Disc.: My plot.

A/N: Enjoy.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Lily stood outside of the glass room, slippers on her feet. She was tired, but Marshall advised that she'd heal quicker if she got up from time to time, walking off the birth of the baby. The baby who, still, at four days old, had no name. That bothered her. She had always know that she would name Theron, whether he had been a boy or a girl. The names were picked out, ready. This baby, she thought she had more time.

He was a big boy for 8 weeks early. Theron had been itty bitty, and he'd only been four weeks early. Hell, he was big for full term. Lily wondered if it was possible that the baby had just been silently conceived earlier, but the healers insisted he truly was pre-term. Lily looked at him through the glass. The fragile infant's unit had to get a standard crib for regular sized newborns, and newborn nappies. The two other early neonates were dwarfed by her new son.

"Mum," Theron slipped his hand in hers and the two of them watched as Damon cradled the infant against his bare chest. The healers claimed it helped the preterm babies. Damon seemed to enjoy holding his son, despite the tubes and wires that seemed to go in and out of him every which way. That part scared Lily the first time she'd saw him.

Lily was wheeled into the nursery in a wheel chair, her baby under a glowing blue light, naked. He had stickers and wires all over him, a tube snaked up his nose and oxygen helping him breathe. He was deathly still, eyes covered with a mask. Damon hadn't left his side, through it all. He was skinny, but the healers assured her that early babies often were, especially ones that were as tall as he was.

"How much does he weigh?" Lily asked.

"Four pounds," the healer offered with a smile. "Four pounds, three ounces. He's nineteen inches tall. He's a big boy."

"He doesn't look very small, but he does, if that makes sense," Lily murmured softly. "Can I touch him?"

"Of course, but we're trying to limit the touching to his feet at the moment until we get him stabilize," the healer shared.

Lily reached up, mindful of the wires and tubes, stroking his tiny foot. He curled his toes and kicked out. Lily already felt deflated and empty, but her son was here, and he was fine. She knew it once she saw him. She glanced up at Damon, but he wasn't looking at her. He only had eyes for his son. Lily touched the small foot again and then pulled her hand back. She didn't want to overwhelm him. Scorpius had been right, though. The baby looked like Lily had given birth to Damon's clone. Relief flooded over her, spilling down her cheeks.

"He's going to be fine, Lily," Scorpius promised. "We have the best healers minding him. He'll fatten up quick and come home with us soon."

"Okay," Lily breathed through her tears, not wanting to put into words her relief that the minister hadn't tainted her genetic line with his vial seed.

"Hormones?" Damon asked, glancing up at Lily.

"Most definitely," Lily sniffled with a laugh.

"Did you get a chance to hold him?" Lily asked Theron, she looked away from Damon and the baby. Her son glanced over at her. He was no longer so much shorter than her. He was growing into a man.

"No," Theron shook his head. Lily frowned.

"Is Damon hogging him?" Lily growled slightly.

"No, no, Mum, it's not that. He's just so small, too small," Theron confessed. "I don't want to break him."

"Okay," Lily nodded once.

"I have to get back to school, but you're okay, right?" Theron asked cautiously. He eyed her suspiciously.

"I'm fine, really," Lily promised. "Your dad is taking very good care of me, and I go home today."

"Without the baby?" Theron's pitch hiked slightly and he blushed.

"The baby has to stay a while longer, just until he fattens up and doesn't need any extra help. The cuddling helps," Lily explained. "Would you try it before you go?"

"Mum-" Theron protested but he followed his mother into the room. Damon looked up with a serene smile on his face as Lily and Theron washed their hands.

"Going to try a go?" Damon asked.

"Might as well," Theron replied stiffly. Damon moved so that Theron could sit in the oversized chair. Damon held the baby.

"Try unbuttoning your shirt a bit, son," Damon advised. "We're finding he's more comfortable against our skin."

"I don't know-" Theron protested as he glanced as his mother, who look tired and weary, but hopeful. He quickly unbuttoned the top few buttons, the low cut tank underneath showing. He'd have stripped down to his socks if he thought it would help, but he was glad it didn't come to that. Damon carefully eased the baby against Theron, the tiny face pressed firmly cheek to chest.

"Careful," Lily warned.

"He's got this, Lils," Damon promised as he adjusted the wires. Theron looked down on the light brown fluffy headed baby.

"Oh, look!" Theron whispered. The baby opened his eyes, not needing the cover except when he was under the blue light. "He's looking right at me."

"He knows you're his big brother," Damon grinned.

"Awe," Theron cooed at him. "What's his name?"

Lily and Damon looked at each other. It had been a question that countless visitors had asked. They'd tossed a few names around but none seemed to grab them. The only thing that they could agree on was that the baby would have Damon's last name: West. The rest of the name left both of them scratching their heads.

"We haven't thought of a name yet," Lily confessed.

"We are working on it, Theron, we just can't find one that fits him," Damon added. Theron glanced up at his mother, then at Damon, momentarily, before looking down at the wide eyed preemie that was staring back at him.

"Well, he needs a name," Theron pointed out. He stroked the baby's cheek gently with the tip of his finger. "Until you figure it out, I'm going to call him Gentry." The baby blinked at his older brother and grabbed his finger.

"Look at that, looks like the kid likes it!" Damon laughed. He glanced at Lily. "What do you say? It's better than Roger."

"Anything is better than Roger," Lily rolled her eyes, but nodded.

"Sounds like you've got a name, Gentry," Damon touched the light brown fluff on his head.

"Really? Just like that? What if I wanted to name him 'Spot' or 'Ninja-star', or something ridiculous like that?" Theron protested.

