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buckysgrace · 6 months

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22. Here Comes the Sun

Part twenty two to Every Little Thing!

CW: Traumatic labor experience!!

“What are you doing?” Gator questioned as he walked into the house, feeling his irritation slipping away. He’d been removed from the task force, someone claiming that he was steering them away from the ranch. It was bullshit. He stopped, knocking his boots against the side of the house so he could brush off the small dust of April snow that had since fallen.

Daphne was squatted down on an exercise ball, rotating her hips slowly as she wrinkled her features up in dismay. He watched in amusement as he shut the door behind him, then bent down to pet Birdie who had greeted him eagerly at the door.

“I need these babies to come out,” Daphne grunted as she continued to swivel her hips, “I am not having them rip my guts out.” She held one finger up, looking deeply concentrated as she continued to move around.

He sighed softly, knowing it had been her newest obsession since she’d realized there would be a chance she could have a C-section. He didn’t know how she’d managed to go so far without panicking over it.

“That’s not how it works,” He reassured her gently as he bent over to kiss the top of her head, “Everything is going to be fine. No matter what happens.” He reassured her, knowing that she would make it out okay. She had good days, but this day seemed to be a little worse as she nodded her head slowly.

“Two more weeks,” She breathed out, her cheeks flushed as she gripped his outstretched hand to slowly pull herself up, “That’s not too bad.”

“They’ll be here before we know it,” He told her softly, “And they’re both at a healthy weight already.” He told her quickly. Their little girl was slightly underweight, but their son was more than the average weight.

“They’re no longer little berries.” She pointed out, sending him a smile as she leaned up to peck his lips. He paused for a second before he dipped back down for another kiss, making her giggle in response.

“Not even close,” He smiled as he helped her back onto the couch, “They’ll be driving before we know it.” He pointed out, sure that the time must fly. She shook her head, looking like she didn’t want to hear that.

“Don’t say that,” She whined, “I’m ready for them to be here. I just get so worked up sometimes.” She mumbled as she rubbed her fingertips across her pregnancy belly. He sat next to her, bringing his slightly cool fingertips over her stomach as well.

“I know,” He mumbled as he kissed her cheek, “It’s okay. You have bad nerves, it happens to the best of us.” He told her softly before he moved across her lap to pull the foot rest up. She turned towards him curiously.

“What are you doing?” She asked him curiously, trying to wiggle up to look at him. He nudged her back down before he sat on the floor, wanting to spoil her just a bit. He felt guilty sometimes, feeling like she thought that she was locked in their house. He just wanted to make sure she was safe.

“Just sit back and relax,” He smiled as he dug through her bag of nail polish again, “What color do you want?” He asked as he held up a few different shades. He could tell that she used the dusty rose color more than the rest, so he tried to avoid that one.

“Hm,” She paused as she tried to look down at her toes, “Maybe the yellow. Since spring will be here soon.” She said hopefully, smiling as she began to massage her hands over her bump again. He nodded his head, thinking that was a good answer as he slowly began to paint her nails.

“What are you watching?” He asked curiously, confused as to what all of the yelling on the TV was about. She shifted a little bit, wiggling her toes before he stopped her.

“Floribama Shore,” She replied sheepishly, “I’ve had a thing for reality TV recently.” She wrinkled up her nose, giggling softly as his features wrinkled up at her odd choice of entertainment. He shook his head, chuckling to himself as he continued his work.

When one toe was finished drying he’d bring it up to his lips, giving her skin a soft kiss just to hear the sweet sound of her laughter coming from her lips. He smiled as he screwed the cap back onto the nail polish bottle, hoping that he might help her feel a little better.

That night he rested on her lap on the couch, the same way he had for the past few months since she hadn’t been able to get comfortable lying on her back. It really didn’t bother him much. Their couch was nice and she was soft.

He kept swatting at the side of his face, feeling a little paw digging into his cheek. He grumbled, continually trying to brush Birdie away until he felt the threat of claws beginning to dig into his skin. He rolled over in frustration, snapping his eyes open as he stared down at the cat's wide eyes. It was then that he heard Daphne’s heavy breathing.

