Readers! Oh my God! This is really it! This is the end! The last chapter! This story, started in 2002 is done! I can hardly believe it. I hope you have enjoyed the journey as much as I have. Thanks to everyone for reading.

Thanks Trace and Est.

JScorpio

Chapter 84 Life Is Worth Living

Early December 1783…

In little over three months since Benjamin Martin's death, news and rumors flew all about the area. It had become known that the ill man had been brought home from the asylum in Charles Towne, but had disappeared without a trace. It was assumed that the crazy former militia colonel, in the end stages of syphilis and suffering from insanity, had either run away from his farm or wandered off on one of his less than lucid days.

The Martin family had mounted a search for him, even offering a reward. The area had been canvassed for the popular local farmer and militia leader, but no sign of him could be found. The family had even asked the authorities to question the Wilkins and Tavington families and search their homes and plantations. Nothing had been found.

William Tavington and James Wilkins both breathed a bit easier when the searches for the man and the questionings finally ceased. They hoped and prayed that the alligators and other wildlife had made a quick meal of Martin in his watery swamp grave.

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"Oh!...Oh, my God!...Ah!" screamed Mrs. Tavington. "Please! I just want this baby out!"

"Not much longer," Bridget reassured, taking her tired friend's hand. "She thinks the baby will be here two to three hours."

"No!" Melanie wailed. "I can't take this pain much longer!"

"Melanie, come now. Yes you can!" Mrs. Wilkins cheered. "Remember how painful Mary's breech birth was?"

"I'd rather not!" Melanie cried.

"The baby is in good position here, so it should not be any worse than Mary's birth," Bridget reminded her friend.

After a minute, the contraction passed. Thankful to be between labor pains, Melanie sank back onto the bed and pillow. "I'm so tired," she sobbed. "I don't have the strength—"

"Of course you do!" Mrs. Wilkins protested. "You can do it! You're strong and you'll get through this birth and others in the future!"

After a few moments of respite an unhampered breathing, another hard contraction moved through Melanie's abdomen. This one hurt even more than the last.

She squeezed Bridget's hand tightly as her other hand grabbed a fistful of bed linen. She yelled out in pain again.

"Oh….God…it hurts!," she cried. "Oh, WILLIAM!"

Down the hall in the sitting alcove on the second floor of the Tavington's mansion, the general had heard most of his wife's pained cries and felt badly that there was nothing he or anyone could do for her discomfort. He jumped to his feet when he heard her call his name. William was alarmed, afraid that something was going wrong with the birth.

Mrs. Sloane breezed past him with a pot of fresh, hot water and some clean linens. Will bolted from his spot and quickly caught up to her outside his bedchamber.

"Would you please check on her," a worried Tavington requested, "and let me know how she's doing?"

"Of course, sir."

William watched anxiously as the servant disappeared into his bedroom. In a couple of minutes, she returned, Tavington waiting on her. "Well?" he asked.

"She is doing fine, general," she said, "even though her labor is progressing slowly. She and the baby are well."

"Thank you."

"You haven't eaten," Mrs. Sloane remarked. "I'll send up some tea and bread for you."

"Thank you," he said, sounding a bit lost.

William paced for a few moments, filled with worry for his wife and unborn child. Melanie had gone into labor just as they were going to bed last night. He sat up with her most of the night while awaiting the midwife. He had refused to send work to Bridget Wilkins until the morning, wanting her to get sleep for her own children and to help attend Melanie. In the morning, both the midwife and Mrs. Wilkins had arrived, much to the relief of Tavington.

After a few moments, General Tavington stopped pacing the small room and looked out the window. His wife's cries of pain continued to ring out throughout the house.

William felt a gentle tug on the leg of his breeches. He looked down to see his 22 month old twins standing there. They both looked up at him with large, innocent eyes.

"Mommy cwy," Mary said innocently.

"Mama hurt?" Little Will asked.

William sat down and lifted each child onto his knees. He tried to talk soothingly to them as he held his two little angels on his lap.

"Yes. It hurts Mama to have a baby," he said, "But she is brave and strong. She will be fine."

"I want Mama," Will said laying his head on his father's strong shoulder.

"I know," William acknowledged. "But you can't go to her right now. Just a little while longer and then you can see her."

"Diedre!" yelled Tavington.

"Yes sir!" she called as she ascended the stairway.

"Would you please take the children outside for awhile?"

"Yes, sir." She complied, taking each child's hand and leading them out of the room. "Come children. Let's go for a walk."

Alone again in the alcove, William collapsed back onto the comfy chair and closed his eyes. Although he could still hear his wife's cries of pain, he hoped he would fall asleep.

