Kel whispered with wide eyes, "You...you love me too as mate? But would Thomas-mate being jealous?", glancing over at Thomas with a worried lip, with Martha looking at her husband too, wondering the same...
It's weird to admit it, but strangely, ever since Martha saw She-Hulk aka Kel in the reflection for the first time, and with conversations and dreams, her comfort and care was so kind and attractive next to her goddess beauty as they grieved for Thomas and raised Bruce together in a way, Martha had fallen in love with her, much to her shock, but held it back deep down as she was worried and terrified of being not normal for Thomas and the others.
She knew it's abnormal in a way as she is being like Narcissus in that story, but She-Hulk is not her reflection on the other hand...Either way, she didn't want to hurt Thomas or She-Hulk or rather Kel now, but something right now, maybe with the joy that she's outside Kel's body, reunited with Thomas thanks to Halloween magic, something in the air, she took the chance to admit her deep secret.
"Not at all...", Thomas said. "You two are both here... you're both almost separate people even when you share the same body. It might be unusual but there's nothing wrong with it because it's the truth... you each are your own person.", he told them.
Martha exhaled in relief as Kel smiled happily, and glanced at Martha, "Can I being having kisses as encouragement?", with a nervous look. Martha smiled, "Kel, Thomas and I both love you as who you are, and you don't have to ask...Don't be disappointed if I am kinda rusty...", taking a deep breath before kissing Kel on the lips and Kel widened her eyes before closing them as she kissed her back, glad that her practice with Thomas if only two times so far, is working.
Thomas proudly smiled, feeling strangely attracted to the sight of two beautiful women kissing, especially his wife and his mate, and somehow felt better to see that Martha is moving on, and yes, it's true that he would feel sad every time Martha and Kel grieves for him, but it's good that they are getting better.
Martha and Kel pulled back, smiling, looking at each other, and Kel grinned, "Martha-mate not rusty...You being amazing.", and Martha blushed, smiling, about to say something when Kel groaned in pain from another contraction, taking deep breaths, as Thomas kissed Kel on the temple, "Breathe, Kel...It won't be too long...You got this...", with Kel smiling at him and Martha in appreciation as Martha brushed her hair back.
It was perhaps 3 hours of contractions, moans and groans of pain, kisses of encouragement, and checking the dilation progress, as the pain increased each hour, and at the end of the third hour, Kel was crying out in pain from the latest contractions, "Please, Leslie-healer, tell me I am being close to pushing! It hurts!".
Leslie informed, "You are getting really close to pushing, just a couple more centimeters to full dilation!", and Kel heard her, glancing at her mates, "Can you two being massaging my lower back? Feeling pup really heavy there...It really sore...".
"Sure.", Martha said as they moved to assist her. Kel groaned again as she felt their hands on her before she felt another sharp contraction, crying out in pain. "Easy, easy... deep breaths; we both know how this feels... but you obviously are taking it way better than me.", Martha chuckled.
"I remember.", Leslie smiled. "Those last few minutes before Bruce was out, you were screaming a lot... actually not too differently when I treated you.".
"Yeah, but I remember pausing at times and catching my breath... that other time... there was no breaks.", Martha replied with a snort and a nod. Kel took deep breaths, growling softly, "Wasn't pleasant to hear new friend at time screaming with no breaks...but I happy that you cured of illness and learning that new friend became more as Martha-mate since I came to you.".
Martha smiled at Kel, "Thanks, Kel...Don't worry, it will be over in a while, you just need to focus on the pushing when the pain comes, after Leslie says that you're ready. Right now, you need to relax...to feel better and less sore...", as she and Thomas massaged Kel's lower back as she sighed, taking deep breaths, trying to focus on their helpful massage, trying to ignore the sharp contractions with slightly less painful cries of pain as 10 minutes passed.
Kel then shouted in pain as a sharper contraction came suddenly with the feeling of something releasing, and Leslie shouted, "Water bag's breaking, and yes, you're in the clear, Kel! Breathe and push on the end of the next contraction!", as Thomas and Martha left their spots of massaging and moved closer to grasp Kel's hands, with Thomas replying, "You got this, Kel!".
"Count the contractions if that helps, Kel!", Martha encouraged her, and Kel nodded, taking deep breaths as she listened and counted the contractions as they came faster and more painful, and at the end of another one, she pushed, a mix of roaring cries of pain which was tame for her, but still quite in volume.
"I see something!", Leslie called out, "The baby is starting to come!", as Kel pushed again, after laboring like this for 30 minutes.
"You hear that?", Thomas said. "You've almost got this!". Kel took a few more deep breaths as she knew she was almost at the end of things. A few more quick contractions as she pushed, crying and roaring in pain at the same time, and she could feel much of the pressure pushing her apart between her legs; but it was feeling less and less pressure further up proving that the baby was almost out.
