~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter 8~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Athena's POV~

"Starbuck." I reached my hands up for him the micron he entered the room. I ran my eyes over him. "You look exhausted and you're limping," I murmured as he bent down and took my into his arms and planted a kiss on my forehead.

"You don't look so good yourself." He chuckled as he planted kisses all over my face.

"So much for compliments."

"Well, I do like the prone welcome" He leered in my ear.

"Harumph," Doctor Salik interrupted. "I believe this young lady has some work to do."

"Are you all right?" he asked me before letting go.

"I am now," I said, and I meant it.

"Let's get this show on the road, Doc," he said.

"Women used to have to endure a lot of pain to do this," Starbuck informed me a few centars later.

"No kidding?" I said dryly, not taking my eyes off our son.

"Yeah, I mean the early contractions probably were not picnic, but before pain suppressors some women even chose to endure the pain the entire time. It took centars, even days."

I just nodded. We had read the same information in preparation for parenthood. as if he was telling me something I didn't know. I thought it was so sweet that he had been reading up on the subject. I wasn't sure if it was so sweet, however, that since the delivery, he still hadn't held his baby.

"Come hold your son," I urged.

"I'll drop him or squish him or something. He's so tiny." Starbuck's thumb was large over his son's head.

"You can do it," I told him as I handed his son into his waiting palms.

"I have to hold his head, like this," Starbuck murmured to himself. My heart swelled even more as I saw that he was moved as he held our son for the first time. "He's beautiful." His voice was filled with awe.

I couldn't stop the tears clouding my vision from spilling down my cheeks.

Starbuck sat down at my side and looked up at me.

"Thank you. Thank you for my son," he said, his own eyes filled with tears.

"Thank you." I caressed our son's head. "We haven't decided on a name."

"I was thinking about that. I had plenty of time to think over the past secton. I think Zac would be perfect," Starbuck said.

"You do?" The tears flowed faster.

"Yeah, I do." He looked at me silently for a few microns. "I love you, Athena."

I thought I was going to explode with the love and joy bursting through me. The fear in him was palpable and our son, Zac, I corrected in my head, squirmed in his father's hands.

"I love you, too." I smiled up at him for the words finally said by both of us.

"Will you be sealed to me for all eternity?" His voice started as a whisper, but got stronger with each word.

"Yes." The word was barely out before his lips pressed against mine. As we kissed I realized that we had just chosen more than a name, we had chosen to love.

I could swear I heard my brother Zac exclaim "finally!" somewhere in the background.

End