|-||-||-|THREE MONTHS LATER |-||-||-|

APOV

I have been having stomach cramps all day and I know it can't be the babies because it is two months too early. They are not ready yet, I'm not ready yet. I walk Maia down to the parking garage where our security is waiting to drive her to work, Christian and I do it together sometimes but he is down in Miami dealing with something that I did not listen too. I was not interested in going and Christian doesn't want me flying around or travelling anyway, not until I give birth, the house we are building is complete and we move to Stamford, Connecticut. Grace and Carrick don't know that we are building and moving out of the city. I want my kids to have a low key life and have a yard. I also want a yard for Hardy, the best dog ever.

Maia hugs me before running to the car, I miss Noah but he will be back in a month for winter break. He sends us crates of artwork every two weeks which I love. I bought a gallery that is going to be all my son's work by the time he gets back, it's one of his presents.

Back upstairs I stumble into the apartment, maybe it is my appendix. I fall onto the sofa where Hardy comes to lick my face, Gail comes over with orange juice and Advil. We all are really tired and worried while Christian is gone, we are all trying to fill in for him in all of his sections. It's hard work.

"Gail, can you please call Erica and see if she can come here?" I shout not knowing where she is. "I don't know what's wrong but I think it's important."

"Of course Anastasia, don't worry about it," Gail answers.

I can tell Hardy knows that something is wrong, then when I feel as though I just wet myself I move my hand between my legs and when I pull it back to look at it there is a lot of blood. Hardy starts barking, I am screaming and Gail is on the phone with someone but before I know it Gordon, my bodyguard, is carrying me down to the vehicle and we are blazing through the city to the hospital where Erica and Emily are waiting at the emergency bay. Gordon lifts me onto a gurney and they wheel me in.

"Ana, breathe. Gail called Christian and we have contacted the rest of the family, Noah is going to be picked up in one of the jet's and Maia is with Bryant who is driving her here. Breathe, stay calm and it will be okay," Emily cooed.

"I want Christian," I cry out in pain.

Hardy is following Emily while they wheel me somewhere in this fucking place. They cut me out of the three thousand dollar sundress I chose to wear today before examining down under and bringing over the ultrasound machine.

" One of the babies is crowning, call the NICU and say we will have one possibly three very pre-mature babies on the way up. I want to have a surgical kit on standby and they need to have incubators here yesterday," Erica starts to order around to people then looks at me. "Ana, don't push yet, we need to figure out what is happening."

"Push?" I groan, starting to push.

"No! Don't push!" Emily exclaims.

Kate runs into the room with Elliot, thank fuck someone I know and trust is here. Kate comes and takes my hand while Elliot pulls out his phone and FaceTime's Christian, I can see his worried face and I smile.

"Kitten, we are in air and I will be there in about three hours. I wish I could be there sooner but you have Kate and Elliot with you and I know that everyone there will take excellent care of you," Christian panicked.

"I love you Christian, please hurry," I whimper.

"Stay strong, Kitten. I'll be there soon."

"Christian?"

"Yes, Anastasia?"

"I'm scared."

"Me too."

My body is in control and I start to push, fuck whatever is happening it is much worse then when I had Maia and Noah. I can see Erica yelling at people, maybe even me but I can't hear anything over the pain. Kate is squeezing my hand as much as I am squeezing hers and it helps to keep me in the moment.

The piercing noise of a tiny baby cry lifts the fog and I look around, Erica hands the baby to the neonatal team who look it over and wheel it away in the incubator. Passing by I can see the small size that is hidden behind all the wires and tubes.

"Dr. Greene?" Kate asks. "Are the others coming?"

"It looks like they are stable, but it looks like you will be staying in the hospital for a while. We will take you up to a more comfortable room but I am going to do everything I can to keep those two still where there are, see if we can get them to develop more," Erica explains.

"Was it baby A, B or C?" I ask.

Christian and I found out the genders a month ago after a long deliberation whether to do it or not. We didn't want to tell anyone and I want to wait for Christian to announce it, Erica understands that.

"Baby A, just keep B and C safe. Rest Ana, you have been through a lot this morning and it is not even noon yet."

I fall back into the bed, as soon as my eyes close I'm out. A dreamless and empty sleep that is not really restful but is kind of restorative. When I wake Maia and Noah or seated on a little window seat and Christian is seated at the end of my bed. I'm in one of his t-shirts and my running shorts. As to who dressed me, I have no idea and may never know.

"Mommy?" Maia mumbles.

"I'm okay… Christian, it's baby A. I want to know where they took A, I want to see him. Please I need to," I cry.

"I'll see what I can do," he smiles, relieved. "God, Kitten. You really know how to scare me, you will be the inevitable death of me."

I reach over and pull him to me to kiss him, when I pull back I look at him and smirk.

"Only if it is by orgasm," I giggle.

