Klaus gave a disgruntled grunt, and Abraham chuckled, "Looks like you're truly a twin to your sister in a way...I know I gave you your first name back then with your mother, and you kept it, and I won't dare argue with that, but now, do you want me or Thaddeus to give your new middle name?".
Klaus gurgled, reaching with a small hand at Thaddeus, and Abraham smiled, "Well, you heard our son...Your turn, Tad.", glancing at his husband as Rachel seemed to make an amused gurgle, looking up at her poppa curiously, wondering what Thaddeus will come up with.
"Oh, jeez...", Thaddeus chuckled as Abraham chuckled, looking at him. "Seems Klaus really put you on the spot there.", he teased as Thaddeus nodded.
"Well, in my defense, we already knew his name from the start so thinking of any other names never occurred to me.", Thaddeus told him.
"I'll tell you the truth, it's the same with me too... guess we just weren't prepared on that one aspect of being parents again...", Abraham had a small laugh.
Thaddeus gave a warm laugh, "That's very good logic, my husband...Give me a moment to think about it...", becoming quiet as he thought for a minute before replying, "Okay, I think I got it. How about Oliver? Klaus Oliver Thatch, do that work for you, kiddo?", with a smile as he gazed upon his third son, since Augustus was his first son, with Milo as a second son in a way, and now it's Klaus's turn to be his third son.
Klaus was quiet for a moment before giving an excited coo, clenching his other hand into Thaddeus's finger of his free hand as he cradled Rachel with the other hand, and Abraham smiled, "He loves it, dear husband...Can you believe it? We're a father and poppa now...", as their newborn twins gurgled and cooed in baby language.
"And we're actually going to raise them in Atlantis.", Thaddeus gave a warm chuckle as Nola replied, "Let's help get you out of this pool, get that placenta out of you, and do document mark ups on your son before he gets hungry.".
"Thank you... I think I'm looking more like my old self if I stay in this water for much longer...", Abraham joked as Thaddeus slowly helped him up a bit. "Easy, easy... not too fast...", Thaddeus warned.
After 10 minutes of pushing and taking the placenta out, resting back on the bed, with Nola documenting Klaus as she cut and clipped the end of the cord in his belly button, measuring and such, Klaus was finally able to be back in his father's arms, now hungrily whining as Rachel was doing the same.
Thaddeus chuckled, handing Rachel into the other side of Abraham's arms, and as Nola and the other healers took the pool out of the room, leaving the family to bask in their serene time, as Klaus latched into Abraham's breast for his first meal, suckling eagerly as Rachel took the other breast, suckling a bit less eagerly, but still content.
Abraham sighed deeply with a content smile, never taking his eyes off the newborns, "And to think we'd be around for a long, long time to see them grow into adulthood...I got a second chance, Tad...", with a small sob of joy.
"It's alright...", Thaddeus whispered. "I know it's painful to think at the same time as feeling joy... but never forget that it won't happen again down here... they'll live rich and full lives without fear of being harmed by others...".
Abraham smiled softly, "You're right...I love you, Thaddeus Thatch...", and Thaddeus smiled, "I love you too, Abraham Thatch...", kissing him on the lips reverently and lovingly, and so, they relaxed as the twins finished their meal, burping softly, and then went to sleep in Abraham's arms after 30 minutes.
As the twins were deep asleep, the couple were visited by the family as Sia walked in with her loved ones, and Abraham looked up with a relieved, wide smile, "Oh, Sia, it's a relief to see you up and walking. I suppose you and the family are heading back to the palace?".
Sia smiled, "Yep. I wouldn't want Kida to wait any longer with anxiety, even if Milo has been working to keep her distracted with the festival plans, as I couldn't want her to go into preterm labor, even if she's already 8 months along with a couple of months to go for the finish line. Is that Rachel and Klaus? They're so beautiful!", with an adoring coo as she held Korbyn who is sleeping now in her arms.
Abraham nodded. "Yep... certainly didn't make things easy on me when they came though...", he joked as Sia nodded. "At least consider yourself lucky you didn't have to truly worry about them like I did... I wouldn't wish that on anyone...", she told him.
Abraham nodded, "Aye...How is little Jendayi doing?", and Sia smiled softly, "Kicking and being lively at times. I heard how Rachel gave her water bag of release to my baby's home...I'd never be thankful enough for that, especially when yesterday was Christmas Day...".
Thaddeus widened his eyes, looking at Jacques, "Is she right?", and Jacques, his hand rubbing Sia's back, "Yep. It was Christmas Eve when I left England, and took all night, and then when I felt that something was wrong, and all that happened since then, with saving Sia and Jendayi, it was truly a chaotic time of Christmas Day, yet I told Sia here just a couple of hours ago that we can always make our Christmas or any other holiday as it doesn't matter about being late on the surface for we have each other which matters more than anything.".
