Since You're Curious...

I hold my spell on the first as I cast a blast at the second halfling that came in, ending its life where it stood.

With one held and the other dead, I help Kitty on Spirit and we dash!

You help me and and we take off down the hallway. After several minutes of trying to find our way out, we see a staircase and a sigh of relief leaves both of our lips. Just a moment too soon though. Up the stairs comes six more halflings with their weapons drawn. Spirit stops just behind you. One of them speaks as I start to groan in pain. "That one from the hallway... thinks the mindfrayer freed us... I'm sorry Spirit," I manage out as I grip the saddle hard, fearing I'm making our Fey friend uncomfortable. "Duke, the pains are starting to really hurt!"

They all stop and pause, a bit shocked to suddenly see the decked out Paladin in front of them, sword ablaze, and a very pregnant Pirate Captain slightly behind him, very obviously trying to get through a contraction, sitting atop a big dog. They stand there, weapons still out, exchanging confused looks, giving you a chance to act first. Do you attack? Do you take a defensive stance? Do you ask me to speak with them? What do you do?

I want to attack, to force my way through every aversity. I could take this small band, but you are in contractions. I love you beyond all bounds and it surely shows on my face to them. Your needs are paramount and from the looks of every father and mother in this group, they feel it too. Battles and grudges get pushed aside before the miracle of giving birth to a new life. I feel that even in these wild tribesmen of the southern jungles.

I am cautious. I turn my radiant sword down to touch the tip to the ground and hold the pommel with my shield hand, while I reach back to hold your clinched hand. You gasp and push back on the saddle, loose your grip only long enough to grip my hand instead. Ever watching the halflings, I turn to them and speak passionately, irregardless to whether they understand my common speech, [b]"The vampire captain of the ship is dead. Your vengeance is taken. The ship now serves life and love. Kiltzi of Love is our patron goddess. This woman is the captain now and the mayor of the new town Quezalici to the north. Our family grows by one baby today even as our community grows in trade with its neighbors and the world around us. Help me get her back to the ship where our midwife waits... please."

I look to you to translate if even you heard my words. My eyes radiate calmness and protection for you in your struggle. Battle rage is pushed aside for my love of you. I invoke you Kiltzi. Shine upon us.

I manage to grab your hand, sure that I saw a wince from the grip on it, and look up at you as you speak. I focus on your words, happy to have something to focus on. As you look back at me with such calmness, I see your resolve and steadiness. You're going to make sure that your son and I are going to okay. I start to loosen my grip as the pain settles down with tears in my eyes from your loving request of them. I know how much you want to barrel through anything that stands in our way, but you've put that aside, embracing a Kiltzi way of doing things.

I look at the halflings, who are looking at me, some impatiently and some expectantly, and translate your message. The eldest one in front starts speaking and I tell you, "He doesn't believe us, thinks we're lying to save our own hides. He's still determined to show Elena punishment for what she did." Then, everything happens rapidly. The elder raises his sword to attack, you snatch your hand from mine thanks to my loosened grip and prepare to block, I prepare to cast a spell, but none of us achieve our actions. We all stop and gawk at each other, for amongst all of the actions we were preparing, the woman behind him raised her axe and smacked the Elder on the top of the head with the flat side of it. As we stare in shock, she begins to slew an onslaught of halfling words at him. I recover from the surprise, stifling a laugh, and translate, "I'm guessing that's his mate. She's yelling at him to see how true my condition is, that he would've done the same for her, to stop being a halfling language equivalent to utter dumbass, quite a few insults actually, she is not happy!"

She finally stops yelling at the Elder and steps past him so she's closer to us. Both of us go on edge as she has yet to sheath her weapon, but she does have it by her side as she starts speaking. "Love, they're going to let us go! Obviously, they don't trust us completely, but... from one mother to another, she can see that this situation is real and would be sorrowful if anything happened to our babe." I start crying tears of relief and joy as I finish that statement and thank her. She says something to me, a question by the tone she used, and I shake my head in response before responding back with a shaking head from her too. She continues to speak and I resume explaining, "She says love that we're going to move at a walking pace as they'll be surrounding us to make sure we don't trick them, but if we make it from here to the door, we're ship free!" I look up at you with hope in my eyes. We're getting out of here! I reach forward and grab you, clinging onto you as we walk, not wanting you to leave my side for a second now.