“You alright?” He asked groggily as he woke up as she continued to shift in her spot. He sat up a bit, reaching for his phone to check the time. It was only a little bit past midnight. He could still pass out and sleep a few more hours before he had to go into work.

“Yeah,” She replied, then groaned as she winced, “No. It hurts a lot.” She exhaled harshly, shutting her eyes tightly as she continued to rub at her back. He sat up quickly, unsure of where to touch her.

“What does?” He asked worriedly, moving his fingertips into her back to try and ease the pain for her. She sniffled harshly, shaking her head as she continued to shift in her spot.

“My back, down my legs and my abdomen,” She inhaled deeply after she spoke, “I’m sure it’s fine.” She breathed out roughly, but he could tell by her tone that she was close to tears. He quickly stood, nearly tripping over Birdie on his way to turn on the lights.

She moved the footrest down, sitting on the edge of the couch as she rubbed at her lower back. She was breathing deeply, her face contorted in pain as a tear slipped down her cheek. He felt his heart stall in his chest for just a second before he rushed forward to sit next to her.

“Are these contractions?” He asked gently, trying to remember what the rule was but all he could think of was 911. This wasn’t quite an emergency yet. He wiped the tears from her cheeks, his heart hammering roughly in his chest.

“I don’t know,” She breathed out rapidly as he wiped another tear from the corner of her eye, “It’s just really intense.” She whimpered this time, her breathing becoming louder and more intense. He shook his head, realizing she was beginning to panic.

“Just breathe deeply,” He instructed, bringing her attention back to his face as he inhaled deeply with her. She followed his movements, trembling underneath his touch as she slowly exhaled with him. He repeated the movements with her a few more times until she was breathing calmly on her own, “Let’s go to the hospital.”

“I’m not ready,” She spit out, shaking her head as she began to cry harder, “It’s not time yet.” She hiccuped as she cried, beginning to breathe harder again as she gently tapped her cheek. He brought her attention back towards him, and he practiced the same deep breaths with her once again.

“Maybe they’re not ready either,” He added gently, trying to keep her calm so she wouldn’t end up having an anxiety attack, “We should at least get the pain checked out, right?” He nodded his head with her, watching the way she blinked rapidly.

“Yeah,” She sniffled as she watched him, her eyes even brighter from the tears in her eyes, “I’m in my pajamas.” She pointed out, looking a little out of it as she stared down at her matching Winnie the Pooh set. He smiled softly, motioning towards his fluffy pajama bottoms he had on.

“So am I,” He laughed softly, doing his best to keep from showing his worry, “Let me go get you some socks. Do you want fuzzy or regular?” He asked as he rubbed her knees, trying to keep her focused on anything but the pain. Birdie hopped up on the arm rest, meowing loudly as he pressed his cheek up against her arm.

“Just regular is fine,” She mumbled softly as she wiped at her cheeks, “It hurts again.” She told him weakly, looking fearful as he squeezed at her skin again. He wished he could do something to take the pain away from her.

“Just keep breathing like we were doing, alright?” He asked her, almost hating to leave her alone, “I’ll be right back.” He mumbled as he leaned over to messily kiss the top of her head. He breathed in deeply, letting himself be vulnerable for just a moment before he turned away.

He raced up the stairs, taking two steps at a time and racing down the hall to their room. He pulled the drawer open quickly, grabbing a pair of socks that were decorated with little butterflies. He pushed the closet door open next, reaching inside to grab the baby stuff they’d already packed for. He took it, just to be safe.

His hand was shaking as he rushed back down the stairs, but he made himself stop so she couldn’t sense his worry. He gave her a reassured smile, kissing both of her knees before he slipped her socks on over her feet. He moved to her shoes next, sliding on a pair of Crocs so she’d be more comfortable.

“I look silly.” She pointed out, sniffling as a stiff grin formed on her lips. He noticed the way she was trying to keep herself composed. He kissed the top of her head again.

