Needledrop

28

Baby

Wynnona

Keya cries out in pain, gripping Brett and I's hands harder. I'm almost 100% certain she's broken something in Brett's poor hand. Jake sits between Keya's legs, instructing her as nurses work around us.

"Keya, I need you to push again." Jake instructs. Keya does as told, crying out again. After several more minutes Jake tells Keya to stop, he walks off with something in his arms. Brett kisses his wife's sweaty face, comforting her. Jake comes back with a strangely silent baby in his arms, wrapped in a blue fleece blanket Athena made the baby. "She's perfectly healthy." Jake tells the new proud parents as he gently places the baby in Keya's arms. The bundle jostles awake, opening her big eyes to look at us. Brett smiles, reaching out to tenderly hold his daughters' little hand.

"Hello sweetheart." He breaths, tears filling his eyes. Keya is also crying. I make my way around the bed, going to stand beside Brett.

"Hello baby girl, welcome to the universe." I say softly, smiling warmly at the baby. She smiles wide upon seeing me, letting out a gurgle that sort of sounds like a giggle. She looks like a perfect mix of Brett and Keya. Her skin is a deep tan colour. Her head is bald. Her eyes are the thing that catches my attention most. They are a deep violet with a ring of gold around her pupils.

"I'm a dad." Brett says so softly I am the only one who catches it. Keya is too busy cooing at her baby.

"You are." I confirm for him. I hug him tightly to my body. "Make sure the three of you sleep tonight." I scold him teasingly. I leave the room then. Athena, Roe, and Giovanni sit in the waiting room. Roe is cuddled in Athena's lap, fast asleep. Athena's head is resting on Giovanni's shoulder as she also sleeps soundly. His arm is protectively wrapped around her. I smile softly at the scene before me. Giovanni looks up, smiling back at me.

"How'd it go?" He asks me very softly, exhaustion evident on his face.

"They are now proud parents of a daughter." He nods, assisting me in untangling my son and the love of my life from him. "Help me take them to the ship?" I ask. I lift Athena into my arms after he takes Roe into his. We walk silently to my ship from the rebel base infirmary. He takes Roe to his room, tucking him in as I take Athena back to our bed.

"I'm going to go check on the two and get Jake, get some sleep Captain." Giovanni tells me as he hugs me, lazily kissing my forehead. I change and crawl into bed with Athena, cuddling her close as I let the exhaustion from the day take over.

«----------»

"Can you say 'Wyatt?'" I ask baby Keith who sits in my lap. Well, she sits on my crotch as I have my legs on the control panel, ankles crossed, with an epic slouch going on in my chair.

"Mama." Keith says stubbornly, excited as she thinks she got it right.

"Wyatt." I articulate and say very slowly trying to get her to say my name.

"Dada?" She asks, tilting her head to the side like a puppy. I laugh a couple times as her whole body starts to fall over. I tilt her back the other way using my hips masterfully. "Thina!" She squeals in excitement. I look up to see Athena coming into the room, making a silly face at baby Keith as she reaches for the girl.

"Have you been hiding with Auntie Wynnona?" She asks Keith, nuzzling her nose against Keith's after she lists the one year old off my lap.

"Yes, for some reason Auntie Wynnona was placed in charge of the child." I tease, staring at the empty space in my lap. A moment later the spot is filled with Star. He pokes my hand with his nose so that I'll pet him. I give him some well-deserved attention.