Chapter 16: You'll be in my heart
Eight months later…
"Don't give meh that look, ah'm moving quick as ah can."
The glaring continued.
"Is she always gonna do this? She's giving me the creeps." Logan murmured, holding the pair of tiny legs. Their owner squirmed, fussing and face beginning to scrunch up.
"Yah the reason she can make that face in the first place! Gimme a wipe please, quick as yah can!"
The baby's response was several disgruntled kicks before letting out a wail. Her crying continued, growing louder while her equally disturbed parents changed her messy diaper, their little girl surprisingly strong for one so small.
"Ah'm sorry, yah have tah get clean it's good for yah!" She wiped the little bottom, fingers flying to get the clean diaper on while Logan rubbed their daughter's tiny tummy, his large hands dwarfing her body. Even at eight months old, she was a small one. Being a preemie and having feral blood left her naturally petite, though Marie kept meticulous track of ounces at each feeding time and Logan took mama and baby to a weekly check up faithfully.
"M'rie, my nose can't handle this-"
"Don't even try that feral senses line on meh again Logan Howlett."
He groaned but stayed put. Such was the life of a fatherly feral.
Roughly eight months earlier
The hospital stay had been extensive, but Hank was attentive and the pack determined. After the longest month of their lives in the school's medical bay, their baby had been allowed to come home.
Both parents had been strong as they could, but there was more than one night where one or both of them was in tears or unable to sleep. It wore on them both, Victor sometimes had to break up arguments and at other times had to start them just to keep the communication open.
But at the end of the day, it was about their family. It was the pack, sharing a mutual fear and adding up their collective strength to keep that little heart beating. Hours were spent at the side of their precious charge, talking to her, having skin on skin contact whenever possible.
It was one of these early days, a morning where Marie was holding her that Hank brought something to the couple's pair had taken up in their usual recliner beside the incubator and were enjoying some well deserved family time. Half asleep and cuddling her daughter, she snuggled deeper into Logan's chest and just managed to crack an eye open when McCoy's fluffy blue head poked in the door.
"Sorry to intrude so early this morning. How's my littlest patient?" He purred softly at the baby, meeting Marie's worn out smile with one of his own.
"Smells like she's getting stronger." Logan replied honestly, shifting his girls so both were more comfortable.
"Excellent. Her vitals are quite strong today too, an wonderful sign. But I did notice there was an important oversight on my part." Marie's face spoke volumes, her mind instantly going to the worst possible thing and he hastened to reassure them both.
"The birth certificate needs filling out. I've put in the date, time, weight and her length but she'll need her name and parents listed. It's customary to leave that honor to the mother and father." He offered a clipboard and pen,smiling as both carefully wrote in their names. Marie's signature was typically neat, perfectly cursive and ended with a flourish. Logan was straight, no nonsense and crammed together. This done, both hesitated.
"It's so permanent now.. Sugah ah want her name tah show us both, like we told Victor. If yah really don't like it, we can change it-" She began, but he was already shaking his head.
"You want her to have something pretty, a name that's gonna globe trot a thousand times over. And anyway, I think she kinda likes it." He purred at his baby girl, nuzzling her little face.
Marie watched him a moment longer before looking up at Hank. Worry trickled into her scent, shuffling across her brow.
"Could we have a moment Doctor?"
He glanced between the two and nodded.
"Yes of course. I'll just get the rest of the paperwork." He scooted out, and Marie carefully tucked the baby away in the incubator.
"Sugah.. Let's use another name." She settled back in his lap, sighing in response to his eyebrow quirk and knowing there was no outwaiting his silence.
"Yah never use the full name. Ah- ah remember, from our therapy. Yah feel dumb sometimes, thinkin yah nothin more than a dumb animal." She bit her lip, hands fisting in his shirt.
"M'rie I -"
"And ah don't want our baby's name tah be makin yah feel that way either-"
"Darlin if you would just listen-" He tried again but she was really gearing up now.
"It just wouldn't be right. We could always give her a more simple name or-"
"Marie would you listen to me?!" He snarled out. She smiled sheepishly and he sighed, running a hand over his face.