“Who cares,” He responded, helping her sit forward so he could assist her with her heavy coat. He brushed her hair from her face again, trying to be a little reassuring as he took her hands to help her stand, “I do too.”

The drive there wasn’t long, granted that Gator went well over the speed limit. He kept one hand attached to Daphne’s, squeezing occasionally to remind her that this would be alright. He hoped that it would.

She was rushed back right away and it didn’t take long to confirm that she was contracting, that she was dilated and the twins would be arriving whether they were ready or not. He was on edge, desperately wishing that he had remembered his vape so he could sneak into the bathroom for a hit.

Once she got her epidural, things calmed down. She was far enough along to get the shot, but things seemed to slow down after that. She still faced contractions, but it didn’t seem as serious as before.

“What’s going on?” He snuck out with the nurse, feeling like something was wrong as the hours continued to tick by. He had already texted both of their relatives to update them, but that had been a long time ago. He was tired, but he could tell that Daphne was even more exhausted. He felt like something needed to be done.

“She just might be stalling,” The nurse started to speak, glancing over at where Daphne was wiggling her toes on the bed, “We’ll keep an eye on that as well.” She nodded her head, but Gator lingered towards the last part of her sentence.

“What else is wrong?” He asked quickly, feeling a little worried at the aspect. He felt the air in his lungs growing cold, fearing that something was wrong with the three of them.

“One baby hasn’t turned,” The nurse said softly, “Nothing to be concerned with yet. We’re keeping a good eye on her and them, we’ll check back soon.” She replied with a smile before she was off, leaving Gator to dig his feet into the floor before he made his way back to Daphne.

“What did they say?” She asked curiously, looking cute in her little hospital gown. He leaned over the bed to get closer to her, wishing that he could take some of the pain from her.

“Nothin’,” He mumbled as he brushed his finger across her bangs, “They just talked about how pretty you were.” He mumbled as he leaned down to kiss her forehead. She was slightly sweaty, her cheeks flushed from how hot she was.

“Stop it.” She groaned as she tried to cover her face with her hands. He put them down gently, not wanting her to shy away from him.

“I’m being serious,” He grinned as he traced his finger down to her nose, squishing it softly, “They said you’re gonna be the prettiest mama they ever seen.” He told her seriously, suddenly aware of just how much he loved her.

It wasn’t much longer when they came back, giving them the facts this time. She wasn’t dilating like she should be and with the risk of losing her and the babies, they wanted to move into a c-section. Daphne freaked out a little at that, but once she was prepped and on the table she was fine.

“How do you feel?” He mumbled as he leaned over her and gently dragged his thumb against her skin. He dragged it across her flesh, admiring how soft she felt against him.

“Oh I feel fine,” She responded cheerily, “I’m wiggling my toes. Well I think. I can’t feel my toes. But I think I’m wiggling my toes.” She furrowed her eyebrows together, glancing down until she remembered that there was a sheet blocking their view.

“Yeah?” He smiled softly, glad that she was more carefree than anything, “Those drugs must be nice, huh?” He teased her as he traced his thumb across her bottom lip. He thought of the times they’d smoked pot together, how she always got giggly and talkative.

“Yeah,” She giggled as she turned towards him, her eyes slightly hazy, “I don’t feel nothing. Are my guts on the table?” She tilted her head, looking at him in confusion as if he would peak around the sheet to see what they were doing.

“Nope,” He told her, his lips still pursed into a smile, “I just peeked. No guts are exposed.” He smiled as he leaned forward to kiss her chin. He rubbed his thumb across her hand, glad that she was finally relaxed.

“Did you know they just go right back into place?” She asked him, “Isn’t that weird?” She shook her head like she couldn’t believe it. He paused, wishing that she hadn’t shared that with him.

“It is,” He agreed with her, “You’re doing so great.” He praised her as he brought their connected hands up to his mouth. He kissed her knuckles softly, watching the way her eyes sparkled.