As soon as I hear Kit finish translating the woman's speech saying that we can go, I sheathe my sword. The room dims a bit and I look down at the Elder. I take a step to the side of the wife and reach out my hand to help him up. The wife snarls at me and raises her battle axe. You gasp, seeing all your hard earned translation skills and diplomacy gone to waste. I stop. Then looking in her eye, I slowly continue to reach past her. As I turn to look up at the sharp blade, my hand touches the Elder's head and I lay it on him to heal his bludgeoned injury and then feeling a modicum of security, I help the man to his feet so that he stands just higher than my waist. I hold out my fist for a split minute and then withdraw it, seeing that the gesture is known more in Goliath circles than Halfling's.

I move back to help you off the unstable mastiff and we walk toward the door, dog leaping after us. They lead and follow us down through the structure, stopping all in silence as you pass another contraction and then finally out onto an overgrown trade road. You enjoy the march since you set the pace and all follow, your doting husband, your new favorite dog, and an admiring club of wild halflings who obviously keep tight family hierarchies that respect birth and mothers. One such mother, reaching into your unclenched fists and places a small carven idol. It is exquisitely carved and resembles the goddess we had freed in the village that is now Quezalici. You give the Halfling word for thank you and she smiles.

I had been giving your comforting words through our telepathic link. I treasured this link, but I know that it is a burden as well as a treasure during your most focused moments during birth. I have asked since Ana's birth of many wizards, but none knew how to turn down the volume of the link. As I chat back and forth to you, I make sure that Poca knows our situation and location as wee go. Surely he will come out to meet us. I have warned him not to enter the jungle unless absolutely necessary.

When we break through to sand and a view of the sea, my heart is overjoyed. You reach up to hug me and I think you are happy too, but instead you bear hug me. I feel the vibrations of your body and see the concentration in your face. You bury your head into my armor and I know that you are chanting like you did when you spoke to Uhti this way. You never told me if you actually go to the spirit realm when you do this. I believe you when you say that you do not remember, but I hold you tight and wait. The contractions are getting closer. This took too long. We will never make it to home like this.

I'm both in love and a little annoyed with the connection we have. I love hearing your voice in my head and the sweet encouragements, but when you're talking to Poca and I'm trying to concentrate, oh I just want to snatch my ring off! I do send multiple apologies to Poca though, and to you as well, for the trouble I feel I've caused. The number of halflings round us grows, mostly of the women. As we get closer to the beach, we can see our crew. Poca and the Elder's mate start to yell back and forth with each other with him starting to walk closer to us as the group escort stops.

I feel a sensation right as a strong contraction kicks in. I cling to you as the pain ramps up and I do the only thing I can think at the moment to ease the pain. I go to the spirit realm to disconnect. I can only stay for a moment, but somehow I know that I can feel better doing so. I am the only one there as Uhti doesn't need to use it anymore. I relish in the quiet for the moment and try to remind myself that we're at least by the ship. We'll make it home and I can get in our pool and ease this pain... I hope. I feel this notion that I need to return and I do. As I'm coming to, you're holding me tight and keeping me upright. You make sure I'm ready to start moving, but a rustling begins, quickly followed by a group of tribals. Seems the time up in Quezalici failed to allow us to know that there's a new faction in the jungles to watch out for, maybe they'd been there so deep, who knows. But they come out spears drawn for the attack. There's enough of them that it takes the couple of crew and the couple of halflings to both fight together.

You make a shield check as one of them approaches us and knock him prone. Unable to turn and fight as I'm still holding onto you, forgetting to let you go, you stand there and defend us. It only takes a moment before multiple come in to attack right as another contraction starts to hit. I activate my fey presence in an attempt to frighten them away from us, but as I ride the wave of the pain and pressure I feel, my presence starts to wave as well, sending out pulses of alternating threatening and charming vibes. The area around us becomes a place of confusion that you take advantage of. Despite being indisposed, you pick me up and rush off into the thicket of trees of the jungle. Quickly, you find a cave and set me down there, moving the brush around it to try to seem like we didn't just break through it. You pull out the rope, wanting to make sure for extra safety, and help me painstakingly climb it. Once we're both inside, you pull the rope up as I squat trying to help the pressure I feel. I start to cry, "My waters broke out there... we're not going to make it home or even the ship... our crew could be hurt or worse now... not like this, I don't want to do this!"

