"Almost there, Perla!", Adam encouraged her as he kneeled up to kiss her on the cheek, and Mrs. Potts shouted, "Two more pushes should do it! Push!".
Perla gritted her teeth, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath, and pushed, grunting as she screamed in pain soon as the head came through her vagina, and then with the shoulders, she gave one last push as she screamed in pain, and then she felt the baby come free as she collapsed into the pillows, panting and covered in sweat and tears.
A hearty and loud wail pierced the air only 30 seconds later, echoing through the room as Mrs. Potts announced with tears, "It's a little princess! You have a baby girl!", as she warmly held the wiggling and wailing baby, cleaning her gently.
"Oh, thank God...", Perla whispered as she finally could give out a long sigh of relief. Adam was close to her as he started to tear up, "You alright, Perla? It's okay... you're all done now...".
Perla gave a tired, overjoyed smile at him, "I'm okay, Adam. That was just a lot of work...", tears falling down her cheeks as she heard her daughter, and Adam nodded as he helped her sit up, with her taking deep breaths from the long labor, smiling happily as Mrs. Potts handed their daughter into her arms, whispering with love in her eyes, cradling their crying and shivering girl, "It's okay, baby...I'm here...Mama's here, and so is Papa...", kissing featherlight touches on the little forehead, rubbing her back gently.
Their daughter kept quietly crying as she slowly realized that she was in her mama's arms, warm and safe, and Perla smiled adoringly, "That's it...Oh, look at you...You're so beautiful...", taking in the little tufts of hazelnut auburn hair, the pale tan skin, "Is she wonderful, Adam?".
Adam smiled with an awed look, "She's beautifully perfect...Come on, little one, open those bitty eyes for us...", and their daughter snuffled, scrunching her nose, trying to focus, and blinked before cooing, seeing her parents for the first time.
"Oh, baby blue! That's my grandfather's eye color on my mother's side...", Adam exhaled in amazement as he gently stroked their daughter's head. Perla glanced at him, "What was his name?".
Adam chuckled, "Geoffrey. Mother used to say that close family and friends used to call him 'Roy'.", and Perla hummed, "I know it's not old-fashioned, but since we're practically on New Year's Day/Eve, and she, along with the others are our future...How about Rosalie?...I mean, if it wasn't for the Enchantress, you couldn't have been here...spoiled, maybe discriminating about how an heir's supposed to be...".
"I think that name would be perfect for her.", Adam smiled as he gently brushed her hair. "Just perfect...", he whispered.
Rosalie gurgled, cooing as she liked the sound of her name, and then her belly grumbled, and Mrs. Potts chuckled, "Let me take care of the cord while you push the afterbirth, Perla.".
Perla nodded, and took a deep breath as she pushed out the afterbirth as Mrs. Potts took sterilized scissors to the cord, tying a bit to the belly button as Rosalie watched in wonder before her belly grumbled again, and she whimpered at her mama, and Perla smiled as Adam opened the buttons on the top of her nightgown, and then adjusted Rosalie to one of her breasts, immediately latching into a nipple and began to suckle.
A knock on the door, Jiminy's voice called out, "Pardon to intrude, but the brood of your other children is here, and I believe Teddy wants to join his new sibling in feeding.".
Adam called out, "Send them in, and Carlo, hold Teddy. I have something for Jiminy to do. Jiminy, there's a cold icebox in the nursery bathroom, and there's surprises for the older ones of the brood, and I'm sure you'll know what I mean.".
Jiminy nodded, "I'll get right away on that one.". He smiled as he started to head to the nursery while the other children came in. Adam smiled as all the little ones wanted to see the latest arrival.
Mrs. Potts chuckled warmly as she helped the children up into the bed, and Carlo gave Teddy to Perla as he cooed and blinked, "Ma!", before looking at his youngest sibling, suckling at the same time on Perla's other breast.
Adam chuckled, "Carlo, Azure, Eli, Jolene, Teddy, say hello to your new sister, Rosalie.", and Carlo smiled, "She's small and pretty, Papa...".
Azure nodded, "Can we call her Rosa for short, Mama?", smiling widely, and Perla nodded, "Of course, darling. Every sibling deserves to have an affectionate name for each other.".
Eli piped up, "Rosa's hair be like Papa and Carlo.", and Adam smiled, "The hazelnut color is from your grandmother on your mama's side.".
Jolene asked, "Why is eyes being funny blue?", and Perla smiled, "The color is called baby blue, Jolene, and it came from your great-grandfather on your papa's side.".
They smiled widely, with Carlo replying, "Mama, are you coming for the party tonight?", and Perla hummed, "Well, Rosalie is clearly healthy and loud in the lungs when she is, but that's up to Mrs. Potts.".
Mrs. Potts smiled, "Since the party doesn't happen until 7 sharp after dinner, which I better get to be on. The kitchens wouldn't be the same without me!", with a laugh, before blinking, "Where was I? Oh, yes, if little Rosalie is fed very well, she can come along with your mama, but not too long. After all, she gets tired easily after a long while.".
