Chapter 13

"This is so good," Lynnette said enthusiastically, as she took a bite of the shells, stuffed with crab meat and cheese.
Dave had gotten a variety so that would be plenty of leftovers for whenever Lynnette wanted some. He was sure that everything would be gone before it even had a chance to spoil, especially with the new refrigeration technology where food lasted longer. Well, relatively new, as in, the last two hundred years, though that was a long time for most people, but not for an immortal. Even 500 years could pass in the blink of an eye much less a mere 200.
"I'm glad you like it," Dave said warmly, as he took a little of everything though not as much as Lynnette, but then, he'd had a very good dinner, so he wasn't as hungry as she was. Then she was pregnant and very close to giving birth so eating outside of meal times was the norm.
"I just don't like it, I love it," Lynnette told him smiling brilliantly.
"Just next time, tell me what you want when you get a craving instead of not saying anything because you don't want to be seem a beggar or a complainer. It's natural for a pregnant woman to get cravings, so don't keep it to yourself, you hear me?" Dave told her firmly.
"Point made," Lynnette agreed without getting angry because Dave was very right that cravings were part of pregnancy, especially considering how far along she was. "I really don't remember what I was thinking now. I suppose that pregnancy brain strikes again," Lynnette said, looking and sounding sheepish.
Pregnancy brain was a real thing and struck pregnant women. Lynnette had suffered from it several times during her pregnancy. Basically, she'd had moments of idiocy where she did something harebrained or didn't tell Dave something like when she had a craving because she didn't want to be a bother. She knew better really and knew that she would never be a bother, but because of pregnancy hormones she had been thinking clearly.
"Good," Dave said pleased. "If you get another craving for Italian, there should be enough to last for several days as I ordered a variety on purpose so we could both try different dishes."
"It's so good that trust me it'll be eaten in no time before it even comes close to spoiling," Lynnette said grinning, as she took another bite from a different dish this time.
"If some of it does spoil it doesn't matter," Dave said with a shrug. "Neither one of us is short on money, so if that happened for some reason and we can always order more if we need to. I'm not worried about the money Lynnette, as we both have plenty and the only thing that money does is make our lives easier, even if it does bring out of the woodwork all kinds of con artists and crazies."
"Yeah, I know," Lynnette sighed. "I've dealt with my share of crazy fans and some of them you can just tell that they can be dangerous."
"That's why I hired security for you whenever you're at one of your concerts," Dave said. "There are a lot of crazies out there and you hear or read stories all the time where someone famous was kidnapped for ransom or because someone was obsessed with them and a lot of time that famous person ends up dead or at least in the hospital. It happens to rockstars all the time, though not just them. You're not precisely a rockstar, but still, you're becoming very famous in your field. Some fan could easily become obsessed with you, as it happens all the time."
"I was well aware of the dangers if I became well known enough before I decided what I wanted to do with my life," Lynnette said. "Thanks to Blake Yearwood taking me on I've gotten farther sooner than I expected to, as it does take someone well-known in the music business to make someone truly famous, so I'm grateful you invited him to our wedding. Now though, I'm taking a sabbatical until after I give birth as I could go into labor within the next few weeks."
"Yeah, you could since you're eight months pregnant," Dave agreed. "You probably should've taken time off sooner, but you didn't, so there's no point of being upset or mad about it at this late date."
"I will remember that for next time," Lynnette told him with a wink. "This is our first kid after all."
"True with many more in the future," Dave grinned, obviously, ecstatic at the thought. "We need to stick to no more than four this time because your family knows how old you are and there's no reason to make them worry about you if you get pregnant when you're supposedly 50 or older.
"That's a good point," Lynnette said, as she considered her mate's words.
"No, there is no reason to make mom or my siblings suspicious so we'll stick to just four, maybe five this time and then once they are dead, we can have more if we want.
"I was thinking just four since that's how many your mother, had but if you want five that's OK," Dave said lightening up at the thought of more children with his mate.
"We'll see how it goes," Lynnette said. "Mom was several years older when she got married and had Spencer, so we probably do have time to have five before we stop for a few decades.