He shakes his head then gets out of the bed, walking out of the room. Maia climbs onto the bed and snuggles in next to me, she is unusually silent but I don't really blame her. She was probably terrified when she heard what was happening. Noah comes and sits at my feet, his cheeks are tears stained. My compassionate little boy, well maybe he is not so little anymore.

"Are you okay?" Noah asks.

"As good as I can be, but everything will be okay. I will be in the hospital until the others are born but that is to keep me and the babies okay. If you want to go back to school you can, we can Skype every night if you want," I smile, god I am so tired.

"I don't want to leave you," He looks down.

"It's okay, Noah. You need to focus on your education, both of you do. You will be back for Thanksgiving next week, then winter break is three weeks later. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Is it a sister?" Maia asks.

"I think you will have to wait and find out with everyone else," I tease.

"But why! Do you know what this is doing to me! The waiting is killing me. Killing me! I want to know. Please. Please. PLEEEAASSEEE!"

My daughter is strangely like her Aunt Mia, the passion she is putting into her case is adorable. With everyone in her life that could possibly influence her personality it just had to be a mix of her father and Mia.

Christian walks in with three nurses, Erica and a doctor I have never seen before. They are wheeling in the incubator, placing it right next to the bed. Christian picks Maia up and holds her back. There aren't as many tubes as there were before, I think that's a good thing.

"Everyone, meet Jeremiah Abraham Grey. Born on November 17th at 9:43 a.m, weighing in at two pounds, eight ounces. He will need to remain in the incubator and hospital for a few months, until the expected due date so he is healthy, but you can reach in and touch him," Christian beams. "Kitten, this is our son."

I reach out, slide my hand into one of the holes and place my pinky in his little hand. My son, he is so small and precious. Realization sets in when I look at him, we have triplets who have different birthdays. That is going to be an interesting one to explain to everyone who asks. Maybe it will be good, they will have some independence and won't always be grouped together.

"I love you, Jair. My baby boy," I whisper.

"Does this mean I am finally no longer your baby boy anymore?" Noah smirks.

"You will always be my baby, Noah," I never take my eyes off of Jair. "Always."

"I didn't want a brother," Maia pouts.

Christian sends her out of the room, probably to one of the numerous family members in the waiting area wanting to know more of what is happening. Erica checks my pulse and looks me over as best as she could with people in the room.

"Can I breast feed him?" I ask.

"Not yet, he is too small for that but you can pump and provide breast milk that way, we can also store it in case the others come prematurely as well," She explains.

"When will I be able to hold him?"

"A couple weeks when he is older and stronger, premature babies aren't as fragile as we make it seem but it's for their health as much as yours. You need to relax."

THREE WEEKS LATER

I finally get to hold Jeremiah today, Erica promised this to me and I need it. I have been in the hospital for three weeks, loaded up with medications and have been tilted upside down in bed for hours on end to stop and prevent labor. Meanwhile Christian has been wearing himself thin with every business dealing possible. Hardy lives with me at the hospital which is nice but I don't even get to take him on walks. Severe cabin fever, so now being able to hold Jair. I have never been more excited in my life, well that is probably a lie.

Erica wheels in the incubator with Christian right on her tail, we agreed that I would hold onto him first. It is really important to me and they can all see that. Christian walks around the bed and settles in beside me.

"We are going to do some skin to skin contact, take your shirt off and we can place a light blanket over both of you," Erica instructs.

I sit up more instead of leaning back at a seventy-five degree angle. Christian pulls my shirt off over my head, she had to have discussed this with Christian for him to be this okay with him. Especially since he is the one removing my shirt.

Erica picks up Jair as I lean back into the bed, she places him on my chest then Christian places my silk sheets over my body and out tiny son's. There is a tiny diaper on him, smallest size but is big on him. He is four pounds even now, and I am thrilled and nervous about the other two. Jair lets out a small cry before settling against my breast, over my heart. I look at Christian who looks almost as happy as I am.

"I will always protect you," I coo. "Your father and I will always be there and protect you from everything this world has to offer."

"I wish he had hair so we knew more of who he looked like," Christian jokes.

"Well, he has your eyes so I'm guessing he will look like you."

"Maybe, we still need middle names for the other two."

"I know, but choosing the first names were hard enough!"

"Lets look into your heritage, choose a name that way. What is your ethnic background?"

"Hell if I know," I laugh, startling Jeremiah to cry. I stroke his back until he quiets down again. "I think there is Russian, Serbian, Italian, British and maybe even German, we never discussed it in my family."

"Okay, well we will scratch out Italian and British and look at other names for those other ones. It will be good."

I roll my eyes while his back is turned to grab paper and a pen, he chuckles.

"Be thankful for the fact you are out of commission till pretty much February because your attitude is getting you into trouble."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't lie, you're rolling your eyes."

I giggle and he kisses my cheek, we begin to write down name ideas. I can't wait till I can leave the hospital.