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Two hours later, Melanie found herself near the end of eighteen hours of labor. It was late afternoon, and Mrs. Sloane was lighting the candles in the room as darkness began to settle in.

Bridget sat behind Mrs. Tavington on the bed, helping her friend to sit up to better bear down with each push.

"The head is out, Mrs. Tavington," the midwife informed. "One more push should deliver the baby."

"Oh!" Melanie whimpered.

"Come on, one more strong push," said Mrs. Wilkins. "You can do it!"

With that, Melanie took a deep breath and pushed as hard as she could, holding it as long as she could. In a few seconds, she felt the pain subside a bit as the baby slid out of her body.

"It's a girl," the midwife exclaimed.

Mrs. Tavington flopped back onto the bed and began to cry tears of relief, and of mixed emotions. She was happy that the birth was normal, and thrilled to have a healthy child. But she was upset that it wasn't a boy for she had so wanted to give William another son.

"I didn't give him a son," she wept. "I know he wants another boy."

Bridget leaned on over her and dabbed at her friend's tears with a handkerchief. "Nonsense!", she rebuked. "He will be happy to have a healthy girl!"

Melanie nodded mutely as she fought to keep her exhausted eyes open. Within a few minutes, Mrs. Tavington and the baby had both been clean up. The midwife showed the bundled baby to her.

"She's beautiful," Melanie said, reaching up to touch the girl's head. "Her hair is light," she noted. The twins both had dark hair like their father.

"I'm so tired," Melanie declared. "Would you please take her to William to hold?"

"Yes, Ma'am," the midwife complied.

The woman exited the room with the bundle in her arms and padded down the hallway toward the alcove where William sat. The man was lightly dozing in the chair.

"General Tavington," she said softly.

The voice woke him right up out of his light sleep. He jumped to his feet looking at the bundle the older woman held.

"General," she said as she pulled back the cover to reveal the infant's face, "Your daughter."

She presented the baby to the man, who willingly took it. The surprised officer smiled, taken aback.

"We have a girl," he said as he looked in wonder at the babe in his arms.

"She's healthy?" he asked.

"Yes," the midwife answered. "Very strong."

"And my wife?"

"She is well," assured the woman. "But she is very tired. That's why she wanted you to hold the baby first."

"Can I see my wife now?"

"Yes. Go on in," the midwife permitted. "She's resting."

William walked quietly into their bedroom still holding his newborn daughter. He was met by a smiling Bridget.

"Well, what do you think, William?" the Irish woman asked.

"She's perfect!" he said, looking at the baby with a smile.

"I'll take my leave now," Bridget said, touching the baby. As she walked toward the door, William called softly after her.

"Thank you."

"Of course," she answered. "I'll send Jim over to look in on you in a couple of hours." With that, she left the Tavington's alone.

The chair next to the bed creaked as William sat down in it. Melanie's eyes fluttered open at the subtle noise to see her husband looking lovingly at their new baby girl. She smiled as she watched his large thumb softly stroking the babe's tiny cheek.

Tavington looked at his wife to find her quiet and awake, smiling up at him. "Thank you, darling," he said softly, "for a healthy, beautiful child."

"And thank the Lord that you are fine, as well," he added.

Just then, the baby began to cry. "I think she's hungry," William guessed.

Melanie sat up slowly, then undid her bodice to expose her left breast. She took the baby from her husband and put the child to her chest.

William watched in amazement as the child latched onto the nipple offered her. He smiled as Melanie gazed down happily on her newborn daughter, who was sucking blissfully.

"What shall we name her?" Tavington asked.

Mrs. Tavington was quiet for a moment, then spoke. "Why don't we call her 'Regina'?"

The general was silent a moment, then a deep look of live for his wife cross his face, lighting it up. He leaned forward and took Melanie's mouth in a slow, loving kiss.

"Thank you," he said simply, his lips curving up into a smile. There was a look of absolute love for this woman in his sapphire eyes.

Melanie had chosen to name the girl after William's sister, Regina. She was older than him by one year, and had been the closest of all his siblings. They played together and trusted each other all through their childhood. He loved Regina and looked up to her. At seventeen, she contracted Pneumonia and died. A sixteen year old William was at her bedside when she took her last breath.

Her death hurt him and affected him deeply. He had only spoken of Regina to Melanie a few times, and of her death only once. But it was enough to tell his wife that Regina had been a most beloved sister.

William reached over and stroked the suckling baby, touching the soft downy hair on her tiny head. "She has your blonde hair," he commented. "I'm sure she will be as beautiful as her mother."

Tavington kissed his wife lovingly. Another silence passed between the newborn's parents as they continued watching her suckle her first meal at Melanie's breast.