Taking your tear stained cheeks in my hands, I kiss you as if it were our wedding kiss. I mean it with every fiber of my being. "We are home. This is our pocket dimension. We don't need help. We are fine. Poca will take the crew back to the ship, and we are going to have this baby together, you and me, by ourselves and it will be a beautiful experience." I open my eyes and pull back to stare into your eyes to see where your emotions lie. You need to be safe and secure and not to worry about anything except the baby. You don't have to know that I was talking to Poca just then as well as you. This is just us. "Focus on me and yourself. Chip will hear our call and come. We are going to have a baby here at home, safe from the world."

With my peripheral vision, I take inventory. Bathtub of hot water, check. Fireplace for warmth, check. Bed full of linens, check. Dining chairs, check. No music, no noise, nothing to compete with your own chanting. I stand and duff my armor and help with yours. I had lain you on the sheep skin rug in front of the fireplace like we like to relax in. I help you down to your loose white undergarments and bring you water to drink. I sit with you and hold your hands and as you go through yet another contraction, I rock back and forth with you, holding both hands. We dance like this for a while and relax. You open your eyes and see our room for perhaps the first time since coming in. My heart jumps out of my chest as I see the anxiety that you were drowning in is now faded enough for your to smile just a bit. You are still in your spirit world that you have created between your contractions and the times between. The space is getting shorter. It does not take a sand dial to see that it is now regular contractions under two minutes. I will need to check you, but you are not ready for the intrusion. I'll wait. I am patient. "I am your midwife as well as your protector now, but foremost I am your man who has been with you this whole time, from falling in love with you in Aum, to meeting you again on the Skulker, to conceiving this baby and being with you now, to always being with you and watching our grandkids play on your lap. Kitty, I love you always."

I look back at you and wonder how you're so calm? This isn't the plan, this is so far from it! We don't have much choice either though. I know that you're right, I need to focus on us. While you duff your armor, I steel myself with that knowledge. As much as it pained me, I couldn't focus on the situation that we'd just left. The most important, and time sensitive, focus was bringing Chip safely into the world, which we were. As you help me and we go through contractions, I focus hard, even in my spirit realm. We're safe, so Chip is safe. He's not being born in the throws of battle or impaled by a spear... I really get dark when I'm scared... no, focus! Our dimension, our tent has always been a home, we're home. As I come back to reality, I look around and smile, well as much as I can manage. I'm home with you. I'm with you, that's all I need.

I look at you, actually look at you, and hear your words. "Oh my love, you are my everything! You and Ana and Chip! Everything in our lives have led to us being able to spend every moment together until the end, raising our children, spoiling their own babes, maintaining our community. And I wouldn't trade it for the world! I'll love you always Duke-ooohhhhhhh!" I squeeze your hands a bit harder than I mean to as I chant to try and regain my focus, but I'm failing. "Oooohhhh love, sooooo much pressure! I need to move, I need relief! Gods, I'm so happy you're here with me! I love you! Why in the motherfucking world of damn bullshit wonders does this have to hurt so fucking much?!"

I calmly wait until the string of profanities slow, and then I help you up to walk around. I offer a dining room chair to squat on or the warm tub to soak in. Our midwifes from before showed Kitty how to use these to calm the contractions and even the birth. I favored how you simply let me hold you in a bear hug while you gave birth to Ana, but this time I will need to watch and help if needed, and then to catch and pull out of the bathe water if you choose to do that. I walk you around and let you choose where to go. I remember the time and think there may be five minute or five hours left. No need to tell you that! I do answer your question, "This is not useless pain, dear Kitty. You are miraculously changing your body so that Chip can come out. It is supreme power of your sex. You performing the magic that began with our act of love making, that has lasted ten months of Chip's growth and now n the ultimate hours, you will send out our second bean through your canal into the world as our baby." I look proud of my speech, but realize that not a word got through the spirit world chanting and the resurgence of another contraction. I remember how our first midwife handled this. I repeat the barking, "Chair? Pool? Bed?" Then I shut the fuck up and cuddle with you in my arms.

