Chapter Forty

A/N: I do not own anything other than my OCs when they come out to play. Everything else belongs to either Disney or the Greek Myths!

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Tracie Adams: I mean, there's about 39 more chapters of this fic so it may end up being in here :D

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AmethystDragon14: Yay! I know, it doesn't seem real does it? And yeah, Geene, your be upset but just remember that you also have the best brother any girl could ask for. Doubly so because he chose to be your brother! And yes, you can say Gia and Hayden are adorable, I loved writing them!

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Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Let me know what you think! :D

Jane smiled softly as she watched one of the home videos her parents had brought; their cat curled up on her pregnant belly. Now that the holidays were over and they were getting dangerously close to her due date, Jane's mother and father had offered to stay with them in case Jane went into labor when Carlos was out on a call.

Both parents-to-be readily accepted the offer; Carlos even telling Fairy Godmother in private that them being there alleviated about a bajillion worries he had about how he was going to balance his practice with being there for Jane. His mother-in-law only gave him a gentle smile and told him not to worry.

Jane knew, though, that worrying was something Carlos couldn't just turn off; that it was something ingrained in him from his years on the Isle even with the therapy Ben had provided the VKs. And she also knew one of Carlos' worries was that he would somehow end up like his 'mother'.

He hadn't said it at first, but Jane could see how hard Carlos worked to make sure he'd be the opposite of however Cruella had been with him. The baby had the second biggest room in the house, even though Jane had argued that for the first few months the baby would more often than not be sleeping with them. Nothing sharp could be around the baby, even though the baby hadn't even been born yet.

Lumiere had accidentally embarrassed Carlos when he and Fairy Godmother moved in when the former candlestick had gone to make a sandwich and couldn't find the butter knives. He then threw out a joke that they must have been re-enchanted to have legs and found someplace else to live. Of course, when he'd realized what he'd done after seeing the embarrassed flush on Carlos' face, Lumiere had apologized profusely and Jane had noticed that no jokes like that had been made since.

Though that didn't mean they hadn't given a small intervention to her well meaning husband. The baby wasn't going to get hurt by a butter knife when the baby wasn't even born yet!

"Carlos, sweetheart, can…can we have a word?" Jane asked one evening as Carlos came down from the shower.

"Of course, mouse," Carlos nodded and Jane couldn't help but smile at the lack of hesitation in her husband's voice. He had certainly come a long way from the timid boy he'd been when he arrived in Auradon. Of course…so had she.

She certainly wasn't squeaking when she met people and reminding them of mice anymore!

"Dear, we noticed that you seem to be…extra protective of the baby," Fairy Godmother said from her seat on the sofa. "Not that there's anything wrong with that but…you have to think of your quality of life as well."

Carlos sighed and shook his head. "I just don't want the baby to be hurt," he said softly.

"And that is admirable," Lumiere told his son-in-law. "But there's only so much baby proofing you can do before it starts to impact you and Jane."

"Carlos?" Jane asked softly as Carlos seemed to rub at his calf from his spot next to her. "Is…is something wrong? You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"I know," Carlos said. "I just…I'm just trying to put it into words."

"Take your time," Jane told him. She knew how hard it could be to say what you were truly thinking and the last thing she wanted to do was make Carlos feel pressured.

"I…I um…I don't want to be like my…like Cruella," Carlos finally said after a few minutes, his voice soft. "Like how she was with Clay and like how she was with me."

"But…what would that have to do with getting rid of the butter knives?" Lumiere asked.

"…My bed was a nest of furs in Cruella's fur closet when I was growing up," Carlos told him. "It was…it was surrounded by bear traps, to protect the furs. I um…I got caught in one, once when I was a kid."

Jane gasped softly and gently took Carlos' hand. "Is that why you insisted on the baby's room being the biggest spare room we had? So it didn't seem like the baby was in a closet?"

Carlos nodded. "I know it seems silly, since like you said Jane the baby'll be with with us most of the time anyway when they're first born. But…"

"It's not silly, Carlos," Jane said, giving Carlos a small smile. "And for what it's worth, you could never be like Cruella."