"William, are you disappointed that I didn't give you a son?" she asked cautiously.

"Of course not, Melanie! On the contrary. I'm pleased that we have a healthy daughter, and that you are well."

"I love you," she said, giving him a kiss.

"Are you up to visiting with Will and Mary?" asked William.

"Yes! Please bring them in."

A few moments later, the baby, done feeding, had fallen asleep in her mother's arms. Melanie eagerly awaited seeing the twins and their reaction to the new baby.

After another minute, the door opened and William ushered the children in. They both looked up at the bed, then ran to the side of it.

"Mama!" they squealed. Melanie leaned over the side of the bed and lightly hugged her two older children. She held the bundle down so that they could see.

Tavington knelt down between his twins. "Mary. Will. This is your baby sister, Regina."

"Baby!" Will said excitedly. The strong young boy, overcome with curiosity, gripped the bedspread in his little fists and pulled himself up onto the bed. He climbed over his mother's legs and settled in next to her, looking puzzled at his little sister.

"Baby?" he asked again, pointing to Regina. Melanie nodded 'yes'.

Then Will pointed to his mother's belly, not as largely rounded has it had been. With a quizzical frown on his little face, he asked, "Baby?"

"This is the baby that was in Mommy's belly," Tavington informed his little boy.

Will looked even more surprised, and pointed again to his mother's abdomen. "Baby."

Melanie and William smiled and chuckled at one another, knowing their son was a bit too young to understand it all.

Mary, still standing quietly and shyly by her father, peeked out around his legs.

"Mary, come meet your new baby sister," Mrs. Tavington coaxed her toddler daughter. The girl backed a step away, a little afraid and overwhelmed at it all.

After a another minute, the toddler began impatiently stamping her feet, dancing at her father's long legs. She held her arms up to him. "Da da! Da Da!"

"Oh, Mary," he said a bit exasperated at her. "It's just your baby sister. There is nothing to be afraid of. You will soon be bullying her!"

"Oh , William!" Melanie exclaimed, rolling her eyes in frustration at her husband.

Mary laid her head on William's shoulder and put her thumb in her mouth, unsure of what to make of the new baby. The toddler seemed to calm as she sucked her thumb, her eyes darting between her mother and the new baby sister.

After a few moments, William unhooked Mary from his neck and placed her on the bed. "Mary, go see your mama," he instructed. With that, Tavington reached for the baby, which his wife willingly passed into his arms.

Tavington watched as Mary crawled up the bed and into her mother's arms. He smiled as his wife hugged and kissed both twins.

Interrupting the little family's time together was a knock at the door. The general gave the infant back to Melanie, then marched to the door.

Mrs. Tavington watched as her husband answered the door then disappeared through it. She cocked her head to the side, trying to discern the muffled voices through the door. She smiled when she couldn't hear and quickly focused her attentions back on her two toddlers and newborn baby.

After a few minutes, William entered the room again. He had just accepted the congratulations for the new baby from Mr. Barnes and Mr. Andrews, and was alerted by Mrs. Sloane that dinner would soon be on the table for him and the twins.

As he walked toward the bed, he couldn't help but smile at the sight before him: his young family. Will and Mary wee nestled into bed, each on either side of Melanie, cuddling closely with their mother. They each gazed in wonderment at the sleeping baby sister, Regina, held by his wife.

General Tavington sat down near the foot of the bed watching his family, taking it all in. An amazement consumed him at the sight of his stunning wife, and three beautiful and healthy children. A warm feeling of love and satisfaction came over his whole being as he realized that this was the happiest time of his life. He had everything he wanted: A pretty, loving wife, healthy children including a male heir, a successful past military career, a prosperous farming and mill business, a lovely mansion and abundant land. William didn't want anything more, and even questioned if there was possibly anything else that could make him any more blissful that he was now. There wasn't—he had all he ever needed right before him.

Melanie looked up at him and over the din of the two twins' chatter, she mouthed, "I love you, William."

He smiled back at her, his blue eyes sparkling bright with pride, love, and adoration. "I love you, too!" he replied softly.

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William and Melanie Tavington lived many more happy years together. Three years after the birth of Regina, Melanie gave birth to a second son, in 1786, who they named Alexander Hayden Tavington. In 1789, the Tavington's were blessed with another daughter, Josephine "Josie" Tavington.

The Tavington's continued to be great and close friends with the Wilkins family, who had a growing brood, as well. James Kilpatrick Wilkins, Jr., and Mary Tavington married and gave both sets of parents grandchildren, sealing the bond of the two families.

THE END

Epilogue to come later.