I love being in your arms, it's the most comforting part of this. But I've got to get this feeling calmed! I hear the three options and without meaning to, I yell, "Chair!" as I try to finish my contraction.

You take me to the dining chair and help me get set up there squatting in front of it, resting my chest against the seat of the chair. I start to take deep breaths and feel some relief as one of my deep breaths turns into a sigh. I turn my head to look at you as you kneel beside me and offer your hand. I tell you to save your hand as I fear between the start of our adventure to now, I'd squeezed your hand and arm enough and was fearing that I'd hurt you like I almost did while I was in labor with Ana. I do brush your cheek with my hand, which you promptly turn your head so that you may kiss my palm as it passes, before I grab the chair again. I decide to use the moment I have before another contraction to talk to you. I know it won't be long before I'm unable to do anything other than chant, groan, and pant. I smile at you as my eyes glow with love for you, "Thank you so much, I'd be a mess without you here. You got us to safety. You're putting up with my cursing, yelling, chanting incessantly, crying, death grips, pains, all of it without a sense of waiver in your demeanor, although I'm still sorry that you have to put up with it. You're everything I could've asked for in a mate!

I hate to ask this too, but... can you check me? I just want to know how close we are to seeing our son finally. If you don't want to, that's alright. Some parts of the birth are... visually unpleasant... I don't want you to be uncomfortable my love by having to see or touch something that you don't want to."

I hesitate, not because I don't want to check your progress. It's important to know if these contractions are productive and you haven't stalled in your dilation. I only worry that I can't control my own excitement in the birth and in touching you. You are quite distracted with maintaining your composure. Your request was urgent though and I know I have to do what I most want to do, to touch you in your miracle place.

Helping you back down onto the rug, I lift your white throw enough that I can reach you. I rub my hands together to warm my hands. Despite her heart's warmth for us, the ghoul midwife's deathly cold fingers inside you made you cringe. You know my fingers though. Placing my first two fingers in my mouth, I withdraw them wet to ease that very same friction. Looking up at your eyes that stare to the starry ceiling of our tent, I place my fingers on your pussy folds like a lover would. They are spread wide for this miracle, and so I plunge slowly, ever so slowly into you, looking for your womb opening. I know its feel in our lovemaking and I have to stop myself from stroking you into an excited frenzy. I know it as a button to push to get a reaction, but last night I felt nothing but a soft thin film across a tiny opening. I could feel your womb through its stretched membrane. Just over on the other side was a chamber that is more sacred and private than the pussy canal that I have now explored for years and still cannot get enough. On the other side was Xochipalli. Now I know the cervix was open since you have dropped your water. I would be able to touch the sheath over Chip's head through that opening if I tried. I kept focus on my task. My two fingers find the lips of the cervix opening and trace them around like I do your pussy lips. Spreading my fingers I judge by the feel of my hand alone, that you are wide, wide enough to pass a lemon, yet not wide enough for Chip's head. I feel your muscles shake and think that I have touched you too long in too intimate a place. You shake and with my free hand I pull you by the nape of your neck into a squatting position. The contraction is long time and your voice is low like a water buffalo protecting its young. The low gruntal noise echos in the lowest parts of your lungs as your abdomen tightens and sustains the note. You grasp my hair and pull hard, but I hold steady for you. I can always grow more hair if you would be so kind to leave the roots. I hold in this position and let the rubble of your body quake and your powerful thighs rock on your heels to the feeling. As it subsides, you still do not recognize me here. I know I need to check again while you are letting me. Without pushing you back this time, I reach under your belly of Chip and find that motherly passage again. With deft fingers I feel for that sacred door again. One finger on each side guarding egress, I raise my eyebrows. The last contraction alone had opened you to the size that would pass an orange. I can touch his head through the pulsating sack within you. He is starting to crown in the passage deep within you. All our sex comes to this. A baby. I withdraw quickly, help you to the stool again just in time for the next contraction. You power through this now, never coming out of your spirit world yet still focused on the task at hand. "Soon, Soon. You are doing this." I lift the blouse again to watch you pulsate with excitement. Your own deep voice is echoed in your muscles and vagina. Though you are drenched in sweat, you seem to be invigorated. My penis grows hard and erect just at the sight of you. The contractions are almost constant with no change to rest. I do not need to feel your opening now. It is as large as a pomelo now. I know it! I can see your hips widen and the bones stretch beyond imagination.