"Jane's right, Carlos," Fairy Godmother nodded. "I had the pleasure of seeing you grow throughout your time at Auradon Prep and I can confidently say that you are the exact opposite of Cruella."

Carlos gave his mother-in-law a small smile. "I think you have to say that, I'm married to your daughter."

"Have you ever known mom to say something she hadn't meant?" Jane asked as she held Carlos close to her. "And if she doesn't count, then maybe you'll believe it when I say it. You are nothing like Cruella and the idea that you would even be anything like her is preposterous."

"You…you think so?" Carlos asked, giving Jane the same small smile he'd given Fairy Godmother.

"I know so," Jane said as she kissed Carlos' cheek.

"…Thanks Jane."

"But give me back our butter knives! I'm tired of making a sandwich using plastic cutlery that always breaks in the mayo!"

The sounds of giggling broke Jane out of her thoughts and she couldn't help but smile as she watched the tape of her as a baby giggling at something. What it was, Jane wasn't entirely sure as at that moment, she felt a wave of pain rush up her.

"Mom!" Jane shouted before gritting her teeth. "Carlos! Dad!"

A small bark at her feet drew Jane's attention and she couldn't help but smile as she saw Dude sitting there.

"Dude, go get…Carlos," Jane said, wincing as a contraction seemed to hit. Dude nodded and ran off. If Jane had truly thought about it, she wasn't entirely sure how a small dog like Dude could reasonably get a human like Carlos but there was no time to ponder that.

"Dude? What's wrong?" Jane heard Carlos ask. "Is it Jane? Is something wrong with the baby?"

"I'm…Carlos! I think I'm…no I'm definitely in labor!" Jane called, trying to be as loud as she could despite the pain she was feeling. In almost a flash, her husband was by her side; his hand in hers as her parents quickly followed. Dude hopped up onto the couch and sat on the arm; gently licking Jane's cheek.

Bee the Second had made herself scarce the minute Jane started to yell. Not that Jane blamed the cat in the slightest.

"You're sure?" Carlos asked.

"Pretty positive," Jane nodded, squeezing his hand as another contraction hit. "…Plus the wet spot I'm sitting in might be as clear a sign as any that I'm in…labor."

Fairy Godmother nodded. "Alright Jane, do you think you can walk?"

"I…I think so…" Jane told her.

"Good, okay. Carlos dear, take Jane to change her clothes while Lumiere set up the couch to better serve to deliver the baby. And then, if you could be a dear and make Jane a tea with ginger, peppermint, rosemary and white willow herb? It won't taste the best but it will help with the pain, especially with Jane being half-Fae."

Carlos nodded and gently led Jane off to get changed. And if they happened to grab the birthing pillow Lucy Charming had given Jane as a gag gift during her baby shower, well no one commented on it. The large, pumpkin shaped pillow was going to come in handy.

Meanwhile, Fairy Godmother and Lumiere got to work making up the sofa so that Jane would be as comfortable as possible while delivering her child. Grabbing the remote to turn off the TV, Fairy Godmother couldn't help but smile as she saw what was playing.

"Dear?" Lumiere asked, noticing his wife's pause.

"Jane was watching the tape of the first time she laughed," Fairy Godmother said. Sure they hadn't meant to be filming that moment but Fairy Godmother was grateful they managed to capture it. "A fairy is born of a child's first laugh…I guess Jane's child wanted to see what their mom found so funny."

Lumiere smiled softly, opting to follow his wife's lead on all things that pertained to the Fae. The last time he had interacted with a member of the Fae, he had ended up being a candlestick for ten years.

Soon, Jane and Carlos were back in the room and Jane was all set up on the couch; Fairy Godmother stationed at the foot to help deliver the baby.

"I'm so sorry…I woke you guys up…" Jane whispered, wincing as another contraction hit.

Carlos shook his head and gently kissed the top of his wife's head. "I'd rather be up and help you than sleep through your labor," he told her.