"Yeah, I guess we'll see," Dave agreed.
"You know, I kind of miss Spence and Michelle," Lynnette said suddenly. "They've been gone for months now."
"Yeah, they have," Dave sighed feeling suddenly melancholy. "I miss them too you know, but they're enjoying traveling the world and while Mellie has traveled a great deal in her long-life Spencer hasn't."
"No neither Spencer and I had ever been out of the states, but that's not true for Spencer anymore, and it won't be true for me when we start to travel whether for work or for play."
"We will be doing a lot of traveling, whether that's with our children or without," Dave said. "Right now, though your music career is just getting started so we can't travel right now. Also, you're pregnant, though I suppose we could travel when you're not as heavily pregnant as you are now."
"It's not like I'm going to lose the baby like some women can if they fly when they're pregnant," Lynnette said. "That is one thing that will never happen to us. I know what a lot of doctors recommend when a woman is carrying a child, but for us what doctors recommend for normal women doesn't apply."
"True," Dave agreed, as he took the last bite from his second meal. "They promised to be back when you gave birth, as they wouldn't miss the birth of their nephew."
"Yeah, they did," Lynnette agreed. "Spence never breaks his word once given, at least to me. If he said, he and Michelle would be there for the birth, then they will be."
"I'm still absolutely amazed that Spencer and Rocky turned out so well, considering the lack of positive male influences in both their lives, when they were children," Dave said, shaking his head, still amazed, at how well that Lynnette's brother had turned out.
"Spence is more than intelligent and stubborn enough to turn out exactly the opposite of William Reid," Lynnette said. "That doesn't mean he doesn't have his hangups, because he does. Ones that are a bit worse than most other peoples, but that doesn't mean he's not a good man, one of the best men I know and I'm not just saying that because he's, my brother."
"As for Rocky, he doesn't really remember William Reid, which is likely why he turned out so well. Spencer is really the only one that remembers what that man was like but then with his memory that's not surprising."
When Lynnette said that man, it was with big capital letters to show her disdain for the father, she had never known. She refused to call him, dad daddy, or father or any variation of the word. Dave couldn't exactly blame her for that disdain either.
"Of course not, I agree with you. He's a very good man, one I was happy to have him join my family, but you know that already," Dave said.
"Thank you for loving me and for accepting Spencer for who he is. Not many people in the past have, you know; accepted my brother I mean, for the brilliant, kind man that he is," Lynnette said suddenly bursting into tears.
Dave was well used to this happening and knew it was only hormones overwhelming her due to her pregnancy, so he simply comforted her as best he could.
"You're very welcome and I love you very much, Lynnette. Never doubt it. I'll love you to eternity and beyond." Dave told her softly kissing her cheek, then her forehead.
Dave dried his mate's tears and the two finished eating with Lynnette eating twice as much as Dave since she was the one that was pregnant and as for the rest of the food it would be put in the refrigeration unit, still known affectionately as the fridge.

~~~Dave and Lynnette~~~

Three weeks later, Lynnette went into labor in the middle of the night. Dave woke up instantly when Lynnette whimpered softly and immediately noticed that Lynnette's side of the bed was soaked. Her water had broken! Luckily, he had only been sleeping lightly for the last few weeks, knowing that Lynnette could go into labor at any time, which is why he had woken up as soon as she had made a sound of pain.
"Come on, sweetheart, I'll take you to the hospital," Dave said, as he got up and dressed quickly. Dave picked up his mate gently and held her in his arms as he headed for the front door having already called one of his many cars with a remote that he always kept close at hand these days.
"I'll call the doctor on the way," Dave told Lynnette, as he gently cuddled her into his chest.
Lynnette whimpered again as another contraction hit her, and Dave ran a hand through her sweat soaked hair soothingly.
"It won't be long until Derrick is here, that you'll be able to hold our son in your arms and all this pain will be worth it," Dave soothed, as Lynnette whimpered yet again.
"Make sure you call Spence and Michelle," Lynnette panted, as yet another contraction hit.
"I will," Dave promised, "and also your family, though I don't think we need to wake Diana up in the middle of the night to tell her she has a grandson."