I wonder what goes through your head right now. Just the chant? "It not time to push yet. A little more. A little more." Your scream pierces the night. Your claws dig into the chair as your thighs strain against an invisible weight. You squat down and I watch in wonder. You begin to push.

You lie me down and I prepare for what I'm expecting to be cold and uncomfortable, but as the sweet husband you are, you're gentle and slow. Gods, I love this man! I wonder what you must be thinking as you do this, I do my best to note to ask you later. I feel your touch at the furthest point of my canal, and while I know you're measuring me, I can't help but love your touch. For a split second, I think of all the times that you've touched me here, two of those being how we created our daughter, and now our son. I want to feel you touch more. I want to feel you rub me. I debate asking your to rub my special button to help with the pain. Would you? Despite the moment, my need for you is constant. I stare at the ceiling as, for a moment, I dream of the magical night when we conceived Chip. We were celebrating our second anniversary of the actual wedding. We returned to where we'd had the ceremony, thankfully left in tact, and relished in the memories. We spent the night there under the stars and temple, making love just as passionately as when we swore ourselves to each other on the Skulker. I remember the fullness of you inside me, twitching, and my walls wrapped around you as I sat with my butt just on the table that was behind the alter. Our bodies locked together as I had my legs around you, our arms holding each other all over, and our lips pressed despite the holy sounds that expressed our love as you drove yourself deep into me, both of us releasing our cum, united and sharing our undying love for one another. The gods would've looked down on us for disgracing a temple as we did, but we are the gods.

You rub me slightly as you try to see how wide I am and I shiver in excitement and hope, for a second before I ride a strong wave of pain. I feel you pull me up, you must remember from Ana's birth that I don't like being on my back. I chant my way to my place in between worlds where I can focus on you. Mostly the version of you in my head, but some of the real you too. I feel your hand on my neck as I hear you in my head giving me reminders to breathe and encouragement that this too shall end. But this one is worse, the tightening inside me is much more firm than it has been all night. Time is relative in this space, but it still feels like the pressure is never ending.

It lets up for a moment and as I try to catch my breath, I feel you measure and help me back into the position I was in. I want to come out of my world, to ask what you can feel, but another wave crashes hard into me. I feel the intensity and the pressure, oh the pressure is worse. I faintly hear your words and I smile. I don't know if my facial expressions cross over from my world to reality or not, but there's no time to ask. This is it. I feel the head dropping, moving down, right as my body screams at me, causing myself to scream too. I hear you say it's not time, but what the fuck do you know?! My instinct is screaming to push, so I do. As the contraction squeezes me from inside, I bear down with it, pushing our son closer to the world.

I alternate holding my breath, grunting, and panting as I hold onto whatever I'm touching for dear life. I thought it was supposed to get easier after the first?! The pain makes me shutter and twitch, causing me to realize that there's something inside my canal already. Just as a contraction ends, I hang my head and see your arm. You're still inside me from measuring me. Another contraction and I start pushing again, grunting through it, "Get... out... of... me..." I keep pushing and I feel the movement slide a bit lower, yet you stay. I lift my head and find my focus to actually see you. This hurts so much worse than in my spirit world! Pain is radiating from my sacred of passages, causing me to cry out before I yell, "GET YOUR HAND OUT OF ME!"

I try to chant before the next contraction is in full effect, but I fail to make it back before all I can register is the feeling between my thighs. Fuck, I'll just stay here. I stop chanting and try to focus on pushing. I have to push this child out of me! A couple of pushes later and I gasp, feeling our babe low in my canal, I know in no time, this will start to burn and I'm not excited. I have to do this, but I need you. As I'm panting between the more tense contractions, I get out, almost begging, "Touch me... please... I don't care where... I just need you... talk to me... please... oh, he's coming!!" I start pushing and I could swear I feel my lips spreading as my groan grows louder.

