Nine Months Later

Gemina rolled over in her bed at her sister's old apartment and slapped the nightstand, trying to find her phone, which was ringing incessantly. After Sinsa had finished moving a few of her more treasured belongings to her and Axel's apartment, Gemina had moved into the one she left behind, paying the landlord off with money she'd pulled from thin air, though she promised herself she'd get a job and pay with hard-earned cash from then on. And she had; she and Sinsa both had found nondescript jobs as secretaries at City Hall, where they could keep an ear out for any sign of other Sinsabaughs who might possibly be Devas. It also gave them access to records in the event that Dark-Hunters or Squires needed something, or someone, to vanish.

Just last night, Gemina had destroyed the records of a house Daimons had been using as a hideout that a visiting Dark-Hunter had destroyed. She'd gone to bed exhausted from the stress of nearly getting caught, despite her powers, which she was still getting used to. A glance at the clock revealed that it was still only two in the morning, and she almost wanted to throw her phone at the wall. Instead, she answered it.

"This had better be good, or someone is gonna die," she growled sleepily.

"Sinsa's in labor!" Tory squealed on the other end. Gemina shot upright in bed.

"WHAT?" she blurted. "When?"

"Just a couple of minutes ago," Tory answered as Gem threw the sheets off and yanked a pair of jeans on. "Ash and I just got to the hospital; she's in the delivery room right now."

"How full is the waiting room?" Gemina asked, stuffing her feet into her shoes and pulling on a jacket.

"Empty," Tory reported. "The nurse at the desk just left."

"Good," Gem said as she flashed herself to the hospital waiting room, where Ash and Tori stood, ready for her. Tory immediately pulled her into a hug, both girls giddy with excitement. Acheron stood by them, puffed with pride and joy.

Sinsa screamed as another wave of pain hit her, the entire lower half of her body on fire. Her grip on Axel's hand tightened painfully, making him wince.

"I swear I'm going to kill you!" she cried, moaning.

"You're doing great, hon," the doctor said kindly, which only annoyed her.

"I'd love to see you in this position, bastard!" she snapped, thumping her head against the bed.

Axel bit back a laugh at the doctor's slight fright. "Yeah, she's scary when she's angry."

Finally after two more hard pushes, the couple were rewarded by a cry of a newborn.

"Congratulations." The head nurse smiled, as she cleaned off the baby's face and had another nurse grab a blue baby blanket. "It's a boy."

"Thank god it's over," Sinsa whined. Taking long, deep breaths to relax, she glanced over, gaze warming as she caught sight of the tiny bundle. All the pain vanished, smothered by the joy of seeing her child, as the nurse gently laid the squirming, crying baby in her arms. She blinked in mild surprise at the tiny wisps of white-blonde hair curling around the child's ears. "He's... blonde."

"That's normal," a nurse hurried to assure her. "Especially when one or the other of the parents have... lighter hair..." He seemed to realize both parents had dark hair and blushed, turning away to accomplish some task that would make him look busy.

Sinsa turned to Axel, one eyebrow raised for an explanation.

Axel nervously ran a hand through his hair. Oh, here was something he never planned on admitting. He looked down to see his son smiling and giggling, reaching up towards his parents. Axel gave a soft smile as he ran his fingers gently down his soft cheek. His son giggled and wrapped his hand around one of his papa's fingers.

"I'm naturally blonde. I inherited Acheron's and Apollymi's hair color. Though father and I both dye our hair due to... old memories."

"Tsoulos memories?" she asked, aching for him. He cringed instinctively and she loosened a hand to reach over and take his.

What she wouldn't give to take those memories away.

"You're safe now," she reminded. "I will always protect you and our son; no matter what."

He leaned over and kissed her. Then when he pulled away is when his noticed his son's eye color.

"He's got your eyes," Axel noted, grinning. Sinsa looked down at the child, who had finally settled down and was now staring raptly at his mother. Instead of the usual light blue color most babies were born with, the boy already had bright green eyes, just lighter than her own grassy-emerald. As she stared lovingly, the baby laughed, a wide smile spreading across his face, and he wiggled with glee.

Her eyes, his hair, and a heavenly laugh; she beamed.

"Kamali," she said. "That's his name." When she looked up for Axel's reaction, she couldn't read his expression and worried for a moment that he didn't like the idea of giving his name to his son. "You don't use it; I don't see why he can't take it."

He smiled and kissed the top of her head. "I love it. I hope you don't mind if I make his middle name Apostolos. Ash doesn't use his name either."

"Kamali Apostolos Parthenopaeus," she smiled, brushing a finger against the smooth, soft skin of her child's cheek as he yawned. "It's perfect." Leaning down, she laid a gentle kiss on Kamali's brow, lulling the boy closer to sleep. Then she leaned over and kissed Axel, pressing her lips to his at the precise moment a nurse let Gemina, Tory, and Acheron in.

Axel smiled at his parents and sister-in-law. "Meet your grandson and nephew." He sat on the bed right beside his wife and child, running his hand over his blonde hair. "Kamali Apostolos Parthenopaeus."

"Oh my god, he's so adorable!" Gemina exclaimed. "May I...?" Sinsa hesitated only a moment before carefully lifting the child into her sister's arms.

"Let me see," Tory giggled, stepping up beside Gem and looking down at the baby. She clucked. "Such a cute little thing."

"I hope you know," Gem said, lowering her voice a bit, "I'm going to spoil this kid rotten."

The newly father chuckled. "If someone else doesn't steal you away for a long while..."

Sinsa looked up to her husband with a raised eyebrow. Gemina and Demetrius had actually started dating a while back and there was the occasion when the two would disappear for a little while. He simply smiled.

"If I tell, he'll pay Em to invent something to keep my mouth shut permanently." He looked up to his father to see his reaction to his grandson.

"...I never thought I'd get to see a grandchild at birth," Acheron said, an indescribably look of happiness in his eyes. Sinsa reached toward him with both hands, and when he took them, she smiled warmly.

"You deserve as much happiness as Axel, Ash," she said. "We're all family now, and we protect each other, take care of each other. You're going to be a part of everything that happens in our lives, now and always."

Once Axel was able to hold his own son, he grinned and offered Ash to let him hold his grandson. He gently placed the infant in his arms but didn't quite get to back up to sit next to Sinsa again as Ash pulled him forward into a one armed hug as he also held his grandson. Axel could feel his father's tears on his shoulder.

"Family is a wonderful thing," Tory smiled.