Lost Haven.

I didn't want to spend a single moment apart from baby Angela; so it broke my heart when the doctor had to pry her from my arms, for procedure. I grew nervous knowing she would be under their eyes and care. Would they be able to tell she wasn't a regular human? Or would something pop up on their radar?
I wait anxiously in the hospital bed, but I have the paperwork to keep me busy. John said not to worry, but I fill it out anyway with my actual information. When the nurse comes to collect it, she connects it to her clipboard but John takes her wrist and looks her in the eye. "Throw them away. If anyone asks, we were never in the system."
For a moment, I was sure she would show refusal or at least confusion. Instead, she just blinks and turns, tossing the papers into a nearby bin.
I look over at him in surprise, not knowing he was capable of using his persuasion so profoundly that he could just make an order like that. When he catches my staring, he merely shrugs and says, "It gets easier over the years. I'll have to talk to the rest later."
After a few more hours, there's a knock on the side of our door and I nearly beam at the sight of Riley, Ravenna, Mal, and a few of the other guys' head poking out over their shoulders. They were trying to catch a glance at the baby I currently didn't have with me.
Ri held up a bouquet of flowers and was grinning widely. "Can we come in?"
"Two at a time, please," I laugh as John comes to stand at my side. He looked more than pleased to see everybody.
Riley, Eric, and Jared step forward first, enveloping me in a hug before closing in on John happily. He chuckles as he tries to escape, but soon the other boys have joined in. I couldn't even see him.
"Alright we don't need to make a ruckus and draw attention, no rowdy business," Mal chimes in, grabbing Kennedy from the top of the pile by the back of his shirt. "The rest of us will wait outside."
Garrett huffs and crosses his arms. "No way. We've been waiting decades for a moment like this!"
"Y-Yeah, you're Ken's g-g-girlfriend, not ours!"
She glances over at us before shooting them all a look. "I said, the rest of us will wait outside. Now."
A collection of groans and grumbles escapes the group before they begin to file out and Riley chuckles. "Play nice, Mallory."
She gives him a teasing smile. "When haven't I?"
They exit and Ri hands over the flowers, sighing. "Sorry about that. These are for you."
"That's so sweet," I mumble as I whiff the flowers. "Thank you."
"I just wanted to stop by to congratulate you two and meet the little fella. I didn't think the crowd would tag along."
"Not a problem, except it's not a fella," I chuckle, taking in John's growing smile. Him and Riley had been right after all.
"How is she?" he murmurs.
"They're checking her vitals," John mutters. "Though I feel like it wouldn't take so long to-"
"Knock knock," a gentle voice sings as there's a soft rapping on the door. One of the nurses from before appears and my heart lurches through my throat at the sight of my baby in her arms again.
I sit up straighter and giddily accept as she hands her over. "She's perfectly healthy," she explains to me. "It's amazing how strong her vision and sensory receptors are already. Quite a grip too," she adds with a chuckle.
John strokes the baby's head lovingly and keeps his eyes on me. "See? She's perfect."
"Yes. She was a little warm though when we checked her temperature, but nothing a little medicine couldn't fix."
I bite my lip at the mention, but then relax when she said her temperature had gone back to normal. If they were able to fix it, that must mean she's a human baby as any other. There weren't any warning signs.
"So we can take her home soon?" I ask hopefully.
The nurse smiles. "As soon as you're feeling recovered and good to go, we'll get your release form sorted out and-"
John raises his head to look at her. "There won't be a need for release forms."
She furrows her eyebrows as she keeps on a polite face. "Sir, it's procedure, I can't-"
"You can and you will," he murmurs. She blinks and her red lips tilt up. "Well, I'll leave you two to your baby. She's absolutely adorable, by the way. She has your eyes."
The nurse disappears, causing me to gawk at John incredulously. How is he so good at that?
His mouth twitches into a smirk. "Impressed, sweetheart?"
I roll my eyes and Riley chuckles. "Finally a father and still a cocky shit. Some things never change."
"Some things never will," he muses before turning his attention back to me. "How are you feeling?"
I nod, too distracted by the little girl sleeping in my arms to listen to their banter. Honestly? I felt more than fine. Despite me having given labor just a handful of hours ago, the fatigue had left my body. I was as good as new.
"Ready to go home," I answer at last. I feel my heart flutter as her eyelashes open slowly, her lips pursed as she peaks up through her wide eyes. I smile and coo, "Hey, Angela. I'm glad you're finally awake. Remember me? I'm your mommy."
"She's awake?" John whispers, leaning over and staring wide eyed. He grins. "She's so small and cute. Aren't you, Princess? My little Jelly Bean."
I giggle. "And that's your daddy."
We gush over her a good couple of minutes before realizing Ri was watching the both of us. John clears his throat and I smile. "Sorry."
"Don't mind me," he says playfully, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "Can I meet the little one?"
I nod and urge him to step forward, caressing her arm before taking her tint fist in mine. She looks almost mesmerized at holding my finger and lifts it, pulling into her mouth. I laugh as she chews around with her gentle gums. They were cute at this stage, when they were toothless and couldn't bite.
Her eyes rest on Riley and she gurgles almost in question. I could already tell off the bat she would be a smart one.
"Angela, this is uncle Riley," I murmur, rubbing my face against hers. She makes a small giddy sound before darting her gaze around the room, landing on John. "Yes, that's dadda."
Her arms flail out as she squeals. There's a flash and I watch Riley and John duck their heads away, bouncing back in surprise. Something bounces off the light before sizzling. My eyes widen.
"No way," John mumbles. I look down at the child, staring innocently at the black charred corner of the fluorescent lights on the ceiling.