You tell me to touch you anywhere and I think of all the wrong places. My dick is wanting to try again and I keep telling it what the fuck? You are giving birth right now. I straddle the chair in front of you and pray that you don't rip my penis off just because it is easy to grab and hold and pull. My hands and forearms slide up over your arms and I reach to lock my fingers behind your back, and I push my chest up against yours, my lips locked on your sweat drenched neck. You see me and feel me touching you, but your body has something to do right now! I am holding you and feeling your muscles tense and contract to push the energy of your mind and will down through every fiber of your body. This is your orgasm now.

I only find out later that we both transported ourselves in memory back to the original conception of Chip on that altar long ago. We prayed to ourselves, the renewed god and goddess of peace and life. I could have been more romantic about our second anniversary of our wedding night. However, this was one of the first times that we have let ourselves be away from Ana for a full night, and our libidos didn't allow ourselves time to think and spout poetry. I was just too much the Paladin and wanted to worship my goddess with my massive dick taking you with force and resolution. I had my dessert off your breast and you had wanted me so badly. Was it any wonder that we would be so fertile as your milk was beginning to wane for Ana. I knew this and instead of being careful, I fucked to impregnate you again. As your god, I was all too successful, or you were all too fertile, my goddess.

In the present, the thrill of the pushing is matched by the howl of your reaction to the pain. I take all the pain away if I can. I pull back against your athletic surge and watch the sac crown in your pussy, your nether lips spread wide for your baby love. I can't stop! I unlock my fingers and reach down to your pussy and cup it for that head that moves through your canal, flattens his nose against your pubic bone, and slips his head out. He is still covered by the cowl of the birth bag. My fingers gently stroke your body while my palm fill with our son's head. You growl a gravelly push and let out a nefarious groan. You expel him. You release him. You kick him out of the womb into my waiting hands. As the sac folds out of your body and the head passes your portal, you feel the rest of him slip out easily. The pain keeps writhing through your body, but the smile on my face brightens the room. Holding his folded up arms and legs in one hand and his head in another, I pull the baby up into my arms. The unbiblical cord trails out of your pussy, still connecting him to you. You gasp and then take longer breathes though your silly grin on your face. I hold him up and you drop to your knees, grasping him between us. Instinct takes over and you tear the cowl off his face and body. I take one hand and catch the cowl to save the magical cowl on the table next to us, as it exposes him to the air and to life and to happiness. You press your flesh against him because you have been cuddling for 10 months now and you miss him already. He reacts to the new sensations and screams bloody murder, gasping for air for the very first time. Born with a full cowl, he will be destined to be a prophet of some sort. His cowl will be our connection to him where ever he goes.

I touch him as well, skin to tiny body's skin. I say, ""Hai Chip! You try to pull him to your breast, but I calm you, "There is time yet." I point to the cord as it pulses with the life giving fluids going from you and the baby still. We watch the miracle of the cord and I help you lie down for a minute. "Catch your breath. There is more." You know it. You have to give birth to the placenta as well, but this one feels more firmly inside you than last time. No time to think, you start to contract again and you scream continuously. "Oh my fucking god!" you yell at me in accusations unheard in this world before now. I hold my son's ears to hear his mother utter the strings of profanities she expresses. I look down and see what you are screaming about. There is another head crowning in your pussy and you are lost in your spirit world as you push and push and push. One hand holding Chip and the other gripping your shoulder, I try to whisper comfort, but the effort is lost. I reach for the second head coming from your body, but you lean your shoulders against mine and push my hand away and catch our second son as it leaves your canal. This one has broken his own cowl and screams upon touching the acidic gases of our atmosphere. He is chilled and we wrap him in swaddling clothes next to his brother. You look at me with the anger of a wife betrayed, but then look down at your two boys and start to weep with joy. You collapse on the floor and I press our sons, Chip and someone we have yet to name, into your arms for a cuddle. We have time before the placenta will fall and the two cords will stop pulsing. We hug and kiss and love on the babies as a family lost in our own emotions. No sooner have we laid down to rest, than the boys find their nipples, find their clasp, and drink deeply of the thin sugary claustrum milk of birth flows from you directly into their mouths.