"You wouldn't risk it," Damon chuckled as he glanced up to see Scorpius edging into the room. "Theron named the baby Gentry."

"I like it," Scorpius grinned. "Ther, it's about that time."

"Awe, but I just started holding the baby," Theron protested.

"I know, but you have to get back. Headmistress was very firm about the pass," Scorpius reminded him. "You can come home on Easter and cuddle him all you want. He should be home by then." Damon had already started getting in position to take the baby.

"Oh, okay," Theron sighed as Damon took the baby. The baby began to cry. "See, he wants me."

"I don't doubt that," Lily hugged her son quickly, kissing the top of his head before he joined his father. Scorpius smiled at Lily.

"I'll be back later to hold my step-son," Scorpius promised. "And to take my wife home."

"That's right," Theron nodded once, sternly. He glanced back at Damon, smirk on his face. "Mum's a Malfoy. You'd better take care of her while Dad's with me. But only just so. My next baby brother is going to be my dad's fault."

Damon laughed, startling the baby back into crying and Lily shook her head.

"Behave yourself, young man," Lily warned as she eased her sore body into the chair as the healer came over. Lily watched them leave as the healer checked on the baby.

"Healer Marshall was here earlier and thinks that you could try to feed him," she said brightly. "He's a ravenous little beast, and the NG-feeds are being increased to keep up with his demand. If you'd like to, of course."

"Of course!" Lily gasped, excited. She had been worried with the baby being so early, he'd not be able to for quite some time.

"He's gaining great," the healer commented as she gestured for Damon to hand the baby off to Lily. "Dad, here, has been really great about the Kangaroo-care."

"He's a very good, devoted father," Lily smiled at him, cradling the baby. Lily looked down at the baby, his scrunched up, crying face and melted. She stroked his cheek with her finger and he jerked his head toward it.

"Hungry," chuckled the healer as they readjusted the monitors. Lily reached for the ties of her gown, pulling the string on her shoulder lightly. It released the fabric, and with help from the healer, she was able to get him to latch on. Lily winced.

"He's voracious," Lily grinned, glancing at Damon. She shifted over a bit, giving him room to squeeze in the oversized chair with her. "You can join us."

"I don't know that I should," Damon gulped. Lily's free hand reached for him, pulling him down to the chair with her.

"You'd better get used to this," she whispered to him. "Babies eat a lot."

"I recall that," he laughed touching the baby's cheek. "He seems so content. Can't say that I blame him." Lily laughed.

"Don't get weird on me, Damon," Lily warned playfully. She glanced up to the window that opened the view to the hallway, and froze. Her whole body tensed and Damon glanced at her.

"Are you okay?" Damon asked, rubbing her shoulder, his fingers tracing the old scar.

"The minister is in the hallway," she whispered. Damon's head whipped around and he stood. "He's been watching us."

"I'll be right back. Stay with Gentry," Damon walked off towards the door, jerking the curtain closed around their area before leaving. The baby barely paused, nursing hungrily

"Did you see him?" Lily asked when Damon came back a few minutes later. He shook his head, settling back into his spot on the chair.

"Are you sure you saw him?" Damon asked.

"I'm pretty sure," Lily nodded. "I think. I don't know. I thought I did." Damon stroked her hair while he thought.

"What's up with the curtain? Never took you for shy, Lily," Scorpius commented as he came around the curtain.

"Lily thought she might have seen the minister," Damon murmured. "Um, Lily... I think he's, er, done." Lily glanced down to see that the baby had fallen away, milk drunk.

"Yeah," Lily tried to grab the ties one handed but the baby was in the way.

"I'd take him but, he's super close to your... and... " Damon blushed. Scorpius laughed at him, swooping down and gently taking the baby. Even if he had tried, to get the baby, he'd not have been able to avoid contact with Lily's bare skin.

"Argh, my arm's asleep," Lily complained. Damon made a point to keep his eyes elsewhere until Lily had pulled her gown in place, then helped her tie it back up.

"That used to happen to you all the time with Theron," Scorpius grinned. He continued to hold the baby. "Mind if I sit next to my wife?"

"Mind if I hold my son?" Damon bounced back at him. They grinned and switched, Damon holding the baby while Scorpius slid into the newly vacated seat.

"So you think you might have seen the minister?" Scorpius asked her gently.

"I... I thought I did," Lily replied uncertainly.

"I went out there immediately, and I didn't see anyone," Damon shared.

"Maybe you're tired," Scorpius suggested. "How about I take you home to rest for a little while."

"I don't want to leave the baby by himself," Lily protested.

"I'll stay with him, and you can come relieve me so I can go to work," Damon promised. He wasn't looking at her, but instead cradling the little baby. Lily stood, hesitating. "Don't worry Lily. I'll protect our son, and if he wakes up hungry, I'll send word immediately."

"Ok, yeah, I'm sure I'm just tired," Lily nodded as Damon eased into the chair with the baby in his arms. Lily dipped down and kissed the baby on the head. She kissed Damon's cheek and headed toward the door. Scorpius touched the baby's hair gently.

"Let me know if you need anything, bro," Scorpius told Damon. He messed up the other boy's hair laughing.

"How am I going to pick up a hot healer with my hair a mess?" Damon protested as Scorpius slipped his arm around Lily. Lily and Scorpius both looked back at him.

"You're shirtless, that's a start," Lily teased. Scorpius laughed and guided her from the room. Damon looked down at their precious little son.

"I hope you get your mother's smarts, but I hope you get my sense of humor because she is not a funny woman, Gentry," Damon told the little baby. He put his feet up on the ottoman and rested the baby on his bare chest, the newborn sleeping soundlessly.