk to him about what to expect for the next few years."

Kratos nodded, "Come, Lloyd, let's leave Colette in Raine's care." He grabbed his son by the wrist and pulled him out of the room.

Lloyd told him, "Dad, please take me back in there. I promised Colette..."

Kratos cut him off, "I know, Lloyd. But trust me when I say you shouldn't be in the same room with her while this is happening. When your mother was having you, it was all I could do to not talk back to her at the things she said to me. I knew she didn't mean them, but they still hurt regardless. I left the room promptly after she said those things, before I said something I would regret. Also...I was very nervous. I was afraid at the many possibilities of things that could go wrong. I was afraid she would die...I was afraid that you would be absorbed by the Exsphere...but as you know, that's not what happened. She did die, but not from having you..."

Lloyd then told him, "I know. Listen to me, Dad. Kvar didn't leave you with any choice but to kill mom. She would've killed me if you hadn't, so just calm down." He heard Colette screaming now and clenched his hands into tight fists, "Dammit! Let me go back in there!"

Kratos shook his head, "No, Lloyd, it's best if you stay in here. I know you're worried about Colette, but staying in here is the best thing for both of you."

It was a long labor for Colette, and Lloyd was going stir-crazy, pacing back and forth in the room adjacent to the room where she was giving birth. He asked Kratos, "Did it take this long with me?" He gave a small smile as he heard a small, high-pitched cry of a baby.

Kratos replied, "...Actually, yours was a little shorter. It took 6 hours, not between 7 and 10 like this one is taking. Then again, you are having twins, so it might take a little longer." He placed his hand on his son's shoulder, standing up, "Calm down. She'll make it through this. Colette is a really strong woman, and Raine is there to help her if any complications come up." He gave a small smile too at hearing the first child take its first breath.

Lloyd nodded as Kratos gave his shoulder a gentle, but firm squeeze, "Yeah...I know. I just can't help it though. She sounds like she's in so much pain...I don't know how much longer I can stay out here and not do anything."

Kratos sighed, "You wouldn't be able to do much of anything even if you were in there. Raine's got everything under control, so let's just leave it at that."

About an hour and a half later, the second of the twins was born, giving a loud wail as she took her first breath.

Lloyd looked at Kratos, "Can I go back in there now? Pleeease?"
Kratos sighed, "Yes, go on. She should've calmed down sufficiently by now." He followed his son into the room.

Colette smiled up at Lloyd and Kratos, though it was a tired smile, "Hi, Lloyd. Come meet them."

Lloyd grinned and walked over, taking the small infant boy in his arms, "A boy and a girl...they're adorable, Colette. Just like you."

Colette giggled, "Don't look at me right now. I'm all sweaty and nasty."

Lloyd sighed and told her, "Don't say that. You're beautiful no matter what you look like." He hated it when she knocked herself, even if she was just kidding around. He kissed his infant son's forehead, "Now all we have to do is give them names."

Kratos told Lloyd and Colette, "I believe Raine and I will leave you two alone." He quietly slipped out of the room.

Raine was dragged out of the room by Kratos. She was smiling heartily and told Kratos, "You're a grandfather now. How does it feel?"

Kratos replied, "...It feels nice. Though..."

Raine looked mystified, "Though? What's that mean?"

Kratos added, smirking, "It makes me feel old."

Raine laughed a bit, "Well, you are thousands of years old, Kratos. If the shoe fits..."

Kratos rolled his eyes, not amused by Raine's dry humor, "Yeah yeah...anyway, I'd better be going. Aiden's mom is finally released from prison, so I need to take him back to her. See you around."

Raine nodded, "All right. Goodbye...Grandpa." She added, jokingly.

Kratos smirked, "Hm. Bye." He walked out of the hotel and flew off, heading for Luin.

Meanwhile, in the room where Lloyd and Colette were...

Lloyd asked Colette, "...Didn't you already have names picked out?"

Colette blinked, "Oh...yeah, that's right. I think...I think I said that if one's a boy and one's a girl, one is named Emily and the other Edmund. They need middle names too, though."

Lloyd nodded, "Can I choose them?"

Colette smiled, "Sure."

Lloyd replied, "Okay...let's see. How about...Edmund Kratos and Emily Freya?"

Colette nodded, "I like them, Lloyd. Wow...you put your dad's name as the middle name for Edmund. That was thoughtful of you."

Lloyd shrugged, "If not for him, I wouldn't be alive now. What better way to honor that courage than to name our son partly after him?"

Colette yawned and shrugged, "I don't know, but I'm sleepy."

Lloyd replied, "Yeah, I bet you are. Go on to sleep then. I'm not going anywhere." He placed his infant son on Colette's right side and curled up as close to her left side as possible without crushing their children. He yawned and went straight to sleep, snoring lightly.

Colette smiled and placed her hand on top of Lloyd's, whispering, "Sweet dreams, Lloyd." She then fell asleep too.

A/N: Well that does it for Chapter 4. Hope you liked! I'm sorry I wasn't all that descriptive about the childbirth, but I wanted to get some oyako and some Colloyd in there.