My wonderful husband! I try hard to keep my hands off of you as you fulfilled my request. Your touch and support helps me focus out of my spirit world. I don't get to relish in it like I want to though as I feel the constant insistence to push Chip out. I groan and push until I feel the well-known burning, which causes me to scream out, but then use all of my focus to be gentle until I feel relief from that and know that his head is out. I rest my head on your shoulder as I feel your hand holding our child. Your gentle rubs soothe my in my currently most sensitive of spots and provide a moment of relief before I feel him turn and the desire to push returns. I close my eyes and give it my all, wanting this over, causing a groan so low, I didn't think my voice could produce such a sound. Yet, as I finish the note, I feel emptiness. There's a lack of extreme pain, but I ache. After a moment, I finally open my eyes to see you holding our son. My two boys. A grin crosses my face as I see the two of you while I catch my breath. You had the same look of joy and wonder when you met Ana, and if I didn't share in the feeling, it'd definitely be infectious.

We spend so long holding and staring and cherishing our son. Instinct takes over and I fear he's starving, but you remind me that there's time before feeding him and help me relax before I have to repeat a miniature version of this all over again. I start to wonder if I tell you enough how much I appreciate you and make a note to tell you later. What was the note from earlier? I massage my belly in the hopes of speeding up the process, but and quickly surprised that it's not as soft as I'd remembered it being after Ana. I don't get a chance to evaluate why before a contraction starts up just as painful as the ones before, causing me to jolt upright as much as I can. I get into a low squat, moving to being on my knees and toes, knees spread as far as they'll go just as the pain gets worse. Each contraction is so strong that I end up screaming with each push. Something's wrong... it's not supposed to be like this... I reach down as I feel something leaving my body, and instead of something slimy and squishy, I feel hair on the top of another head. Another head. A twin. What the fuck?! I scream at you, asking if you knew, wondering where this came from, possibly the standard you did this to me statement too. I see shock cross your own face as I chant, louder than ever before, practically forcing myself into the spirit world. I need all my focus. I feel your hand on me but if you're speaking to me, it's lost. Getting the rest of the head out isn't a quiet affair either. I finally do it though, and catch a moment of breath as I feel this one turn too. I start to get the rest of this surprise out as I feel your hand reaching for it. Something instinctive kicks in and I'm determined to catch this one. As it comes out, I pull it up to me, relieved to hear its screech. We place them together and learn we have two sons now.

I look at you with a look of utter shock, I learn later you mistook for anger though. But seeing my sons, I'm overwhelmed with love and tears of joy. Exhaustion kicks in and I lay down with them, followed by you. We lay there with them until the actual placenta comes and we have cut both cords. Each taking a child, you help me sorely walk and get into bed, setting and fluffing the pillows for me to be able to be in a reclined position. As they finally eat, I'm realizing that I'm struggling to stay awake, the birth of twins after the stressful situation has taken everything out of me, more than the hardest boss fight. The realization of the day we've experienced awakens me a bit. A million questions enter my head as my ability to overthink has returned now that the dust has settled. I go to ask you the burning questions that have entered my mind, but I see you watching them with the pride of a new father all over your face and decide not to spoil the moment for you. Instead, I say, "We have twins... Holy shit! What do we name our surprise bean?"

"You are the good namer, Kitty. I'll let you decide a match to Chip's name. Have you noticed? While one snickers, the other grimaces? Is it possible one teat is more soar than the other?"

I pull you over to kiss you long and lovingly. Then I pull you even closer. "I forgot to tend to you, mama." I run my hands over you and place my hand over your vulva to send healing spirit into you to heal the bone and pulled flesh. I do not touch for long as your body need to heal itself more than I can fix, but I did want to ease the pain of the passage, no, I mean passages. I look back to your eyes, dark as the sea, and all I see is light and joy. You have a laugh on your lips and a giggle on your tongue. You bubble with excitement that infects me and makes my chest open wide for you. "Kitty, oh Kitty, three joys for our family. This is enough Kitty, if you never want to do this again. I can never see being as close to you as I was tonight. How can our love get any better?! And these precious children of ours? They are the joy of Maztica!"