"Carlos is right Jane," Fairy Godmother nodded. "Besides, you wouldn't have been able to deliver the baby yourself. You just relax okay? We've got this all in hand."

Lumiere nodded, taking Jane's other hand as to not be in the way. "Your mother's right, cherie. You just relax and squeeze my hand if you need to. We are here if you need anything right now."

Dude gave a soft woof and gently licked Jane's cheek from his spot on the sofa. It was as if he was saying that he wanted to help if at all possible.

"Thank you," Jane said softly. "All of you. Really, I didn't mean to—."

"Jane, your father and I wanted to be here to help you with your pregnancy," Fairy Godmother told her. "This is helping. And even if we hadn't been here, if we were asleep in our own bed, we'd want you to call us. Okay?"

"…Okay mom…" Jane said softly.

Fairy Godmother smiled softly. "Okay dear one, looks like you're about ready to push."

"Already? But…it doesn't feel like it's been that long," Jane said.

"Yeah, Mal said her labor felt like it took forever," Carlos nodded.

Fairy Godmother smiled and shook her head. "Every birth is different. Some women have painful labors, some women don't feel any pain. Some women labor for hours, for others it's a question of if they'll make it to the hospital before the baby comes."

Carlos nodded softly. If he was honest, he had hoped for more time before the baby came. Not because he wanted Jane to be in pain but…because he wanted a bit more time to gear his head around the fact that he was going to be a father. That he would need to work to not be like Cruella.

"Hey," Jane said softly, gently squeezing his hand as if she knew what he was thinking about. "You are not going to be like Cruella okay?"

"How did you…?"

"It's pretty obvious what you…were thinking about," Jane said, wincing as another contraction hit. "And you know…you will never be like Cruella. I won't…let you for starters but I know you…won't let yourself be like her either."

Carlos smiled softly and gently kissed the top of Jane's head. "Thanks mouse."

"You'd do the same for me, Carlos," Jane said softly.

Fairy Godmother smiled but cleared her throat. "I'm really sorry to interrupt but Janey, you really do need to push now okay?"

"Okay…mom…" Jane said and began to push as hard as she could. She squeezed both Carlos' and her father's hands as hard as she could as she worked to bring her child into the world.

"That's it Jane, keep pushing," her mother said; her voice faint as Jane tried to focus solely on delivering her baby.

"You got this, mouse," Carlos said.

"I…I think we'll need a new couch…" Jane groaned as she continued to push.

Carlos chuckled. "I'll worry about that, don't you worry okay? You just focus on this and I'll take care of the other stuff later."

"We will…take care of the other stuff later…it's not fair to you Carlos to worry about everything…especially since I'll…be off work…"

Jane had been working as an assistant to the headmistress of Auradon Prep, almost as a teacher's aid. She knew they had enough funds that she could be a stay at home mom if she wanted to be one but…Jane wanted to still work even though she was also a mom.

"Hey, you know I can make my schedule work however we need it too," Carlos told her. "I've already told River no house calls for at least the next six months."

"Months?! But Carlos, those house calls are something you enjoy," Jane said, shocked at the news.

Carlos shrugged. "You'll need me more Jane. I'm not going to just hit the road when there's a newborn and especially not when they're my child. The VKs have a lot of issues with parents, I'm not going to lie, but I've seen what an absent parent can do to kids…and I'm not doing that to mine. As long as you need me, I'll be there."

Jane reached up to give Carlos a kiss on the cheek before leaning forward once more to give another push; her body urging her to keep going. Jane felt a rush of warmth that might have been her magic aiding her because the next thing she knew, she was slumped back and her mother was smiling.

"Congratulations Janey," Fairy Godmother said. "It's a girl."

"A…a girl? We have a daughter?" Jane asked with a small smile as Dude trotted over to Fairy Godmother's end of the couch to sniff at the new member of the family. A faint golden sparkle could be seen for a few seconds as the baby cooed softly in her grandmother's arms.

"Mom…what did you…?"