“I really thought you’d pass out.” She said as she cracked a smile, her features relaxed and steady as she traced her eyes over his features.

“I helped a time or two when the calves were born,” He laughed, “And the horses.” He added a second later, recalling when his own horse had been born.

“Are you comparing me to livestock?” She grinned as she looked at him, her eyes twinkling underneath the hospital lights. He leaned forward, brushing his nose against hers for a second.

“You will be producing milk,” He said with a laugh, “I’d say it’s pretty similar.” He tilted his head as he looked down at her, watching the way her smile stayed plastered to her lips. He admired her features, wishing he had drawn more pictures of her. He wasn’t sure if she’d even seen his sketches of her.

“I had a dream about you last night.” She said softly, her smile dropping just a little bit as she turned towards him seriously. He tilted his head.

“What?”

“A dream,” She said again, “You were walking. Just in the dark. You couldn’t see me.” She said seriously as she furrowed her eyebrows together, looking like he should be concerned with it. He supposed that was better than her dreaming about him cheating on her.

“That sounds a bit scary,” He teased as he squeezed their hands together, “There weren’t a lot of spiders, were there?” He asked as he traced her cheek again. She turned towards him fiercely.

“Promise me you’ll take care of them.” She said a second later, blinking slowly as she watched him. He tapped her cheek, frowning at her words.

“I’m going to take care of everyone,” He said sternly, “You included.” He mumbled as he leaned forward to peck her lips. She inhaled sharply, leaning against him as he held her closer. He wasn’t losing her.

The sound of crying tore them apart, making his heart seize in a way he didn’t know was possible. He blinked hard, feeling his eyes growing wet as they waited in anticipation.

“A boy,” The nurse introduced him to Gator first. His mouth was wide as he cried, his little fists jumbled up as she passed him along to Gator, “Congrats.” Gator felt an odd sound fall from his lips, partially a laugh and partially a sob as he looked down at the little boy.

“Look,” He turned his son down towards Daphne, his throat suddenly feeling raw and scratchy as he traced over his features, “Our boy.” He grinned proudly as he looked at her

“Oh,” She whispered softly, “He has strong lungs. That’s good.” She moved her fingers slowly through their son’s hair, smiling as he continued to cry in Gator’s arms. He slowly moved him into her arms, allowing her to cradle him as another cry filled the room.

“And a girl,” The nurse smiled, “Careful, she’s a bit smaller.” He was already blinking tears away, but the sight of his baby girl set him over the edge. His sob took him by surprise, tears trickling from his eyes as he held the tiny infant in his arms.

“You’re crying,” Daphne said at last, her eyes lightly glazed over, “I told you, you’d cry.” She smiled lightly, looking amused as her own tears shone brightly in her eyes. He nodded his head quickly, trying to keep it together.

“You did,” He agreed as he rapidly tried to blink the tears from his eyes, “You were right.” He nodded as he looked down at his daughter, admiring her soft cheeks and tiny nose. Her legs were pulled up towards her chest as she sobbed.

He turned towards Daphne, about to mention how loud they were when he noticed something changed in her demeanor. The nurses were quick, snatching away the babies and ushering Gator out as an alarm ranged overhead. It happened quickly, fast enough that he was unable to fully process what had just happened.

“What’s going on?” He spit out harshly, his chest aching as he stared at the way more people rushed inside the room. He watched the way the nurse in front of him was speaking, but nothing made sense. It was like he couldn’t hear over the sound of his heart hammering inside of his chest. It was too loud.

“Sir?” The nurse shook her head, looking at him unsure as he kept feeling his eyes darting around. He couldn’t focus suddenly, his chest clenching into a tight ball as he blinked his eyes slowly.

“Mr. Tillman,” The nurse touched his shoulder again, “Did you have names figured out for the twins.” He looked up at her, still trying to process the fact that Daphne was hemorrhaging. He wanted to ask if she was okay, but he was afraid over what the answer would be. She would be fine. She had to be fine.

