Revised: 28/10/24

Chapter 17

It took Justin weeks to get used to living with Victor and Caroline. Even then Victor knew his young nephew was not entirely happy. How could he be? That would take a long time to come. Caroline was never in any doubt that would be the case from the first time she had met him for she could tell how deep the grief he felt for his parents was. It would stay with him his whole lifetime.

But a child he was. And he liked to play. Especially with the other children. Victor did not think he had ever been so grateful for Shawn and Caroline's children. They were a tonic to Justin. And they quickly became siblings to him.

Yes he was deep in grief. But he was a young boy, who liked swimming and trains and kicking a ball…

Though in his first weeks in the house his attachment to his uncle grew, it became apparent that Justin soon really wanted to be wherever the other children were. Thus, he begun school a whole lot sooner than his uncle had intended him too. Yet, in the end, Victor was glad of that as well, for it seemed to him as if it did Justin the world of good.

And life resumed to some sort of degree. It was yet another new normal. So due to that it was the case all three of the children were in school the day that Caroline went into labour.

When she felt the first contraction, she was with Kayla in the playroom, spending as much time with her baby whilst she was still her baby. She knew what was happening immediately. It was not as if she had not been here before. She was an old hand at birth now.

And so here they were. She rung the bell and soon Henrietta was there. She knew she had to give Kayla over but as she looked at her little blonde-haired angel it was not an easy thing to do. She kissed her forehead and prayed she knew just how loved she was.

"Are you ok madam?" Henrietta asked.

Caroline grimaced. "It is my time."

The maid smiled to share some courage with Caroline was walked over to take Kayla. She had known what she had just been told as soon as she came into the room.

"Come here, young miss."

Caroline was glad she had someone she could trust there to take her daughter. "I love you little one," she reminded her for good measure before she handed her over.

For what felt a long time, all of the staff had been on alert for this moment. Now it was here.

"Do you wish me to tell Mr Kiriakis?"

Caroline gave a nod. She knew she better had. Victor would not come into the birthing room. She was sure he had more sense than that and more respect for her to. It was not his way. But he needed to know his son was on his way into the world.

"Be a good girl," she said as at to a babbling Kayla. She knew when she next saw her she would seem like such a big girl.

They always did.

Roman had been her little baby boy and then she had had Kimmie and gosh it had broken her heart to see him again. He was huge all of a sudden and she had never managed to get her little baby boy back.

Just a little, Kayla protested as Henrietta left the room to find Victor and call the midwife. Caroline was comforted a little as she saw how quickly Henrietta could calm Kayla. She would be well looked after in her care as she always was. "Your mama is going to be just fine little one, I will go and call a doctor madam. Do you need me to get you to your room?" Henrietta checked, as she turned back into the room for just a moment. Caroline shook her head. She was sure she had time to get their under her own steam yet.

It was time for her to do that. She needed to lie down - it could be a while before the little put in an appearance yet and she didn't want to burn herself out before it was time. This was the time for a quick rest, while she could.

She went back to her room and lay on the bed she had slept on since she had begun to share the bedroom with Victor. She shut her eyes for the moment. How she longed to be back in Salem right then in a place she knew and lived. In a place she was truly comfortable.

For the first time, she would give birth without her mother. How she longed for her in that moment and for Shawn to be there pacing outside, waiting for news. Oh, how she missed them. She would have thought by now that she could do it one her own. But she wanted it to be like all the times before… but she could not think of it. Of them. Not if she was going to find the strength to do this.

A sharp pain took her of that train of thought.

She had work to do.

X x x

Victor had lived through plenty in his time. But nothing made him feel as powerless as knowing Caroline was giving birth. It was a situation he had no bearing on at all. He could not influence the birth at all. He prayed it went well. He was terrified it would not. He knew it did not always. And he did not know what he would do if thing went ill…

Part of him wanted to go in and be with her, hold her hand and coach her through it all but he knew she had never let Shawn in the birthing room and he knew her well enough to know she would not want him there. For Caroline, birth was a time for women.