"Then yesterday...I knew something was in the air when I was giving birth to Rachel...Yes, you're right, we can always make our own Christmastime and heck, even Hanukkah as well, wouldn't you agree, Tad?", Abraham replied softly, looking thoughtful and surprised before glancing at Thaddeus.
Thaddeus chuckled, "Indeed, and no one wouldn't have to say otherwise as we're not on the surface anyway. Still, it's best to be careful with the calendar either way, more or less.", as Vinny replied with a snort, "Sounds about right. My friends, more or less, are happy to stay past dark until dinner or curfew as Atlantis doesn't have to worry about intruders or robbers or even mob bosses...", with a sigh.
Jacques gently ruffled Vinny's hair, "Hey, those instincts of staying alive will be gone soon, Vinny, and you will see that you are absolutely living, not surviving.", with a reassuring smile, and Vinny nodded softly.
Sia smiled, "Anyway, we better get going...Nola will clear you out soon, dear friends, like she has for me. She's right that I need to get on my feet anyway...it's good that this daughter of mine is not truly heavy yet, but I'll have to get used to my new center of gravity as I didn't even have a obvious baby bump before yesterday...", not even mentioning that when Vinny was distracted with Korbyn in the distance, the couple was blushing red when Nola told them that they can still do gentle lovemaking for three months within the end of this week starting, while Jendayi remains 6 months along, understanding with the near-traumatic experience of nearly losing their daughter that passionate or even rough lovemaking is off the table.
Thaddeus nodded warmly, "We will visit soon, perhaps within the final days of the festival, as we would want time with the twins for a while longer.", and Abraham smiled, "He's right. Again, it's relieving so much to see you, Sia. I know Kida is the queen, so if she orders you to stay in the palace for a long time, best to go with it, even if you are not quite helpless yet, but I have a feeling that Jacques doesn't want any more near-heart attacks if he can help it.".
"Isn't that the truth...", Sia chuckled. "Jacques needs his rest too though; the whole resistance movement and all the fighting and trying to stay one step ahead of the occupiers really has exhausted him to the point that I wouldn't be surprised if he sleeps for a week straight...".
Jacques snorted, "You ain't wrong on that, Sia...Still, congratulations, guys, they look wonderful. We will pass on the good news that they are healthy and well, since I bet Milo is worried a bit.".
Thaddeus smiled, "I would really appreciate that, thanks.", with a nod, and so, the family left Abraham and Thaddeus' room, heading home to the palace, with Vinny holding the slumbering Korbyn in his arms while they were on the steps, with Jacques at Sia's side, noticing that the palace steps has become a bit modernized, having a set of four, very long handrails here and there from the ground floor to the palace itself which is relieving, figuring that Milo had done it out of thinking for Kida's safety if she gets cabin fever and such, and of course, any pregnant or disabled citizens if they are on their days of throne calls, to go over any issues in the city of their neighborhood or such.
Sia replied, "You know, I'm just allowing you to keep me safe on those stairs for now, yet you know I would be stubborn, and I will be fine eventually with the new baby weight.", and Jacques chuckled, "True, but I love you for it.", kissing her on the forehead.
Soon, they made it into the palace, and Sia heard her sister's shout of anger and concern, "Thalassia Nedakh!", as they tried to avoid the throne room, and she winced, glancing at Vinny, "Take your brother to his crib. Your papa and I will be in our bedroom sooner or later after your aunt is finished with her lecture...Hopefully, this isn't too much on my niece/nephew, or on your baby sister.".
Vinny nodded, and headed straightforward to his family's private wing, relieved that Korbyn wasn't disturbed, while Jacques whispered, "Been a while since she said your full name, huh?". Sia nodded, "Yeah... I guess I partially have this coming in a way..."
"You didn't know...", Jacques tried to assure her. "But I knew you were coming, I should've at least played it safe and not gone; just stayed here and wait for you...", Sia replied.
Jacques sighed deeply, "True...But it's the past now...All it matters now is that our daughter is completely safe and healthy, and that you fought for me, for her, for our family.", kissing her on the lips as he caressed her baby bump lovingly.
Sia smiled warmly, "You always know what to say, Jacques...Well, let's not delay this much longer before Kida gets any more impatient...", with a sigh before they walked into the throne room, seeing that Kida is standing with a unreadable look, as Milo stood nearby, looking resigned yet allowing his wife to rant as she clearly needs it...Perhaps it would take off all the stress and such before it overwhelms her and their baby.
Jacques saw many new changes in the throne room, including that the weeping king's head statue was off the ground, no longer weeping as it is now a complete half torso with the king's head looking strong, but now he knew he will look around later, as he has all the time to see how Atlantis has fared as he is to stay in support of Sia, yet not daring to interrupt the queen as Kida is clearly in a mood.