“Uh,” He stared at her as the sinking feeling grew, “I want to wait for Daphne. She was supposed to pick out our son's name.” He blinked slowly, shaking his head as he stared ahead. He realized he was sitting then. He wondered how long he’d been sitting. He didn’t remember sitting down.

“Alright,” She nodded her head softly, “Do you need anything?” She asked him, looking worried as he felt his mouth growing dry. He was panicked, fearful as he sat there. He needed to tell her parents.

“No,” He breathed out roughly, “Not right now.” He shook his head, trying to keep his emotions from growing jumbled. She paused as she bent down, trying to face him better.

“Do you want to see them?” She asked him sweetly, giving him a small smile as he tried to focus on what she was saying. He paused, feeling like it was wrong. She should see them first.

“I should wait for her.” He said at last, nodding his head as he agreed with his own thoughts. She would see them again. She’d be okay.

“They’re about to get their first baths,” She said softly, “I’m sure they’d like it if their daddy was there.” She replied, making him think about it for a moment. He nodded his head, gulping as he realized she was probably right. It wouldn’t do any good to stress out about it right now.

He followed her down the hall, his legs feeling like they were weighed down by cement as he walked. He kept glancing around, trying to gain a sense of where Daphne was at. About how she was doing.

“Should I record for her?” He asked the other nurse, still feeling like his mind was miles away. He watched as the nurse gently picked up his son, holding him in a little bundle of blankets. He was no longer crying and Gator realized just how long he was for the first time.

“You can,” She reassured him as his son continued to squirm in her arms, “I think she’d like that.” She gave him a smile, making him nod his head as he pulled out his phone. He felt a smile twitch on his lips, watching the way his little boy shuddered as the nurse gently scrubbed at his hair.

“He has a lot of hair.” He pointed out a second later, smiling as he noticed the thick locks. His hair was slightly lighter, nearly an auburn shade. It was hard to tell right away, but he had a feeling that his son might look like him.

“He really does,” She smiled, “And a strong grip. That’s good.” She responded, then took Gator through the steps of fastening his diaper and swaddling him back up. He brushed his fingertips across the infant's cheek, hoping that Daphne would be the one to give the next bath.

“She’s loud.” He observed as the nurse lifted his daughter up next. She was still as tiny and still howled as she cried. It made his heart ache, wondering if she was crying for Daphne. She hadn’t got to meet her.

Her hair was darker but just as thick as the nurse began to scrub at her hair this time. Gator recorded her too, smiling at the way she kept bringing her legs up to her chest. She definitely hadn’t been ready to leave her mama just yet.

“She has very strong lungs,” The nurse laughed as she continued to gently wash his daughter’s thick locks, “That’s good too.” She pointed out, making Gator nod in agreement. They were okay, but it was hard for him to solely focus on that at the moment. He loved his kids, but he had spent his whole life loving Daphne.

“Have you heard about my wife?” He asked her a second later, his throat tightening in fear as he assumed the worst. She turned towards him, giving him a sincere look.

“I have not,” The nurse apologized softly, “I’m sure they’ll update you as soon as we hear anything.” She told him what he already knew, leaving him without any reassurances. He did his best to keep from breaking down, nodding as she began to fasten his daughter’s diaper this time.

“Okay.”

“Do you want to do some skin to skin?” She asked him suddenly, pausing her movements before she stuck the infant's fist through the onesie sleeve. He turned towards her in confusion.

“What’s that?” He asked softly, feeling like that word was something new to him. He glanced back down at his little girl, watching the way she squirmed and wiggled her little toes about. He thought of Daphne again, as a sorrow settled over his chest.

“It’s to help bond with the babies,” She replied with a soft smile, “Very beneficial.” That was all she needed to say for him to make up his mind, hoping that it might help keep him distracted for at least a little bit.

He felt odd sitting there with his shirt off and not having Daphne around, but it felt good to feel the twins against his chest. His daughter wiggled and squirmed, blinking her eyes but keeping silent as he held onto her. His son slumbered peacefully, curling up without much of a second thought. He liked their soft baby smells and how they already seemed to have different personalities from one another.