"It's my blessing to her Janey," Fairy Godmother said, giving her daughter a small smile. "Something to help her know that she is always safe and happy…I did the same for you the day you were born."

"Then…shouldn't I have done it? If it's traditionally done by mothers to their children?" Jane asked.

Fairy Godmother shook her head. "It's traditionally done by the elder Fae, and you really think I was going to let you do magic like this right after giving birth?"

"I'm going to guess…no?"

"You'd be correct," Fairy Godmother said with a small smile. "Carlos, dear, can you please go get another towel so we can get your daughter cleaned off? Then I have a feeling you'd want to hold her."

"Yes please," Carlos nodded as he went to go get a towel from the laundry room. Before he knew it, his little girl was cleaned off, bundled up, and put into his arms.

"Congratulations you two," Lumiere said with a smile.

"Thanks dad," Jane said with a small smile as she looked at her daughter before Carlos set her down in Jane's arms so she could have a better angle to see their daughter.

Fairy Godmother couldn't help but softly dab at the corners of her eyes as she looked at the sight before her.

"Oh mom…don't cry," Jane said, her mother's dabbing not as subtle as she had thought.

"Happy tears Janey, only happy tears," Fairy Godmother said. "Do…do you know what you're going to name her?"

Carlos looked over at Jane, who bit her lip. "We…we hadn't…"

"Actually…I had an idea," Carlos told her. "Remember how you said you wanted her middle name to be 'Jennifer' if we had a daughter?"

"Jen…oh Jane!"

"You helped raise me to be the woman I am, mom. Why wouldn't I want to use your name with my daughter?" Jane said before looking back at Carlos. "What are you thinking?"

"Well um…I did some research," Carlos said. "And apparently…your dad's middle name is 'Carolus'—."

"First off…what?" Jane asked, looking at her father. "You never even told me that!"

"You spend time as a candlestick for ten years, you forget things," Lumerie said with a small shrug.

Jane shook her head. "And second of all, you want to name our daughter 'Carolus'?"

"Of course not," Carlos said. "I was thinking we could name her 'Caroline'. It's apparently the feminine form of the name and you could honor both your parents without making it seem like you were favoring one."

"…Why were you listening in on my call with Lonnie?"

"Mouse, I love you but it's not a private call when you're making it in our bedroom at three in the morning," Carlos shook his head and the baby cooed in what they assumed to be amusement if newborns could feel amused.

Jane chuckled softly before tilting her head in thought. "Caroline Jennifer DeVil…you know I like it?"

"I think she likes it too," Fairy Godmother said as she heard Caroline coo once more. "Welcome to the world sweet Caroline. You certainly know how to make an entrance."

"Hey, she's half VK after all," Carlos said with a small chuckle as Dude came over and gently snuffled at Caroline. Hearing the soft coo come from her, Dude gave Caroline's cheek a soft lick.

"You know we'll have to call Mal and Ben, let them know? Not to mention Clay and the rest of our friends and family?" Carlos said.

"They can wait until the morning," Jane told him before pausing slightly in thought. "I mean…the morninger morning."

"You go get some sleep Jane," Fairy Godmother told her daughter. "You've more than earned it."

"I'll get some sleep in a minute," Jane said, leaning back against her pumpkin shaped birthing pillow and staring lovingly at her daughter; Dude pressing as close as he could while their cat finally decided to grace them with her presence once more.

Carlos shook his head before sneakily grabbing a photo just as the cat made herself comfortable on Jane's lap.

I wonder if I bribed Mal with strawberries if she'd draw this for me? Carlos thought as he looked at the photo. Actually, knowing Mal, she's likely already got a similar drawing of Ben and her kids and her dogs. Still though…also is it a bad idea to bribe the High Queen of Auradon to do something for you?

Looking back at his wife, daughter, and animals, Carlos decided that he would ponder the moral quandary of potentially bribing the ruler of the land to draw him a picture later. All he cared about was this moment right here.

His past might have been crazy…but his future was looking bright.