Chapter 12 Meeting Hope Anne
Vincent returned with JT and the boys. They ran to me and climbed up on the bed beside me. They took turns sweetly touching their sister. Baby Vincent looked at me when she began to cry. "Mommy, Hope need mama time." I smiled. He was just as intuitive as his daddy. John Thomas ran to his daddy yelling "Daddy, baby crying." His daddy picked him up and carried him over to Hope, baby Vincent and I. JT walked over, rubbing John Thomas's head. "She's just hungry buddy." Baby Vincent pulled back the covers. "Hope need mama time Mommy." I caressed his little cheek. "Yes she does Sweetie." I offered Hope my breast. Baby Vincent rubbed her little leg while he watched his sister have her mama time. "Hope love mama time too." I smiled and ran my fingers through his hair. My little boys who weren't quite so little anymore and had celebrated their second birthday several weeks ago. Their birthday wish? To meet the baby in mama's tummy. Although their birthday wish didn't come until several weeks later, they were just as excited. Well, baby, I mean, little Vincent was anyway. John Thomas was still weary of her. Hope finished her mama time and released, deep in sleep. JT asked if he could hold her. "I'm not as scared that I'm gonna break this one," he giggled. "She's a porker." I smiled as I watched JT hold Hope in his arms and sway back and forth, placing kisses on the top of her head. I heard him whisper to Hope "Uncle T is definitely gonna spoil you baby girl." Vincent looked to me and smiled. His best friend had taken to Hope like a moth to a flame. The man who was afraid to hold until they could crawl, had swooped up Hope within minutes of her birth. I touched Vincent's arm. "Vincent, will you call Tess? She's going to be upset she missed this." He nodded and leaned over to kiss me. "Catherine, I almost missed it. There was no way she would have made it here in time." As Vincent left to call Tess, JT made his way to sit beside me. "Cat, how are you feeling? I mean that was pretty damn intense. When little V heard you screaming I had to take the boys to the other side of the property to keep them from hearing you. He was scared and started to change." I grabbed JT's hand. "Thank you JT for taking care of them. Honestly, other than being pretty sore, I feel fine. What would Vincent and I, not to mention the boys and Hope do without you?" JT lifted my hand and kissed the top of it. "Cat, you, Hope, and the boys have not only changed Vincent's life for the better, you've changed mine as well." Suddenly JT looked down to Hope. She was rooting around at his chest. We both let out a little laugh. "Here's mommy baby girl. I'm pretty sure I don't have what you're looking for." He handed Hope to me and reached out for my boys' hands. "Come on boys, let's go make mommy something to eat." He looked to me as they were walking out the door. "Anything specific you'd like to eat, Cat?" I shook my head no. "JT anything you guys bring me will be fine. I'm starving."
When they left, I placed Hope to my breast. She watched me intently with her big baby blues while she nursed. I studied her every feature. Long dark hair like her daddy and I, baby blue eyes just like her daddy. Ten little fingers, ten little toes. I decided to do a little test. JT had his DNA stuff, but I wanted to know now. I removed Hope from my breast and waited. It took a few seconds for her to get upset. She frantically tried to nurse, but I refused her. I watched her eyes. Still baby blue. She started to wail and turn blood red, but no blue veins. No transformation whatsoever. I breathed a sigh of relief and returned her to my breast. JT and my boys soon returned with my food. Grilled ham and cheese and tomato soup. "Cat, what did you do to her while we were gone? We could hear her screaming in the kitchen." He took Hope from me and handed me dinner. After a few bites, I explained. "JT, there's no need for a DNA test on Hope. That was my own little test. She may have Vincent's DNA, but none of which makes him the beast. I pretty much provoked her. Other than throwing a fit and turning beat red from screaming, she remained perfectly normal." JT shook his head in disbelief. "Wow. I'd still like to test her, just to be certain if that's ok Cat." I proceeded to stuff my face. "In a few days JT."
A few hours later, Tess arrived and ran full speed up the steps, bursting in my room. "Cat, Oh my god, I can't believe I missed it. I knew you were close to your due date. I should have just stayed here after the boys' party." She ran to me and wrapped her arms around me. I held her tight. "Tess, you're here now, that's all that matters." I released her from my hold and pointed to the bassinet several feet from us. "She's in there Tess." Tess tiptoed over to the bassinet only to stop, mouth agape. "Holy shit Cat! She…came out of…you? You poor thing. Remind me NOT to ever get pregnant." I slowly got out of bed and walked to Tess and Hope. "Tess, you can hold her if you like, I have to pee." Tess shook her head. "In a minute. Let me at least make sure you make it to the bathroom and back." I agreed and she held onto me while I limped to the bathroom and back. She then helped me into bed and covered me up before proceeding to the bassinet and picked up Hope. "Wow Cat, she's a porker compared to the boys." I nodded. "I know Tess. Remember, I'm the one that had her." Tess sat on the bed beside me, holding Hope. "Cat, I need to vent. I need some girl time." I laid my head on her shoulder. "Of course Tess. Vent away." She proceeded to explain that Joe was suspicious of her leaving for weeks at a time. That he thought she was cheating on him, or worse. That he kept demanding some sort of explanation, and that she couldn't give him one because of her sworn oath to Vincent and I to keep us safe. I looked at her and grabbed her hand. "Tess, don't lie to him. Tell him that you are coming to visit me. That I have been going through some tough times, and needed you. Don't tell him where and don't ever let him follow you." She squeezed my hand. "You sure Cat?" I nodded. After everything Vincent and I went through to be together, I couldn't bear the thought of Tess losing Joe because of me.
Vincent peeked in the doorway. "Girl time over yet? I'd like to kiss my wife and daughter. I came earlier, but I heard the words girl time and went back downstairs with JT and the boys." Tess nodded, and handed me Hope. A quick kiss on the top of the head, and she left. "Cat, I'll be back in a couple weeks. I need to talk to Joe." I smiled as Vincent crawled under the covers beside of us. He leaned over and kissed Hope, waking her. Her bright blues opened and she started to cry. "There, there baby girl." I placed her upon my breast and immediately she took it. Vincent stroked her cheek as she nursed. "Catherine, JT filled me in on your little test. Even though I find it hard to believe she didn't inherit any of my mutated genes, I have to say I'm glad. I just hope when the DNA test comes back, it proves you right." He wrapped an arm around me and squeezed lightly, placing kisses wherever he could reach. "Uh, Mr. Keller, I do believe that's what got me in this position to begin with, and you're gonna have to wait a while for that. Dr.'s orders." He laughed as he captured my lips. "I'm so in love with you Catherine Keller."
I must have drifted off to sleep in Vincent's arms. I woke up alone in our bedroom and slowly got up to search for Vincent. As I walked toward the nursery, I could hear humming. It was Vincent. I peeked my head in the door to find him rocking Hope in the rocker and humming her a little lullaby. He kissed her full head of dark hair and whispered to her. "Baby girl, you've made me complete."