Rescuing His Captive Mate: Saving The Future Luna

[Baby, Again]

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Artem

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Queen Gloriana wanted us to visit for the Yule celebration this year since we hadn't been able to last time. Star was too far along then, and we didn't want to risk it. Well, this time Star was literally due during the time of the celebration so we weren't able to go this time either. We would need to go and visit her soon though.

I wasn't sure how close to the due date Star was going to get this time. She had made it almost all the way last time, and she was due on the sixteenth this time. During the entire month leading up to the day that she would have the baby, I bought or made a different gift for the baby and the boys. There were now so many little presents and ornaments for the tree that Star was yelling at me everytime that she saw a new one.

"Artemis!"

"What?" I would say when she yelled my name.

"We do not need anything else for under that tree." She would scold me.

"But honey, it's the first Christmas for BOTH of the babies. I have to.

"Artem." She gave me a stern glare, but smiled as well. "What am I going to do with you?" She shook her head as she held Brayden in her arms. "What do you think, Bray Bug? Is Daddy silly?" We had taken to calling Brayden by the nickname Bray Bug. No one really knows how it got started, but it seemed to fit him so well that we couldn't help it. It was actually perfect for him.

"Dada seesee." Seesee was Brayden's way of saying silly. We had figured that out because he was repeating what some of the other boys were saying one day. "Dada seesee boy."

"That's right, Daddy is a silly boy." Star smiled at him as he giggled in her arms.

"I'm not silly, I am a loving and doting father."

"Yup, sure you are." At that point Star leaned over to kiss me, awkward as it was with a baby in her arms and in her belly at the same time.

"Dada no." Brayden pushed my face away from Star's when I kissed her. "No Dada, mine Mama." He pushed me until I was no longer near Star's face and kissed her in my place. "Mine Mama."

"Daddy loves Mommy too, Bug." I pouted at him as he held onto his mommy's face. "Can't Daddy give Mommy kisses too."

"No! Mine Mama."

"You know, I'm worried he will be too possessive when Jodan gets here." Star looked at me with eyes that showed how nervous she was. "He loves his mommy a lot, and I am afraid he won't share me with him very well."

"He will be fine. He only has a problem when Daddy kisses Mommy. He is fine when any of his brothers are with you."

"Yeah, that is true." She laughed when she heard that. "He's just jealous of his daddy, that's all.

We continued how we were for a few more days. We sent the boys to school on the sixteenth of December, not expecting anything, but knowing that the baby could come at any time.

It seemed like the minute that I got back from dropping the kids off Star's labor started. She had went and tried to pick up Brayden, who was a tall, skinny boy for his age, but he still had a good amount of weight to him. The moment she tried to pick him up, she set him back on the floor and cried out. I had just walked into the room and saw it all happen.

"Star?" I called out to her and ran to her side.

"Oh, boy." She groaned as I held her against me. "It looks like our baby wants to come out soon." She grinned at me. "And it hurts like hell."

"Smiling through the pain?" I smiled at her. "You always try to make things seem like they're not that bad for you even when they are."

"What can I say? I like to focus on others." She tried to smile, but there was too much pain for that.

"I know." I bent down to pick up Brayden then swept her up into my left arm, carrying them both at the same time.

"You're so strong." She giggled, but stopped and sucked in a breath when another pain hit her.

"My love for you would make me stronger than anyone." I purred the cheesy lines at her.

"Oh please, just stop. If you do that, our sons will both grow up to spout those horrible lines." She rolled her eyes at me and grinned.

"You fell for them." I wiggled my eyebrows at her.

"Yeah, but I literally didn't know any better." She countered with another giggle.

"That's cold." I pretended to pout and laugh at the same time.

We were both laughing when we made it to the second floor and saw Chay and Bailey.

"Uh oh, is it baby time?" Bailey grinned at us as he held Kayla in his arms.

"Yup. Can you take Brayden." I asked my sister, and she took him immediately.

"Looks like he should be here in time for his brothers to get home from school. At least he should be." She was grinning at me. "Doc isn't in the clinic, but I will go get him."

"Thanks." I nodded at them as they continued toward the stairs.

"No ChayChay, mine Mama." Brayden called after us as they walked away.

"It's OK, Bug. Mommy needs to be alone for a little bit. You can spend time with Aunty Chay and Kayla. And we can get Sage to play too."

"Yay, mine Sage."

"Yup, your Sage."

I took Star to the clinic and waited for Doc to show up. We had been through so many deliveries this year that we were all pros at it now. Doc, having delivered his own twins for his wife, was starting to be more of an OB GYN than anything now.

"So, it's time, huh? I am actually surprised. Star is the only one to go almost all the way to her due date each time. I really didn't expect it. I mean today is actually her due date, and last time she was only a couple of days shy."

"Well, I guess I just do my best to follow directions." Star joked with him before wincing in pain again.

"Yeah, I guess you do. Well come on, let's get you hooked up to all that lovely machinery." Doc laughed.

Just like last time and with all the others, the contraction monitor, fetal heart monitor, and a few other devices were all hooked up to Star. It didn't take long for her water to break, and then about two hours after that she was ready to push.

It went just as smoothly this time as it did last time. There were no problems at all and just after noon, our fifteenth son and second actual baby was born. We named him Jodan, and he was so adorable. He seemed to take after me more, but it would take time to tell. 

The family had gotten to see him while the kids were in school, all except Reed, Bailey, and the triplets. Our parents, Grandfather, and everyone else had their time though. So when the boys got home, and we instructed Reed and Bailey to bring them all straight to our bedroom, they were surprised and happy to see that their new little brother was here.

We had brought Brayden to see the baby before the boys got home, and he seemed to be fine.

"Mama dat beebee?"

"Yes Brayden, that is the baby." I confirmed for him. "That is your baby brother." I watched as he just stared at the baby for several minutes while kneeling on the bed next to Star. After a little while though, he leaned forward and I was nervous for a second. It was fine though since he just kissed Jodan on the head.

"Mine beebee."

"I think he loves his brother already." Star smiled.

"Yup, I think he does." I smiled and kissed Brayden's head, then Jodan's.

"No Dada, mine beebee."

"Oh, come on." I scoffed with a laugh. 

"Mine." Brayden hugged his brother and glared at me.

"If he is this protective of you all, I have to wonder what he is going to be like if he even has a sister." I laughed.

"I would have to be on the other end of his possessiveness." Doc laughed from the other side of the room. 

All in all, our happy little family just got a little bit bigger that day, and in time for Christmas as well. I know that Jodan was too young to appreciate it, but he got lots of handmade and store bought ornaments that we all made and would use every year. I even made just one more, and this time Star didn't yell at me. That's probably because for the new one I had put paint on Jodan's feet and stamped them onto the ornament. Then on the other side of it I had written 'BABY'S FIRST CHRISTMAS' with the year and his name. It was adorable and a keepsake that we would always remember. I had made one just like it for Brayden too, only his footprints that were stamped onto the ornament were a little, or a lot, bigger.

I really couldn't believe that the two of them were celebrating their first Christmas together.