Leslie shouted, "Oh, my! The baby is enveloped by a membrane, acting like a wolf pup! Almost there with the head, Kel! Push!", and Kel pushed, roaring louder in pain as the head came through at last, and Leslie tried to keep ahold of the head, gently tearing the membrane away, "I got the head, I'm tearing the membrane, almost there, Kel, a few more pushes for the shoulders and body!".
Martha sobbed, kissing Kel on the cheek, "Yes, almost there! Breathe and push!", as Thomas kissed Kel and Martha, "She's right, you got this, Kel!", as Kel took deep breaths as contractions quickened, pushing as she cried and roared louder in pain, feeling further apart between her legs.
Leslie replied, "Yes, one last push should do it!", as she brought the baby out more and more, tearing the rest of the membrane along as the baby reacted to the sounds and cool air, and Kel pushed hard as she cried and roared in pain, and then heaved back with heavy panting and tears as then a squealing wail of life was heard.
The trio looked immediately as Leslie laughed, holding up the wiggling, shivering and clearly green baby, "It's a girl!", as Kel gave into sobs and pants, reaching out and Leslie hefted the baby into Kel's arms, minding the hearty cord.
Kel's voice became gentle and rumbling with purrs as she canvassed her eyes over her daughter, her mates' daughter, gently cleaning off every last bit of membrane away as the baby, the pup cried and whimpered and squeaked, shivering as Kel kissed her forehead, holding her against her chest to give her body warmth and skin to skin bonding, "Shh, shh...Mama's here...Oh, you being perfect...Look at her, Thomas-mate, Martha-mate...she being like all of us...", tears on her cheeks as she glanced at her mates.
Indeed, as the baby is drying off, becoming warm and less loud in her cries, she was revealed to have deep emerald skin like her mama, a small patch of lush, healthy looking black with auburn highlights of hair, lightly coating her head, mixed like her mother and father's hair colors, and she turned out to have her father's nose feminine style, and her mother's smile.
"She's green...", Thomas muttered. At that moment, all were wondering if perhaps that was a temporary thing. Perhaps she may have inherited her mother's two sides and would be like her, able to perhaps shift from a normal human form that could easily walk the streets of society as well as a gamma powered side that would certainly make sure her family wouldn't worry about her being out alone.
"That's why she has all of us...", Martha chuckled before the little baby stopped its crying and opened her eyes, revealing a pair of light emerald eyes that glowed fairly bright as she first looked upon her emerald skinned mama. The look of sudden calm came over as she started to make small gurgling noises as she clearly was already hungry.
Martha smiled warmly as she helped remove the bra, and Kel instinctively brought the baby closer to a breast where she latched onto a nipple immediately, making small suckling sounds eagerly as Kel smiled, "That's right, my beautiful pup...drink up...".
Thomas replied, "Golly, she is really hungry. If she is having the appetite of an adult person, she might go for a second serving...", with a chuckle, as Leslie went to carefully work on the cord, helping cutting it and clipping it to the baby's belly button, as she hummed, "She's quite healthy, and hearty in size...She is definitely taking after you, Kel, in the size department, though she's small compared to you, and big compared to a normal baby. Better keep her in the manor for a while to be careful as with her size, she would be mistaken for at least a 3-month-old baby, even if she's newborn.".
Martha replied softly, "So, I would have to keep up with her while in the manor...Well, at least Alfred's cooking has been a blessing.", and Kel gave a soft growl, "I... trying to ignoring instincts, but they screaming at me to keeping new pup in nest safe from threats in manor...I worrying if she not having mini hulk outs and changes...", as she looked at her newborn suckling daughter who is contently suckling, calm and warm and safe and happy, before something happened, as Kel gasped, "Look!", as the baby's skin became a warm tan like her mother, yet nothing else happened.
"That's incredible, and she isn't even in pain for it to happen...It's like natural on instant...But why isn't she smaller or bigger?", Thomas was in awe, touching his daughter, his mates' daughter's head gently as Kel purred in approval, showing that she's fine with Thomas and Martha touching their baby, their pup.
Martha joined in, caressing the back of the baby, "Maybe the gamma hulk outs and strength and such doesn't come in until puberty, which is a miracle honestly...The staff would be so scared and dangerous if they saw her breaking things instead of naturally exploring while she's a baby, like a sitting infant chair.", with a conflicted relieved yet scared expression.
"At least she appears to be normal again... I remember what Bruce said before... about being worried if she might have to be hidden away.", Thomas said. "Hopefully, she will be able to stay like that until she's old enough to perhaps change at her own will.".
"Something we've been planning ourselves...", Martha added as she looked at Kel. "I'd feel so much better if we could be able to switch like that ourselves... without pain, without having to constantly relive terrible moments to try and trigger things...", she sighed.
Kel kissed Martha on the cheek, "It will going be okay, Martha-mate, we will be figuring it out.", and Martha smiled softly, "Oh, Kel, that's sweet of you...".