The children cheered happily yet quietly at that, and Mrs. Potts chuckled before leaving the bedroom, intending to spread the news to the staff about the newest princess, even if Adam is disowned and all. Jiminy walked in with a smile, holding a box, nodding at Adam.
"Kids, close your eyes. No peeking now.", Adam chuckled as Jiminy came over to pull out milk bottles which was a gift from Enchantress as she occasionally had a future vision of technology or other things like Evangeline had once done, and the milk bottles were placed one by one before each child.
Perla smiled, relieved that she, with help from Adam, was able to express her milk into the bottles over the past week, after eating plenty of food to make up for the production of milk for the birth, and glanced at Adam who was enjoying the little impatience in every child's voice through their hands before announcing, "Okay, open your eyes, children.".
They all opened their eyes before seeing the bottles before them. All of them were curious about it for a moment as Perla chuckled. "It's milk...", she told them. "Aren't you all thirsty? I know your youngest siblings are...".
Carlo widened his eyes, asking for his younger siblings, "Mama, is this your milk? Not goat or cow's milk?", hope in his voice, and his younger siblings widened their eyes, starting to realize.
Perla smiled warmly, "Yes, it is. Go on, I know you missed my milk a lot, especially after weaning and growing up so fast...", and the children cheered happily before grabbing their bottles and snuggled into the huddle of their parents, suckling from the bottles.
Adam laughed warmly, glad that his great bed was able to fit everyone together, and nodded at Jiminy as a gesture of thanks, and Jiminy smiled, leaving the bedroom.
"Safe to say that I think everyone likes it...", Adam joked as she nodded. "Certainly glad they're not picky eaters when it comes to their mother's milk...", Perla sighed.
"You alright?", Adam asked as she nodded. "Just happy that it's finally over... I was starting to really get worried there...", Perla admitted.
Adam wrapped his arm around her, kissing her on the lips for a moment before nodding, "I was honestly getting worried there too...But turns out that Rosalie is just spoiled for warmth...I guess she got used so much to your beast warmth, and she couldn't get enough of it within you when you got back to human...And maybe she was a bit afraid of Gaston and Facilier... I mean, being technically old enough at six months along, she heard things then...".
Perla hummed, "You know, I think you were right...", resting her head on his shoulder, "Still, I'm just relieved...After all, we got two four-year-old toddlers, one three-year-old toddler, one two-year-old toddler, and almost one year-old toddler, and now this newborn...Life is going to be crazy...yet I couldn't have it any other way, you know?", smiling at her youngest children suckling at her breasts, and content to see her older children snuggling into the huddle while suckling out of their bottles at their heart's content.
"No, I couldn't agree more with you.", Adam smiled as he continued to watch the children. "Really never thought this would happen for a time... I will be honest...".
Perla sighed softly, smiling as she looked up at Adam, and kissed him on the cheek, seeing him smiling happily, and then an idea came to her, "It could be even more perfect if we marry together in holy matrimony.", before seeing his face coming into surprise and shock, and she backed off, "Sorry! I knew it was too soon, and I was rubbing off from Juliet when it should have been-", before she was interrupted by a tender yet passionate kiss on the lips.
Adam gave her a reassuring smile as he nodded, "I agree... it's probably better we do that. I mean, we don't have to rush into it, we've got time, but yeah... I think we should at least make sure to make it official between the two of us.".
"Truly?", Perla looked at him, and Adam replied, "Well, as our children's watching us in confusion, I better do it right...Perla, daughter of Geppetto, and mother of our children, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?".
Perla's eyes watered slightly, smiling brightly, "Yes, Adam!", as she kissed him on the lips heartily, as Teddy and Rosalie grumbled as they tried to focus on suckling, and Carlo, having paused in his drinking of his milk bottle, "Are you two going to be married like Gramma and Grandpa Jules?".
Perla nodded, smiling happily, "Yes, we are, darling. It's going to make all of us a family officially in the eyes of the outside world, through that we're already a family to all in this castle, our home.".
The younger children seemed to understand and cheered happily as they huddled into their parents' laps and such, minding Teddy and Rosalie as they resumed drinking their milk bottles to the finish line, and then with full bellies and having been through the castle all day, fell asleep into a nap, with Teddy and Rosalie still suckling, and Perla, tired, followed her children's example, and Adam watched over them contentedly as he soon gently took Rosalie into his arms as she fell asleep, and Teddy snuggling into Perla's shoulder after they finished feeding a few minutes later.
After the long nap in the bed, and dinner in various ways, the family all went to enjoy the New Year's Eve party with the others, with Evangeline inviting Enchantress and Fay.
Of course, the two of them were very busy with things, but even they were at least trying to spare a few minutes to join the festivities.
"Most of the children are already asleep now...", Jiminy said as he came back from checking on the children. They just were unable to keep themselves awake before midnight.
