Author's note: Sorry it's taken so long to update. I've started a new Tumblr dedicated to the children I created in my other Sydrian and Jeddie works: Josh, Ivanna, Marti, Nikolai, and many others. It's called storiesofthespawnofsydrian in case you're interested.

Anyway, as always, please feel free to let me know what you think. And thank you for all the follows, favorites, and reviews thus far.

Happy reading!

Chapter Eight

Adrian pulled Sydney into his arms and kissed her hard on the mouth.

"What was that for?" She asked with a grin.

He shrugged. "Can't I give the mother of my child a kiss?"

She rested her head on his shoulder. "You haven't said anything since I told you nearly two months ago. And I know Misha takes up a lot of your time—"

He silenced her with a kiss. "That's not really an excuse, Sydney. I should spend more time with you. I did with Jill."

"But you're excited to experience life with your first child. I can't begrudge you that. I'm fine. Really, I am." She pressed herself up in her toes and kissed him. "I'm happy when you come to bed with me every night. You have appearances to keep up otherwise."

"The house is almost done." He rested his forehead against hers. "I love you, Sydney. And this baby." He placed a hand on her stomach. "I love it, too. I really do. Not any more or less than Misha, I promise."

"I know, Adrian." She smiled and kissed him yet again. "Now come to bed."

They were just settling in when a knock sounded on the door.

"Yes?" Sydney called.

"Is Adrian in there?" Eddie called. "Jill is acting erratically."

Adrian jumped out of the bed and pulled on a dressing gown. He threw the door open and hurried past the guardian to his wife's room. Inside he heard the baby screaming and Jill talking to him in a loud string of angry words.

"What do you even need? I've fed you and changed you. You haven't slept. You're not too hot, are you? Oh, you can't even answer me. God, this is the worst decision I ever made!"

Adrian walked in. He watched her for a moment as she paced and continued her rambling. He called up his magic and watched her aura, seeing the darkness taking more control of it than normal. The baby screamed in his bassinet. The vampire walked over and picked his son up. He immediately stopped crying.

"What did you do?" Jill demanded.

"I picked him up." He placed a hand on Jill's arm and called up his magic once more. He pulled the darkness out of her and then wrapped an arm around her. He kissed her temple. "You'll be okay."

"I don't know." She sobbed as she clung to him. "He even screamed in my arms. He doesn't love me, Adrian."

"He probably sensed the darkness in you." He kissed her again. "You're fine now." He rubbed her back and she breathed him in for a long time as she was calmed by his presence.

She sniffed. "He wasn't the worst decision I ever made." She rubbed a hand over their baby's head. "He's one of the best."

Adrian nodded. "You're in a bad place, Jill. We both know it. You've been told by your mother and Lissa both that it would be difficult. Being shadow-kissed doesn't help, I'm sure. I'm sorry. I've tried not to do much with spirit."

"You shouldn't cut yourself off from your magic, Adrian." She looked up at him. "I dream about the water all the time. And I always try to connect with it so that I don't give in to the depression and darkness. But sometimes it's just too much." She sniffed and pressed her eyes into his neck. "I had a dream I threw Misha into the sea. And I was so relieved to be done with the incessant crying."

He sighed. "Is that why you stopped going to the beach?"

"Partly." She stepped away. "I'm better. I think it's time we hire the nanny. We've been talking about it, but I wanted him with me. He sleeps a little better now. I can feed him just before I go to sleep and then she can come get me in the night."

"We need to pay someone well, then. We have at least two years before we need to share a bed again. And if the nanny were to come at an inconvenient time with Eddie..."

"We pay all our servants well." She smiled. "We both need this. You need to start spending more time with Sydney and less with Misha and me. And I need sleep."

Adrian smiled and fondly kissed her forehead. "I agree." He stepped away. "We'll start the search tomorrow." He bounced the baby in his arms.

"Good. Um, will you take him tonight? I have some apologizing to do to Eddie for the way I've been acting." She smiled shyly and looked away.

"No problem. Have you fed him lately?"

She nodded. "Just before all this started." A look of deep guilt passed over her features.