Thomas replied, "You know, I still like Poppy...I never forgot what Bruce said after he had been thinking of what I said about hoping that we'd have a daughter...", with a smile as he kissed Kel on the cheek and caressed Martha's hand on their daughter's back, all parents holding their daughter in love and joy as she kept enjoying her first meal.
Kel smiled, "I like Poppy, rhyming with puppy...She's our pup...", and Martha chuckled, "Indeed...But still, there'd be some weird and judgmental looks as Poppy isn't exactly high society fashioned...", and Thomas scoffed, "Old farts. This century is literally getting into the 21st society, and besides, Poppy is modern.".
Leslie cleared her throat, "May I make a suggestion? Perhaps you don't have to do it vocal, but rather do it on paper. She could be Penelope or Phoebe on paper while being Poppy to all of us.".
"She'd probably just embrace the name too; even if legally it's different.", Martha said. "If that's the case, then might I suggest Penelope Kel Wayne; in that way, she has the name of all three of her parents?".
Kel's eyes widened with tears, looking at Martha, "Really?!", and Martha smiled, kissing her gently on the lips, "Why not? She's gonna be her own person while knowing her legacy behind her. So, are we all agreed?".
Thomas replied, "Aye.", with a smile, kissing Kel next on the lips, and Kel smiled, "Aye...", before she felt Poppy shift, glancing down at her daughter who babbled, and she then squealed happily, approving of her name before she then reached for the other breast hungrily as her skin turned green, not noticing her parents widen their eyes in worry and shock.
Kel patted her back as Poppy burped, and then she was moved over to the other breast, and latched into the nipple eagerly, and Thomas whispered, "Okay...we might be a bit worried now...What were we thinking? Even if she's smart to say what she wants, she's still a baby loose on her emotions...".
Martha replied, "And we can't forget the toddler tantrums...", as Kel replied, "Instincts screaming more to keep Poppy-pup safe in nest...", with a frown as she held her daughter worriedly and protectively as Poppy was carefree, just focused on her second serving of her mama's milk and the warmth of her parents.
Leslie arranged the blankets over Kel's legs as she took care of the placenta that somehow passed through without pain or notice of Kel, and replied with a frown, "Perhaps we need more advice..", glancing at the clock, "Thomas, did you say that you...you have to leave at midnight?".
Thomas nodded, glancing at the clock as his heart plummeted, seeing that he only got 40 minutes left, since it appeared that Poppy was born around 11 o'clock, and looked at Leslie, "Can you get Bruce and Alfred?".
"Of course... I... should I tell them first... about you?", Leslie asked as Thomas nodded. "Rather they should know first before seeing... I wouldn't want to give either of them such a surprise that it causes some major issues...", Thomas said as Leslie nodded and left.
Martha glanced at Thomas with a sad expression, "I don't know if I am so relieved to feel, to hear you, to touch you, to be loved by you all those few hours since Kel came into labor, or sad that we never got Bruce to spend as long as I and Kel did, with you...".
Thomas grabbed her hand, kissing her fingers and sighed, "I think we'd be lucky without having Bruce thrice traumatized by the sight of his baby sister being born and seeing his mama being in pain as I am sure he had tried to be calm and hopeful while hearing it all since Kel was loud. After all, that day, and hearing that he read the books, it should be enough for him at his age, hmm?".
Martha smiled, "I suppose you're right...Too bad I lost the bet, huh?", with a chuckle, and Kel replied, "What you waiting for? Sure, you not having high heels, but you being now taller, easier reaching Thomas-mate. Go on, be dancing...", wanting Martha to have a good memory, even if it's gonna be bittersweet.
Thomas chuckled, "Well, you heard our mate...You good, Kel?", and Kel nodded as she was just content to watch her mates dance, holding Poppy as she fed, and Thomas got up, walking around Kel in the nest, to Martha's seat, bowing with a smile, "Shall I have this dance, milady?".
"You think you can go without any music?", Martha asked him as he chuckled. "Hasn't stopped us before in the past.", Thomas reminded his wife before Martha took his hand and he helped her up.
Thomas smiled wryly, "Kel's right. I never noticed before in our reunion hug back there during the start of Kel's labor that you're actually taller than you used to be...And I don't mind as it makes you even more beautiful and perfect...", as he took her into a waltz around inside the nest as Kel tucked in her knees with the blankets covering her and part of her breasts, but still keeping Poppy as she kept suckling, though she's slowing down a bit, mixed in her color shifting between emerald green and warm tan now as she is becoming tired, but not sleepy yet, but still excited and eager, with Kel watching with a smile, just relieved that she has a memory of Thomas-mate helping her through the labor and birth of their daughter as he deserved it, since he missed out on Bruce's birth, but not she or Martha-mate blamed him for that first time.