"I know I got a hard time saying her name right. But I like what it means, I like that her name is different and pretty and special. Her mama is the same way. And the fact is, if she's gonna live up to a name like that, she's gotta have the best. Gotta have schooling and friends and smarts." He looked to the infant's little bed where she was fast asleep and hugged his mate close.
"If I'm gonna be a good daddy, I need to keep working on being better myself. Work harder, smarter. You two are my girls, and you remind me of that every day." His lips brushed hers, foreheads touching and lacing their fingers together, bringing them over his heart
"Fact is, meeting you was something life changing darlin. One of the two best things I ever did was pickin you up from that bar. Like.. a light at the end of the tunnel for me. Go on and write her name down." Chin resting on her head, he whistled briefly and Hank stepped back in, blustering apologetically about finding files and were they ready?
"Yeah Cookie Monster. We're set. Darlin?" Hand trembling, both she and Logan were smiling as she wrote in a flowing hand,
Geneviève Elayne Howlett
"What was the other thing?" She whispered, lips smiling so widely it almost hurt.
"Hmm?" He kissed her head, large hand moving to stroke the surface of the little bed their baby lay in.
"Yah said one of the two best things yah ever did was pickin meh up. What was the other thing?" She murmured, looking up at him. He smiled back.
"Having Evie."
"Evie", as she was affectionately nicknamed even while the ink was still drying on her birth certificate, was alert, despite her tiny size. She didn't cry much, something that worried Dr. McCoy and so testing was done and she was given supplemental oxygen. In the incubator at least, she was clean and sleeping, not too worse for wear with her temperature being maintained.
When finally she was allowed to come home, mama and baby were carefully bundled into Logan's truck and brought to Victor's eager and waiting arms. He met them at the door, kissing Marie's cheek noisily and purring happily over the baby.
"A pretty new kit for our pack! You did good little sister. Lemme see her-" He reached for the carrier, rolling his eyes when Logan growled and Marie swatted his hand away.
"She's sleepin just yet, dontcha wake her now Victor Creed." She ordered, opening the door and scooping her up carefully when Genevieve began to fuss. He pouted but followed them into the house, the men pausing as she was treated to Victor's handiwork.
A large banner hung over the mantle, gold script on the white background proclaiming a cheerful,
"Welcome home Genevieve-Kit!"
While wrapped presents sat at the base of the fireplace. There was a two tiered cake on the coffee table,frosting marbled in pinks and golds topped with a little fondant crown and wolf cub. Balloons in the same colors had been filled and tied, bobbing cheerfully on either side of the couch. These same balloons were also attached to both sides of the new rocker swing they'd set up for the baby.
"Well? Where's my kiss of thanks?" Victor demanded when all Marie could do was gape and then laugh at him.
"Giving is it's own gift Victor." She chided teasingly, making a point to give Logan a smooch.
"It's a dumbass gift and I want a refund then. That cake wasn't cheap you know. And I think I pulled a muscle helping Jimmy get the banner up, ouch…" He rubbed at his shoulder,laughing when she feigned a huff and pecked him on the cheek.
"There yah fool! What is this all about? Yah two went through so much trouble, yah didn't have precious, yah see what Daddy and Uncle Victor did? " Genevieve opened her eyes, the same cognac color as her mother's and sucked her pacifier sleepily.
"She's our first pack kit. Had to make it count little one." Victor reminded her. Logan nodded his agreement, helping her to settle into the rocking recliner they'd set up for her near the swing.
"Vic's right. Wanted to make it a good home comin' darlin." He kissed her temple, purring when she lifted her face for a kiss and nuzzled the baby who was already going back to sleep.
"It was the best home comin' Sugah. Thank yah both." She graced them with a smile so loving and open it was near heart breaking. Life was beautiful and fragile and so very new to that little bundle tucked into her arms. Father and Mother shared another kiss, Marie got a kiss on the head from her big brother and their little skunk was utter perfection.
Lovingly, she smoothed back the touch of white curling throughout her daughter's thick brunette hair.
"Now cut meh some cake and let's open up those presents."
Little Darcy's there's gonna be an epilogue so keep an eye out but this is the last true chapter. It has been such a journey and I scarcely know what to say. Thank you so much for sticking with me and this tale. This won't be the last of our favorite ferals, there's updates coming on the horizon for the other fics and I'm working on some new things. So, as always. Kisses to you little loves. Mwuah!