"Darling, I go on too long. Let us sleep as they do. We can put them between us and form their world." I move my legs over yours to interlock our calves, and intertwine our lips, to seal the bounds of our sons' first few hours rest. "Their tummies are full and they will allow us a nights rest. We had better take it, for we know that from here on out, it will be like having a boy or girl friend call for you at all hours, saying they miss you, asking to be clingy, and you overjoyed to hear it and to be with them, too. These babies will need your milk and kiss your nipples, and be swaddled as they first knew in the womb. For you, this will be a break from constantly carrying their kicks. It will be my time to share in that burden and I do it gladly. Rest my love. Sleep. You have been the marvelous miracle worker. Now I can help you be the wonderful mother, by being ever at your side as their father. We are such a huge family now! They outnumber us!" You have already closed your eyes. We will probably need to sleep here another night, before walking to the beach.

I look down to see what you point out and you're right. How intriguing. We share our love in a kiss and you lay hands, relief spreads through the outer part of my loins, bringing a level of comfort to being able to lay there comfortably. My heart is so overfull! We have two new sons!! If I wasn't so exhausted and sore, I'd be bouncing with excitement, but judging by the look on your face when you look back at me, you can see it. I hang on every word tonight, not quite feeling the energy to hold a conversation like I'd hoped. I just want to watch them all night, but you're right, and before I know it, I hear your words and fall right to sleep.

I slowly awaken to the feeling of tiny shifting underneath my arm. Judging by the ceiling of the tent, thank goodness it reflects the sky above it, it's mid to late morning. Gosh, I was exhausted! Seems I put my arms over them at some point. Wait, there's only one under my arm. My eyes shoot open and my head pops up as I look for the other, finally seeing you holding him as you walk and rock him around the tent. For a moment, I just enjoy seeing you two bonding, the pure joy on your face as you coddle and awe over your creation. I wait until you get close so I can speak quietly to not disturb Chip under me. "Tetzauh, our little surprise," I say, getting your attention, and pointing to the twin you're holding. "Anacaona, Xochipilli, and Tetzauh. Ana, Chip, and Tet. Our world is so full with these bundles, my love, thank you for them!" You set Tet down beside Chip and I pull you in for a loving kiss. We look down at our bundles as the happy parents that we are. "Look at them love side by side, they're not even identical twins. They're even opposing in how they look. Tet is going to look just like Ana instead." My smile gets even wider as I look at you excitedly! "I know you said this is enough love, but why stop here? We could have one more, might as well have a tiny hand for each of ours. I'd love to do this again, just you and me, no one else. If you want? Do you want a fourth? Would you want to my midwife, wait no, midhusband again? This wasn't a horrible experience for you, was it?"

We lay there exhausted and sleepy, with two newborns between us, having been kidnapped and released and then attacked again and then fled to our rope trick. And yet, you ask to do it all over again, if only I would be there for you. You are so easy with crowds and joking around and making friends, and yet, you want to be alone with me for the most precious moments of our lives. You captain a ship and found a town and lead an army against the gods themselves, and yet you want to give birth to another child of ours. "The answer is yes!! Yes! Oh Kitty, I will be your husband from conception to birth, no need for another title like mid-husband. I am you husband for all time and for whatever you want to do, but especially in this, oh love. I want to be the only one to touch you inside and feel the miracle of life open your body to me. If you trust me, then trust me in this. I am your paladin and I celebrate you as the one goddess and as the mother of our family. A fourth!?! How have we acquired so much love around us in so short a time? Imagine the feast days and the solstices of our lives spent with our family, each one an act of passion and of carrying love and of loving birth from your beautiful sexy body.

And Kitty, I love Tet's name. He does look so handsome, like Ana but with such a strong masculine jaw. And Chip is so different as the other's spitting image. I am sure that when he opens his eyes and the baby color fades, he will have the complimentary colored eyes as well.

We make a beautiful family who will bring us great joy. One more Kitty? Shall we let your nursing be our contraceptive and the gods will determine when. Is that too soon, love? Look, my dick is already eager. It does not know that you need time to heal. He will miss you these days, but my heart is full of you. I shall not want."