I let her wrap her fingers around mine again and blink. "Was that...fire?"
"Well whaddya know," Riley laughs, leaning down to smile at the baby. "This one's got some spark in her after all."
I can't help but grin as I look at our unique little girl. She really would be special growing up and I couldn't wait to experience every moment alongside John.
Once Riley has officially introduced himself, even shaking her hand, we let Eric in, seeing as he was the most calm. We talk casually as we watch her reach out for anything and everything she could grab. At one point she touches my amethyst necklace, and I feel a strange wave surge through me. Maybe it was the motherly instinct to protect her, but I wanted to drape the crystal over her own neck.
I look up and notice Riley standing by the window, having looked away and was now staring out the window.
"Ri? You okay?"
He raises his head, licking his lips before nodding. "Yeah, I was daydreaming, that's all-"
Garrett suddenly pops in by the door.
"Hey! We saw them bring that baby in. We wanna meet her!"
~
After a very long day full of visits from the gang, and a quick check up by Dr. Gavin, John finally arranged for us to leave the hospital late at night. It was so strange; there were no questions asked. I don't know how he managed to convince them to let us go without raising suspicion, but I was relieved. One less thing to worry about.
Riley was kind enough to bring the baby carrier when he stopped by, so I propped the little seat in my lap facing me, unable to take my eyes off of our pride and joy. She had the cutest little nose, and the cutest little mouth, and the cutest-
"You gonna share at all?" John jokes beside me, chuckling.
I scoff. "You're driving. No baby for you."
He shrugs with a grin. "No Sonic for you then, I guess."
"You're funny. You act as if that was an option. Besides, you can't take away Sonic."
"And why's that?"
"I can take away sex."
I reach for his hand, his laugh making my heart swell. Joking aside, I was excited for us to arrive home. It was something so extraordinary and difficult to wrap my head around. We were a family now. No matter where we went, any place would be home.
The truck pulls up in front of the apartment building and John steps out. He opens my door, helping me carry the baby up the stars with an arm around my waist. He was treating me with care even though I didn't feel weak at all. I'd recovered quickly.
"Here we are," he murmurs, pulling out the key as we reach our door. It creaks open and gestures for me to go in. It's only been a day, but everything feels different.
An amazing different.
I smile at the sight of the crib against the wall, the newest addition, cradled between the wall and our bed. She would be right in reach. A few feet away from the bed, was the much debated window. Only a bit of sunlight would hit later on throughout the day.
Sitting on the edge of the mattress, I scoop Angela up from her carrier seat and hum. "What to do, now, huh, baby? We've got a whole eternity to watch you become an amazing little angel."
"She's already an angel, darlin'," John chuckles, sitting beside me. "But don't forget, she has a bit of me in her too."
He takes her hand and coos at her, causing her to yawn sleepily. It had been a long day for her as much as it had us.
I rub my cheek against hers. "Aww, you're ready to call it a night, aren't you sweetheart?"
"Doesn't she need to, uhh, eat?" John asks, seeing her lips move in longing, sucking air.
I nod, remembering the nurse mentioning she'd been fed, but that she would need milk every two to three hours, and to stick to either one or the other for the time being when it came to formula and breast milk.
She starts to whine so I know I had to choose fast. "C'mon baby," I sigh, trying to tug my top down enough. John clears his throat. "I, uh...isn't that gonna hurt?"
I shoot him a look. It's like he forgot about the time I fell lightyears from heaven and had to gauges in my back stitched up, or had wings sprout painfully from them again later. I think I could handle a little nip.
"Here, hold her for a second," I mutter as I shrug one side of my shirt down. She whimpers in his arms and he rocks her, bouncing her lightly. "Sorry, doll, I don't have big enough breasts," he chuckles before handing her back. Angela instantly latches onto the nipple and I jump and giggle at the weird sensation. "That kind of tickles."
John doesn't suppress his smirk as I hold her up to let her feed. It was so odd to think my body was producing this inside me. It was even odder to think:
I'm a mother now.
Eventually her eyes begin to droop and she turns her head away. I cup the back of her neck as I rest her up on my shoulder, adjusting my shirt. "She's full," I murmur.
"Put her in the crib-"
I shake my head, slightly amused that throughout his century down here he hasn't learned a thing about babies. "She needs to be burped."
He blinks. "Oh. Oh, right. Well...could I burp her?"
I can't help but smile as I nod. I hand her over as carefully as I can. He cradles her head and perches her up on his own shoulder. She begins to wriggle in his arms but he holds her securely, rubbing and patting her back. "S'okay, darlin'," he says softly. "I've got you."
My eyes water at the words and I sit cross legged as I lean on his other shoulder, my hand resting over his own as he soothed her. He would be such a good father.
She whimpers occasionally, but she was getting quiet. John surprises me when he begins to sing, his voice low and melodic. The song sounded like a lullaby, though I didn't recognize it. In second's time, he has her sleeping peacefully, her breaths soft and I look over to see his shirt between her squished lip.
"She's so beautiful," I whisper, admiring the both of them. He stands, still rocking her softly as he trudges over to the crib. He lays her inside carefully before pulling back to watch her. "She's..." He doesn't finish his sentence as I walk over, my hand on his shoulder. I press my lips to the side of his neck and loop my arms around his waist. His fingers lace with mine before he turns, his green eyes boring into mine.
"She's the greatest thing to happen to me since you," he murmurs. My mouth lifts and I close the distance, feeling the elatedness fill my chest.
This would be such a beautiful existence.
~

"Riley?"
My heart churns at the sound of her voice, and I turn. Her reappearance could only mean one thing. "Yes?"
"It's time."