“She’s all better,” A nurse came in a few minutes later, making him breath out shakily in relief, “She’s up and waiting for you.” He was quick to get up, passing the twins off with a silent apology as he dressed himself. He’d have a lot of time to be with them; he needed to be with Daphne right now.

Daphne was back in the regular room, her eyes shut and a tired look on her face when he entered. He exhaled in relief as she fluttered her eyes open, her lips curling into a soft smile as he approached her.

“Hey,” He cooed as he pushed her sweaty bangs off of her forehead, “Are you okay?” He questioned as he began to kiss her forehead, cupping her face oh so gently. He didn’t want to hurt her, but he had desperately missed the feeling and smell of her. She was as soft as always.

“Thirsty,” She mumbled, her voice raspy as she blinked her hazy eyes, “Is there any water?” She whispered softly, her voice a little raspy as she blinked tiredly again. He nodded as he glanced towards her table, pulling the cup that had been left there.

“Just take it easy,” He reassured her as he held the cup up to her lips, “Don’t drink too fast.” He told her gently, admiring her features as if he might somehow forget them. That had been too close for his comfort.

“Did you see them?” She asked softly, her eyes rolling over his features in concern as he continued to brush his fingers across her face. He didn’t want to let her go.

“Yeah,” He grinned as he leaned forward to kiss her temple, “You did an amazing job, mama.” He mumbled against her skin, inhaling softly as he held onto her. She still seemed a bit out of it, like she didn’t fully realize what had happened.

“I want to see them.” She replied as she held onto him, blinking slowly as she wrinkled her dark eyebrows together. He nodded his head, moving his lips to her knuckles next. He was worried, unable to ignore the pain that had filled his chest.

“They’re bringing them,” He reassured her, “Do you feel okay?” He asked as he rubbed his cheek against her hands gently. She smiled for a moment, brushing her fingertips across his skin as he continued his motions.

“My upper back and shoulder really hurts,” She replied softly, “Must be this bed.” She replied, shifting a little bit as one of the nurses walked in with a clipboard. He watched Daphne, noticing a dark color on her chest as she moved.

“Hey,” He paused as he pressed his finger against the top of her gown, bringing it down low enough to expose the middle of her chest, “What’s this?” He asked, a little horrified as he looked at the nasty bruise. She blinked, looking down at her chest in confusion.

“Oh it was in her report,” The nurse smiled painfully as she looked at it, “They did a sternum rub to bring her back. It’s painful, but it kept them from accidentally starting compressions when she didn’t need it.” She nodded her head and Gator felt his heart sink a little deeper into his stomach as he realized just how serious it had been.

“Oh,” Daphne drew out dramatically, “That’s why my chest hurts.” She said as she looked down at her skin again. He glanced back towards the nurse.

“Nothing’s broken?” He asked, hoping that she didn’t have to deal with any broken ribs on top of recovering from her surgery. Broken ribs weren’t too painful, but they were irritating.

“Oh no,” The nurse shook her head, “You’re just really sensitive there. She probably didn’t respond at first, so they dug in just a little deeper.” She looked over Daphne’s chest for a moment, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

“That makes sense,” He nodded his head as he sat back in his seat, “I’m glad you came to.” He smiled as he squeezed at Daphne’s hand. She nodded her head, still looking a little dazed like she hadn’t fully processed everything yet.

The nurses dropped off the little bassinets a few minutes later, but Gator found it hard to pay attention to them. He was too preoccupied watching Daphne, fearing that he might lose her in a blink of an eye.

“Oh wow,” She laughed, fat tears rolling down her cheeks as she held both of them in her arms, “They’re so small.” She sniffled as she looked back and forth between the two of them. They were slumbering, sleeping peacefully as they snuggled deeper into her chest.

“He was seven pounds two ounces,” He explained softly as he drifted his fingertips through their son's hair gently, “And she was five pounds eight ounces.” He explained, noticing the way she was slowly coming more to it.