Leila smiled at Jules, "Thank you for putting the twins to bed, and for you and Adam and Ray to ask Jiminy to check on the children, even if the nursery rooms are different and such...Are Ella, Naveen, Carlo, and Azure, and Chip still up?".
Jiminy smirked, "Oh, yes, they're really trying to keep awake, but when I left them, there were definitely signs of yawning.".
Mrs. Potts chuckled, "It's so wonderful that Chip has a lot of friends his age...I was so concerned for him since the other children of the staff is literally two or three years older, when the curse first enacted...".
Enchantress winced, still ashamed for her actions upon her fury. She was not usually that angry. Jiminy, conscience instincts on force, along with a bit of advisor instincts, had noticed the troubled look on Enchantress's face.
As the party went on around them, with almost everyone dancing, enjoying the music, or eating the midnight snack feast, like Figaro, Sultan the dog who used to be the footstool, and the cat who was a pillow whose name is Tilly, Jiminy carefully walked up to Enchantress who's looking up at the stars through one of the large wall-to-ceiling windows.
Jiminy gave a little cough to grab her attention, and she blinked, but didn't turn to look, and he took it to keep talking, "The stars are particularly bright, almost like they're trying to be like the Evening Star...".
"It's a game they do on celebrations like this...I suppose you'd say that they are having a fair chance to be the best, to bring light and joy to the people out there in the darkness.", Enchantress responded softly.
"They certainly do a good job... making things bright and turning this night into quite a special one.", Jiminy said as she nodded, "It's a new year. It's always special when things start over in many ways...".
Jiminy then took the chance to leap on that, and replied, "You know, you can start over...I mean, from what Evangeline said, you are doing a great job granting wishes in people's hearts when you took over her old job a few times in the test run for the Evening Star.".
"I know...", Enchantress sighed as she rubbed her arm, "It's just... I don't know, the past and all; my curses... I never tried to be malicious and did give those a chance to break them... more often than not they wouldn't thanks to their own doings..."
Jiminy looked at her, "Were...were they dangerous when the curses ended for them, after being unable to break them?", knowing that curses had a deadline, just like Adam and the castle's curse had, worried about repercussions to the world, if they hurt innocent people.
"It depended on the situation.", Enchantress told him. "Adam was more of an extreme case. I thought it would take a harsher curse to get him to finally open his eyes...".
Jiminy blinked, "Oh...So, the other curses, they were less extreme, then?", and Enchantress nodded, "I wouldn't dare have the blood of innocents outside the places of the curses on my soul. And for the ones who weren't able to break their spells, they just...they just try to get along with the things I cursed them with, or they died to their own faults...", with a heavy sigh.
"But you do feel regret?", Jiminy asked as she nodded, "I thought that maybe in the long run, it would be better... but, as I said, some just... they never really learned.".
Jiminy nodded softly, "That's fair...And it's not your fault they were spoiled and rude and whatever in the first place before you came to them. It was their choice to be that way. Adam nearly chose that way thanks to the state of his family, the situation itself, but he never hurt the staff through the years, and even if he was angry, he never caused any issues with the village for he was smart not to risk the lives of the staff even if they were objects, not human, and sure, he could've perhaps have gone feral or just in isolation, probably accepting the fact that he is at least having his family in the staff, if the curse hadn't been broken after the deadline, but he still had a heart to recognize that he wasn't entirely gone to ask for help, to have feelings, and all when we came, including Perla.".
"I know...", Enchantress said. "Perla's mind isn't as tight as she probably would like it when she sleeps.". She gave a light chuckle, "It's how I knew that Adam indeed had basically done what was needed to break the curse.".
Jiminy widened his eyes, realizing that she knew that Perla and Adam were and are soulmates, destined to have true love with each other, to be there for each other, through good times and tribulations.
"You...You slightly manipulated the wolves to be less hungry that night, didn't you?", Jiminy murmured as he remembered the night of their arrival.
Enchantress gave a small smile, "I may have nudged when I could, but I could never, ever put such an incredible, and tight-knit family who went through so much, especially with young lives in that situation. I'm not heartless.".
Jiminy smiled, "Well, I must thank you for that...", bowing his head respectfully and gratefully as he held her hand, kissing the air above her hand, and Enchantress blushed, smiling at him, surprised at the noble gesture, almost like being treated as a noble lady or princess, not noticing Sultan, with a baked fish in his mouth, chased by Figaro and Tilly the cats, wanting the fish.
Sultan saw the legs of Jiminy and tried to brake, skidding his paws as he almost came into contact, successfully turning, but not noticing what he did, for he had actually caused Jiminy to fall back, unconsciously looking for something to catch him, and caught Enchantress's wrist, causing her to fall forward, as darkness enveloped them within the curtain that they fell into behind, with Jiminy hitting his head some on the floor, through the long hem of the curtains somewhat helped soften it up, but not quite enough, as he groaned lightly.