He patted Jill's shoulder. "It's done. You weren't harming him. And you wouldn't. Not really. I know you. And he's too small for words to hurt yet. Go with Eddie out to the beach for a while. Kiss him. Do other things with him. Don't worry about our Misha. I have him. Sydney and I can keep an eye on him. You deserve a break."

She placed her hands on the side of his face. "You are an amazing husband. Do you know that?" She pulled his face down and kissed his forehead. "I hope he lets you sleep."

"I can go without a little sleep." He assured her. He looked down. "Maybe he just needed you to be healed of the darkness. He's intuitive. Maybe he'll be a spirit user. Maybe he already sees auras." He kissed the baby's tiny face. "You know, I love him so much. More than I ever thought I'd love someone else."

She smiled. "It's odd, isn't it? But I wouldn't have it any other way. Even in my darkest times, I love him so much." She kissed their son's head. "Eddie and I have spoken about trying for our own this time next year. What do you say?"

"I say I can't wait to see him when it actually is his baby you're carrying. He'll go madder than me." He smirked. "I'll get out of your way."

"Thank you, Adrian." She said softly. She handed him all of Misha's things. "Don't let him get too cold."

"I won't."

"Or too hot." She followed him to the door.

"I know, Jill."

"He likes it best on his back."

"Yes, dear." He kissed her cheek. "Have a good night."

She blushed. "I plan on it."

He shook his head. Eddie was waiting patiently in the hallway. He stopped Adrian and leaned down to kiss the baby's head. After Adrian walked away, he looked to Jill. She smiled seductively and crooked her finger.

He grinned, his face full of relief. "Where is Adrian taking Misha?" He wrapped his arms around her and rested his forehead against hers.

"To his room for the rest of the night." She brushed her lips over his. "Do you know that one spot out on the beach where we set up those chairs?"

He growled low in his throat. "The ones that recline?"

"Yes. There. Let's go there. This time of night. There should be no chance of being seen at all. And even if there were... Well, it is dark and they would never be able to tell who the couple making love out there were exactly."

He kissed her hard on the mouth. "God, I love you." He broke away from her and retrieved the implements from her drawer they used to prevent pregnancy. He winked. "Come, let's get this going."

They hurried out into the cool September night. Jill kicked off her shoes and immediately ran out into the surf, using her magic to make the water dance around her.

Eddie watched for a long time. He sat on the edge of the chair and removed his shoes and stockings.

She suddenly turned and sent a jet of water at him. He wiped his face, a grim look passing over his features.

"You'll pay for that one, your highness." He warned playfully as he stood.

She grinned. "And how do you propose that, Guardian Castle?"

She caught the wicked gleam in Eddie's eye just before he charged at her with speed only a trained guardian could achieve. He lifted her over his shoulder and ran out into the water. When it reached his waist, he threw her away from him. She screamed with delight just before she crashed into the water.

Jill shot out of the water and used her power to propel her just a little more. She tackled her lover around the shoulders and he let her push him into the water. They laughed together and kissed as the water rushed around them, pulling them farther out to sea with each wave.

After a while, Eddie gathered Jill close to him and used one arm to swim back to shore. Once there, he started removing her wet garments, even as she pushed the water away.

"You'll tire yourself out if you use it too much, my love." He warned, pulling her now-damp shift over her head.

She smiled and placed a hand on his chest. She pressed most of the water away from his clothes and undressed him with ease. "I feel invigorated, darling. The moon, the water, you. I've missed getting to be with you like this." She pushed him onto the chair and pressed him back. She kissed him and then spoke against his lips. "I was horribly uncomfortable for weeks. But as I got better, I realized I was missing something."

He ran his hands over her slick skin. "And what was that?"

"Making love with you." She took control of his mouth again, kissing him thoroughly and grinding her hips down and enticing him to complete frustration.

He let her for a while, simply reveling in the feel of her under his hands and her body as she moved it over his.

She pushed his hands away as they brushed over her stomach. "I'm still fat."

"No, love. You never were. You're amazing. And you have a very beautiful son." He pushed her back to sit on his legs. He traced a stretch mark on her skin with his fingertip. "These are like a road map to a wonderful life you brought into this world."

She smiled. "I don't know why I'm so insecure about it."