So, he spent the first part of the labour in his office. He thought to start with he would be able to work through her labour but he soon had to accept he did not have the concentration for that. His second form of distraction was to go and spent a bit of time with Kayla. She and all of the others would be the children of his heart, once they were home. But now he would have a child of his own blood in the world. He would be a father.

Really it was going to be in not too long. But it felt to him as if time could not possibly be slower.

All he could do was pray and he did. He prayed and he prayed and he prayed. For his baby and their mother, and their safe return back to him.

X x x

A boy. A boy with a mop of black hair. Caroline had not needed to be told when he had arrived. Her body had taken over and known. The release of pressure, the scream of the new-born. He sounded healthy. And he was she could see it as he was passed to her.

He was beautiful. That was all she could think. She felt the familiar magic she had felt with all the others. It did not matter who the father of this baby was. He was her baby and he always would be.

When she thought of all she had been through to see this baby safely and quietly into the world. He had been worth it all, he had been worth everything. One look at him told her that.

She would do everything and anything for him. It was the way she felt for his brother and both of his sisters.

In truth, all she wanted to do was lay quietly with him in her arms. For just a moment, for the world to narrow down to just the two of them.

But it could not be.

"Mr Kiriakis would like to know if you are ready for him," said the nurse tentatively. She knew what a glorious magical moment this was, so she had no wish to disturb it - yet she had been sent into ask a question and she had to ask it.

Caroline would like to say no and to keep him out. But that was a feeling which was not going to change. Not so soon after the birth. She wouldn't want him to disturb their peace in an hour. So, she might as well let him now. Another change.

As soon as she was done, she always wanted Shawn. The minute she had had their babe in her arms, she always wanted to present them to him.

And if she was honest, she wanted him then. Right there, in Greece. His warm eyes and his warmer arms…

But she had to get on with life. So, she may as well let him in.

X x x

As soon as Victor was told he could go and be with Caroline and the baby, he did not to be told twice. He all but run down the corridor to be with them. It was only when he got down to outside that very door, he knew he could not go in their red faced. He needed to be calm more than anything. He wanted to be collected when he met his son.

It was only when he was sure he was calmed, he entered the room.

His eyes went to the bed and he felt his heart swell with pride. This was it. This was the day he had all he had ever wanted.

Caroline looked as if she was exhausted, but also as if she was flushed with joy. Both her and the baby had been tidied up and she was ready to receive him.

He went straight to the bed.

"Oh Caroline," he said as he gave her a kiss. He put one arm round her and put a gentle hand on their baby's soft head. He was perfect. His little boy was perfect. "Oh darling Caroline, thank you," Victor said as he looked at his son. She would never ever understand he did not think the way she had never made his dreams come true.

"Are you both well?"

"I am tired but well – and if his lungs are anything to go by then he is fine. You should have heard his make his grand entrance into the world." He would have loved to of heard that.

"I could not be more grateful," he said as he put his hand on the bundle of blankets, feeling the rise and fall of his son's little chest. "Oh, thank you, Caroline, thank you," he praised her. To him right then it truly felt as if she was some kind of Madonna who had given him only the most precious of gifts.

That feeling he knew would remain for as long as he lived – as long as he lived, he would treasure is son.

"Are you sure you're well?" he asked, kissing her forehead.

As he looked at her lovingly, she felt a rush of warmth.

She felt as if she would settle slowly. To have Victor there is no way made up for the amount of people who she wished were there with her, but it did make her feel better to see a familiar face. She hadn't thought she wanted him there – but she did now.

"I am – and so is our son."

It would not be like it was with the other children. They would share him from the start, together.

His son. Victor it felt as if it was an alien concept. He had spent so much time of late, dreaming of this moment, it was nothing short of magical to have a son of his own with he woman he loved so very much.

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