Early

Harry rocked his infant daughter gently, successfully managing to get the incredibly small infant to fall asleep. Dakota had yet to wake up, but the doctors had induced a coma hours after surgery. Apparently, the antibiotics that were being put through her system worked best when you were sleeping, so a coma would actually speed up the healing process. But, for Harry, three days was still a long time.

He set his daughter in her temporary cradle as she slept, and it made him smile. The two infants were so damn small, but they had been incredibly fussy, and both doctors and himself were amazed the premature babies were surviving, and thriving, off any medical machine. His son, Milo Greyson Styles, had gained one pound and three ounces in the past three days, and his daughter, Callaghan Ella Styles, had gained an even pound.

Amelia didn’t really understand why her mummy was sleeping, but she was absolutely in awe of her tiny baby siblings. She wouldn’t hold them, she was very adamant that she wouldn’t hold them until they were bigger than her baby doll. Harry had to agree with her on that, he himself was afraid to hold them when they were so damn small. But, both infants craved human interaction, so not holding them wasn’t really an option.

It was two minutes after ten when everyone arrived. Due to Dakota and Harry’s… fame so to speak, Dakota was in a private room, so Harry got to stay, and it was big enough for everyone to visit at once. A very bubbly Natalia skipped over first, and as if on cue, both infants awoke and began gurgling and reaching out for people. Of course, Harry and Natalia both obligied, Natalia picking up Callaghan and instantly began talking in a baby voice to the small human in her arms. Harry chuckled, and just gave Milo his fingers, which his son immediately began to grab at and swing around.

#

Everyone stood to the side as the doctor inserted a needle into the stint that usually had the IV, then injected the clear liquid in the syringe into it. Without a word, he then left, leaving One Direction, Atti, Dani, Maddie, Natalia, Gemma, Harry’s mum and step-dad, Amelia, and the two infants in Atti and Niall’s arms to return to Dakota’s side and wait for her to wake up. Apparently, her body had bounced back insanely quickly, and the doctors could only guess that her immune system had aided in fighting the infection.

Soon, the young mother’s eyes fluttered opened, and the first thing she groaned was, “Coma my arse, you all are bloody talkative.” Everyone laughed and tension eased away as Dakota sat on her own, despite Harry moving to help, and she told him stubbornly, “I just spent two days lying down, I need to sit up. I’m fine, trust me.”

Amelia laughed at her mummy and scrambled up on a chair then to the bed and hugged Dakota, then informed her mother, “I been good big sissy.”

Dakota chuckled and hugged her daughter back, reassuring her, “I bet you have.”

Soon, Anne and Steven had taken Amelia to get lunch, and the others left to as well, to both eat and to give Harry and Dakota some time alone.

Dakota spoke first, answering the unasked question, “I felt like I was awake but I just couldn’t use my body for the past three days. But, I like their names.”

She was of course, referring to the names he had picked for their children. Dakota wouldn’t ever admit it, but she had named her daughter after Amy Pond from Doctor Who because it had been the last thing she saw before going into labor. So Harry would have had to pick their names anyway.

He grinned and replied, “Good, because it’s way too much paper work to change them. Do you want to hold one of them?”

Thank goodness Atti and Niall had remembered to put the babies down before they left, seeing as the other day the two had almost left with their god children still in their arms. Dakota grinned and nodded, and Harry pulled the two plastic cribs over. It was scary to move them, seeing as he could fit each in just one hand. The doctors were astounded that they could function without life support, something that tiny shouldn’t have been able to, their organs should have been cramped, and all sorts of things, but both children were healthy as could be.

As Harry carefully moved Milo, he told her, “Amelia said she isn’t going to hold them till they are bigger than the baby doll Louis bought her last month.”

“Oh my God, they’re tiny,” was all Dakota could say. Literally, she was dazed. This little person, she had to be so careful with them. As she watched her son, Harry held Callaghan and smiled. He knew the feeling of first holding such tiny things. When the nurse had been showing him how to take care of them, he had been so frightened to do anything. But then the nurse had smacked his arm and told him to suck it up. She had been teasing him, she didn’t mean it rudely, but it got him through the phase of being too scared to touch them.

The small boy in her arms reached a tiny arm up, and Dakota hesitantly put her finger in his miniature palm. Milo giggled and began playing with her finger, moving it in different directions. Harry had the goofiest smile on his face, he was quite sure of that, but he didn’t care. His life was perfect at the moment, and nothing could take this away from him.

#

Dakota wasn’t sure how this was going to work. Both her and Harry were afraid to put the babies in the carriers, and even though they were made specifically for pre-mature infants, it still looked too big for them. Harry finally picked Milo up carefully and placed him in the baby carrier. It wasn’t as big as they had thought, but Milo didn’t seem happy. He immediately reached his tiny arms and hands up and began whimpering. And as always, Callaghan did the same. So both Harry and Dakota caved, and picked the infants up rather than carry them.

As Atti and Natalia walked in, Dakota tossed her head at the chairs the baby carriers were in and asked her friends, “Mind carrying those? Neither of them wants to be in them.”

Natalia just laughed but both obliged, and the four exited the room to meet Louis and Niall as well. Amelia was at home with everyone else, waiting for them to finally come home after two weeks. Two weeks was too long to stay in a hospital for Dakota, and it had been hell. But the doctors had been adamant, and still wanted her to stay longer. Which was not happening, no way in hell.

As they made their way out of the hospital, Louis commented, “Like your shirt, Kota.”

The almost nineteen year old scowled and grumbled, “It was either this or nothing. Don’t know where Harry even got the bloody thing.”

Harry quickly informed her, “The internet.” And then the conversation ceased as they stepped outside into the fresh air and paparazzi. Security was already waiting for the six plus two infants, and they were escorted to the car that was waiting for them. Normally, they would have just gotten in, but no, they had to put the babies in the carriers and somehow maneuver the carriers into the car. And they eventually did, but it took some time.

As the black SUV pulled away from the crowd of paparazzi, they all relaxed. Dakota rested her head on Harry’s shoulder and quickly nodded off. He grinned and kissed her forehead, letting her sleep. They only had a couple of days rest before they had to give some entertainment television show an interview and such. The only reason they had agreed to that was it was less stressful for Dakota than a press conference.