He sat up. "I don't know either. You know how much I love you. There is nothing you could do or be that would ever make me stop." He cupped her face in his hands and pressed a kiss to her mouth. "I want to kiss every inch of you. It's been far too long."

She nodded. "It has."

Kissing her deeply, they switched places. It was his turn to move against her and drive her wild. He moved his mouth down, sucking hard on her shoulder, nipping at the skin as he moved his lips away.

She groaned and writhed beneath him. She wanted his hands and his mouth everywhere at once. The heat rising in her body moved and concentrated in her stomach.

She moaned, "I want you, Eddie."

He looked up at her. That wicked gleam was back in his eyes. "And where do you want me, Jill?" He lowered himself between her thighs. "Here?" He flicked his tongue over her, making her gasp.

"Yes and no." She panted. It had been so long, she was afraid she would burst any second.

"So here, too, then?" He slipped a finger inside her.

She threw her head back, letting out a low moan. "Yes."

He kissed the inside of her thigh and moved away.

"Where are you going?" She asked almost hysterically.

Eddie chuckled and lifted something out if his shoe, letting it catch the light from the moon. "We don't need another baby so soon. Adrian and Sydney have that covered." He took his position once more as he opened the wax and took some on his finger. He leaned over her and kissed her as he slid his finger inside.

She moaned into his mouth and gripped his shoulders. The movement of his fingers in and out of her only helped to increase the pressure building just under her navel. He rubbed his thumb over the nub farther up. Just a few ragged breathes later, she started trembling around him and beneath him, digging her nails into his back. A whine escaped her as the orgasm subsided.

Eddie continued to kiss her lazily for several seconds. After a while, he pulled away just enough to ask, "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yes."

He removed his hand and rested it on her hip. "One more thing." He moved away and lifted one more item out of his shoe. He slipped it over his erection and then leaned over her again.

She put a hand on his arm. "Wait."

"What?"

"Let me." She pressed his shoulders until he traded places once more.

As she positioned herself over him, he got a lovely view of her breasts. He leaned forward and ran his tongue over one of the mounds. She groaned and tangled her fingers in his hair, pressing herself into his mouth.

"I love the taste of the sea on your skin, Jill." He grabbed her hips and guided her down, licking a trail up her chest and neck. "Delicious."

She grinned and bit her lip. Her fangs protruded a little. He lifted a hand and pushed up her top lip to examine them. She took his finger into her mouth and sucked hard. She guided him inside and settled herself before she let go.

"You're too much, Jill."

"I know." She lifted herself up slowly, setting up a steady pace in time with the waves crashing to shore.

He moaned and bucked underneath her. "Faster."

She complied, leaning back slightly. They moved together with increasing speed until their voices and the sound of their skin slapping together drowned out all the night noises around them. They met a mutual climax and shouted into the night, collapsing together finally. Panting and dripping with sweat, Jill flicked her tongue out against his neck.

"You can drink if you want." He said groggily.

"I'm not in need of it right now." She said, but a slight tremble in her voice betrayed her.

He rubbed her back and asked gently, "Do you want it?"

"Maybe one of these days we can try. But not today." She kissed his neck and relaxed against him as they both regained their composure. Eddie snored softly beneath her. She knew she could gladly stay there with him like that if only they could. She kissed his neck and shoulder once more and roused him. "Let's head back. I could sleep like the dead now."

He smiled and pressed a kiss to her lips. "Sounds great. Glad I'm not the on duty tonight."

She laughed and pressed her eyes into his chest. "Oh, god, I hope Shane didn't hear."

"You haven't heard her and Petrov. They pant in Russian together all the time. It's disturbing."

She looked down at him. "Really?"

He nodded and imitated the sounds he often heard as he passed the room the two other guardians shared.

Jill laughed and pressed a kiss to his mouth. "I love when you're not so serious."

Eddie smiled and pushed her hair out of her face. "And I love when Adrian isn't in there."

She rested her forehead against his. "It's getting better, isn't it?"

"Yes. And I can't wait for the day when he's just something in the back of your mind." He kissed her. "Come on. Misha will be hungry soon enough. You should get a little sleep."