Chapter Nine

Fang's POV

I tried to keep the kids out of the house. Really I did. But the second Max shouted about Ella going into labor, everyone came rushing in from outside.

"Is it true? Is Aunt Ella having the babies?" Annie asked calmly. She was the only one who ever referred to Ella as having twins (other than Ella herself, of course).

Don't ask me why though. The girl just kept swearing that she was going to have a niece and a nephew soon. (Not that Carlisle had actually specicified on the second fetus's gender.) I can only assume that she means that Ella will get pregnant again soon. Or maybe it's just wishful thinking.

I nodded, kissing Max fiercly on the lips before she ran over to the Main House. "Um, yeah, Ella's in labor now." I said lamely. Nudge and Nuala giggled identically at me, then turned to grin at each other.

"When can we go see them?" Annie asked.

"Well, the baby won't be born for a couple of hours, I'm assuming." Two-Two said logically. "Why don't you guys go play some more? Kirby and I will be out there in a minute."

But the kids weren't listening. Arian and Jayden were running around the room, Kirrim started crying, and Sierra kept flapping her little wings disruptively as she dodged Annie's outstretched arms. This caused Annie to start yelling angrily at Sierra to "behave" and "just settle down already."

"I'm gonna be a cousin! I'm gonna be a cousin!" Arian yelled at the top of his lungs. More chaios was added when two year old Jayden joined in. He was only excited because my little Arian was, but that didn't stop him from joining in on the celebrating. He kept repeating what Arian said, causing there to be an echo of everything.

It was hard to settle the little kids down, though Denver did quiet Kirrim after a few minutes. She couldn't care less and only seemed to want to be held, like most eight months old do.

Suddenly, if by magic, the whole room quieted. Arian and Annie both glanced up at the door at the exact same time, all past activites forgotten. Jayden, having no idea what was going on, quieted down once his partner was no longer chanting and Sierra gave up on the "game" once Annie wasn't "playing" anymore.

Serenity went to open the door. Though no one had knocked yet, we all knew that the Cullen-Blacks were here. Annie and Arian knew whenever Will or Allie was near and judging by the looks on their faces, the pair was definitatly on the other side of the door.

Sure enough, Jacob and Nessie entered the living room a few seconds later, followed by Emma, Allison, and Will. I didn't see Bex anywhere, but I knew she couldn't be far behind.

"I hope you don't mind we stopped by." Nessie said appologetically. "Edward called to tell us about Ella, and since we aren't allowed at the Main House when there is a high possibility of blood, well..."

"Besides, they," Emma said with an eyeroll and a distinct glare at her younger siblings, "wouldn't shut up about seeing their imprints." She grumbled.

I really felt sorry for Emma Roseme. Though she was, by human male standards, the prettiest of the Black daughters, with her straight bronze hair, pale complexion, and emrald green eyes that knew all too much the pain of heartbreak, she also was the only one who seemed destined to never be happy. But I can't speak too soon. She is only thirteen (technically five) after all. Plus she has the vampire gene, and not the phasing one, as a disadvantage.

"Oh, it's no problem, really." Two-Two said, welcoming the Black family into her home. Will and Allie didn't waste any time; they were by their imprints (aka, my children) within miliseconds.

"William Anthony Carl Black." Annie said formally when her imprinter came to stand beside her. It was this weird thing she's started doing; calling everyone, mostly Will, by their full names.

Will didn't seem to mind. His dark eyes seemed to light up when she said it, so he decided to play as well. "Anastasia Ride." She giggled at that, grabbing his hand playfully and tugging his arm in the direction of the play room. I could see their brown/bronze heads right up until they turned the corner down the hallway. If they had been older, I would have been worried about my daughter alone with a boy (let alone her imprint); but since they were eight and nine, I thought it was cute.

Allie bounded over to AJ like a little kid instead of the nineteen year old she was. Her curly black ringlets were flying all over the place as she picked up her fourteen year younger imprint. She kissed the top of his blonde-brown curls in greeting, but otherwise just kept him on her hip as her warm brown eyes searched the room.

"Where's Max?" Allie asked curiously.

"She went to be with Ella." I said quietly, already missing my wife's company. Being around the imprints for any long period of time did that to me.

"Would you mind keeping an eye on the two of them?" Nessie asked, gesturing towards the playroom.

Allie nodded and turned to bring Arian in there, when he pulled her hair lightly. "What is it, Ian?" She asked, using the nickname that she had made for him. Some stupid imprint rule, it seems.

"I'm gonna be a cousin." He whispered adorably, his dark brown eyes looking back at me for confirmation.

"Yes, yes you are." Allison said with a huge grin while I nodded to my son.

Jayden seemed to notice that his partner in crime was leaving, so he followed behind Allie quietly.

That left Sierra, who was asleep in Iggy's arms, and Kirrim, who was happily sucking on a bottle on Denver's lap, in the room. The two fathers were content with the responsibility while their identical counterparts chatted quietly on the loveseat.

It was strange to think that Iggy and Denver really made all the difference when it came to their completely unique children. You would think that since both of the children essentially had the same mother (because of being clones), that they would look more alike. But no. Sierra had dull mocha skin that shimmers in the light, blue eyes, and brown hair with random blonde mixed in. Karrim, on the other hand, had a dark tan skin tone, black frizzy hair, and brown eyes. Both girls, however, did have Nudge/Nuala's tawny wings.

Now it was just the grown-ups...and Kirby and Two-Two.

"I'm a grown up too." Angel's double complained, though she had a teasing tone to her voice.

Half an hour later, when I was just about to head over to the Main House to check on Ella and see how Max was doing, Bex and Gazzy snuck through the back door of Crew Headquarters.

"Rebecca Sarah Black, where have you been?" Jacob half-growled. "And you, Mr.," He full-out growled at my youngest flock brother, "should know better than to listen to what she says."

The darker skinned version of Nessie blushed, but didn't answer. Gazzy, on the other hand, looked like he was about to get sick. "I...I'm sorry..." He managed to squeak out before I walked out the door.

I scowled at the two of them, but didn't bother to stop and hear the rest of their excuse. I had bigger things to worry about. Like how my future nephew was doing, and especially, how Ella was holding up.

I spotted Esme on my way into the Main House.

"Where is everybody?" I asked politely. It was hard to be anything but polite to a vampire as sweet as Esme.

"Alice took Jasper on a hunting trip and Rosalie and Emmett decided to tag along since Rose wants to be near the new baby as much as possible." Esme explained. "But I know that's not what you want to know." She said with a teasing smile. "Your Max is usptairs with Bella, Carlisle, Edward, Collin, and Ella. Second floor, first door on the left."

"Thank you." I replied as I took the stairs two at a time. When I found the right room, I could hear chaios inside. Ella was moaning and yelling and generally being what I assume a human in labor would act like. Collin was reassuring her and complimenting her like the good imprinter he was. Bella, Edward, and Carlisle were coardinating with each other about what was happening. From the sounds of it, it didn't sound like good news.