He was just hopeful that Kida wouldn't be too harsh on her sister. After all, no one had any idea that she was still pregnant and according to Sia, she was showing no signs of it.
Kida glared at Sia, "I should have gone with my gut feeling when you told me that you were going off to hunt that worm creature! If you were that damn stubborn to see that worm creature come down for good, you should have stayed back in the back of the Ketak convoy, relaying orders if I had known that you were pregnant! Or at least got another hunting party to join your regular hunting party, if you damn listened to me when I suggested that you should wait for Jacques in the palace or at the landing pad of the narwhal! You were damn lucky that Jacques came in time miraculously, and that it took all of Milo, the guards, and such to hold me back from coming down to the healer center, to see for myself, saying that if I saw you in such a perilous state, I would have overstressed my baby to come into pre-term labor even if they are already in full term development already! Did you ever think that besides Jacques and Korbyn and Vinny, I wouldn't have you in my life again, especially when our father passed away only fairly recently?!", tears prickling at the corners of her eyes.
"Kida, I'm sorry...", Sia told her. That really was all she could say about the situation. She couldn't make any excuses; she honestly didn't need to have gone along with taking care of the worm, it was the excitement of the hunt that mostly drove her to that decision.
Kida took a deep breath, tears falling down her cheeks, grabbing Sia's head from behind gently, touching foreheads as they couldn't quite hug normally, thanks to Kida's very big baby bump, and Sia's medium big baby bump, and they stood like that for several minutes before Kida then stepped back, and looked at Sia, "As your queen, I order you to stay in the palace for 3 months, and you will exercise properly in the royal gardens out back for the good of the baby, but not to the city, and as for the festival, I'll give you just one reprieve to enjoy the festival and show Jacques around for one day, but only in the courtyard by the palace steps, as I know the people pass through to show off the games and the food for the guards on their days off for the festival, yet no more beyond that, is that clear, Thalassia Nedakh?", as the festival will last for several days.
"Very much...", Sia nodded. It was for the best; especially now that she was, for sure, carrying another child and didn't need to push things now especially with how far along things were... as well as just not repeating the scare again which she was sure she was going to have nightmares about for centuries.
Kida nodded, "Good. I couldn't easily forgive you, Sia, but I accept your apology. I expect this is a lesson learned, is it not?", looking at her sister deeply.
"It is learned, dear sister.", Sia replied, and Kida looked relieved to hear that, "Then I will see you at supper, dear sister. We will talk of good things, and put this behind us, alright?".
Sia exhaled, "Of course.", and Kida then looked at Jacques, "I didn't expect you to be home so soon, Jacques, yet I'm very relieved you did, and I would never be thankful enough to you for saving my sister and niece. I recommend that you two rest, and I mean, just rest, as I suspect Nola gave you rules, correct?".
Jacques nodded with a bit of blush, "Yes, ma'am, we have a few rules now thanks to Nola, and yes, we will go rest, until we're called for supper.", and Kida nodded, "Very good. You two are dismissed, until you have something else to say?".
"For your husband, my queen, I have news from Abraham and Thaddeus.", Jacques replied as he was told of some things in catching up with Sia, and he was pleasantly happy to hear that Milo and Kida got hitched not too long after the gang went up to the surface.
Milo stepped forward, looking curious and concerned, "Good news?", and Jacques nodded, "Yep. Congratulations, my king. You are now a big adoptive brother to a pair of healthy and beautiful siblings in Rachel Serenity Thatch and Klaus Oliver Thatch.", as Nola had told the new middle names of the Thatch twins upon discovering that Sia had woken up wonderfully without any side effects.
Milo then looked relieved and happy to hear the good news, and replied, "And Opa?", and Jacques smiled, "He's doing great. Sore, but great. He and Thaddeus has asked for some private parent-child time once Nola clears them, saying that they will visit to show off the twins to you and Kida within the latter half of the festival.".
Milo sighed. "Darn, was kinda hoping to see them as soon as possible.", he admitted as Jacques chuckled. "I think they just want their rest after all the stress, I certainly know I need a lot more...", he said as he did look fairly tired.
Kida chuckled, "Dear husband, he's right, and besides, your Opa and Poppa are adults. They will visit when they can.", and Milo nodded, "Fair enough. Thanks, Jacques. We will see ya at supper.".
Jacques and Sia bowed their heads, and left the throne room, and Kida took a deep breath, sitting back gingerly on the throne daybed, "Oh, that took a lot out of me...", stroking her large baby bump, as Milo sat next to her, rubbing her shoulders, "But you feel better now, huh?".
"Much better now, Milo, but that will not be forgotten any time soon...", Kida sighed deeply, and Milo replied, "I know, Kida...But we will make the best of good memories to make the pain and stress of it all go away easier...", kissing her on the lips.