"Mom will want to know as soon as possible and so will Roxie and Rocky," Lynnette said. "They'll want to be here for the birth. They'll likely take one of your shuttles to be here since you did give them the use of them."
"True," Dave agreed. "I'll call Diana then and she can get in contact with your siblings, so that they can be here for the birth. You're likely be in labor for many hours, which gives them plenty of time to get to the hospital."
Dave finally got to the front door and the door immediately opened as he approached it without him having to touch it. Dave went down the front steps and the car Dave had called was out front. It immediately opened both front doors so it's passengers could get in.
Dave gently placed his mate into the front passenger seat, making sure to strap her in before immediately heading to get into the driver's seat.
Since the engine was already running Dave immediately started down the long driveway and the front gates immediately opened as soon as it detected the car.
They were soon on their way towards the hospital, where the doctor would be waiting for Lynnette.
As he drove, Dave contacted Diana over the cars communicative system and told her that Lynnette was in labor and that they were heading to the hospital.
"Your daughter asked me to contact you, so that you can be here for the birth and also Roxie and Rocky," Dave told Diana as he drove.
"We'll be there," Diana promised, even as she radiated excitement, smiling hugely at the thought of her first grandson. "I'll contact Roxie and Rocky and we'll be there as soon as we can. What about Spencer and Michelle?"
"They are my next call, as they arrived back from their trip just last week," Dave said.
"Yes, I know they had a good time in Europe," Diana said. "Spencer called as soon as they got back and told me all about it."
"Yes, Spencer and Michelle, also told us all about their trip," Dave said. "I'm going to call them as soon as I get off with you as I didn't think to do that before we left the house, since they are living in my home."
Spencer and Michelle were living at the Rossi Mansion as there was plenty of room. Dave had pointed out that there was no point of them finding their own place since this house he'd had built was too big by half for just Lynnette himself, James and Tristan and whatever children they had.
Neither Lynnette or him minded if they stayed and raised whatever children they had right here.
Michelle was more than agreeable since she's been living there already, but Spencer had taken some convincing that they wouldn't be in the way or a bother.
Dave had managed to convince Spencer that he would never be a bother or in the way and he'd be happy if he and his daughter stayed and lived with him and Lynnette.
"I'm surprised Spencer agreed to live in your home, as he's all about taking care of his responsibilities, which means paying his own bills," Diana said. "You can thank his father for that particular mindset, as Will was always grumbling about bills and how expensive children were to raise. All the children heard him, grumbling about bills, but Spencer is the only one that remembers his father's bad attitude."
"The more I hear about William Reid the more I dislike the man," Dave said, shaking his head in deep disgust. "I mean, he was a lawyer, for God's sake and lawyers are never short on funds if they are any good at their jobs. That he would grumble about bills, as if finances were strained, is just ridiculous."
"That was Will all over," Diana sighed sounding melancholy. "He resented his own children and hated paying bills. Now, while I can't blame him for hating paying bills, it's not like there wasn't plenty of money in the coffers to do so, but I believe the reason Will grumbled so much was because he hated using the money he'd earned on anyone but himself."
"It's just as well that your children and you are shot of him then, even if I know that Spencer and the others are still affected by their father's abandonment. Lynnette is really the only one that is not affected by her father's bad attitude," Dave said. "In any case, Spencer took some convincing, but as I, as well as Michelle, pointed out that the house is way too big for just me, Lynnette, James and Tristan, and there was no point of him, renting or buying another place when we don't mind the company," Dave said.
"He did argue some mom," Lynnette said finally speaking after going through yet another contraction which were coming fast and furious. "He finally saw our point of view though, so gave in without further argument. If Spencer is anything it's logical and practical, so he's finally saw the point we were making. We told him he and Michelle could play babysitter when Dave and I wanted to go out to dinner or to some event and that we would do the same when they have children."
"That's true, that Spencer is logical," Diana agreed before adding, "I'll see you at the hospital."
Diana signed off and Dave heaved a sigh before calling his daughter and son-in-law.

~~~Dave and Lynnette~~~