“Wow,” She breathed out softly as she continued to choke on her tears, “They’re so cute.” She sniffled as she shook her head, smiling sweetly at the both of them.

“They wanted to know names,” He mumbled as he kissed the top of her head, “I think I decided on Piper.” He replied softly, a little nervous about what she thought about the name. He wanted to make her happy.

“That’s so pretty,” She sobbed as she leaned against him, her shoulders shaking gently, “You told me you liked that name from before.” She sniffled again as he rubbed his hands up and down her shoulders, leaning over to kiss the top of her head.

“I did,” He laughed as he let her rest her head against his chest, “What did you decide on?” He mumbled as he pushed his fingers through her hair. She sighed softly, sniffling as she looked down at their little boy.

“Knox Andrew,” She said as she sniffled, “I really like that name.” She replied as she turned towards him, her blue eyes bright as she stared up at him. He nodded his head, reassuring her that he enjoyed the name.

“It’s a nice name,” He mumbled as he gently wiped her tears away, “You did a good job.” He told her again, cupping her face as he pressed his lips against hers gently. She kissed him sweetly, her lips smooth and wet as he clung to her.

“I can’t believe this,” She continued to cry as she pulled away, “We made babies. I think they look like you.” She mused dreamily as she looked at them again. She winced a little bit as she adjusted them, making Piper stir a little in her arms.

“Maybe he does,” He said softly, thinking of the pictures they’d poured over the past few days, “But she’s gonna look like you.” He pointed out, already thinking that there were too many similarities for her features to change.

“They have your hair,” She mused, shifting a bit so he could take Knox from her arms. She shifted, like her shoulder was really bothering her, “He’s a little heavier.” She explained softly, looking like she felt bad.

“S’alright,” He reassured her, “You’ll have plenty of time to hold them.” He told her quickly, knowing that she didn’t have to hold both of them at the same time.

She struggled with her first attempt with nursing. Piper refused to latch, squirming and wiggling about until she was red in the face. Knox was easier, latching right away and making little sounds that reminded Gator of the piglets they’d once had.

“Here’s their baths,” He mumbled as he scooted closer to her, “They did really well.” He told her, holding onto the phone in one hand and Piper in the other. She was warm and soft and he found himself pausing every so often to move down and kiss her forehead again.

“Can you believe there’s two of them?” She said in awe as she rubbed at Knox’s cheek again, “Two perfect little babies.” She mumbled, smiling sweetly as she traced over his features. He watched her, knowing she already had this down perfectly.

Her family came first. Ruby was attached to her side, seemingly more interested in what was happening with Daphne than the twins. He didn’t mind. He was actually glad that someone else was taking special interest in what she was doing.

“I think I have your baby blanket,” Ruby said suddenly. She stood behind Daphne, having a pile of pillows wrapped around her as she rubbed at Daphne’s shoulders, “I’ll have to get that out too.” She mumbled to herself, moving her eyes up towards the ceiling like she had a mental list.

“Do I still get the baby blankets you knitted?” Daphne tilted her head back, her eyebrows knitting together in concern as she looked at Ruby worriedly. Gator grinned as he rubbed his arm, nodding his head along to whatever Bruce was talking about.

“Yes,” Ruby laughed softly, “I just thought you’d like to keep it now.” She smiled as she kissed the top of her head before she walked away towards the babies. Gator took it as his opportunity to move back to Daphne.

“How do you feel?” He asked her, whispering softly as he rubbed at her ankle. She sent him a tired grin, dragging her eyes away from where Noelle and August were trading the twins back and forth. He thought it was odd that August could be here for their kids but not for his own.

“A little better,” She mumbled, “I think I'm pumped full of drugs, honestly.” She laughed, looking a little amused as he linked their fingers together. He was just glad she wasn’t in any type of pain at the moment.

“You went through a lot,” He reassured her, hoping that she wouldn’t get upset again, “You deserve some good drugs.” He teased her, being full serious as he traced his finger across her smooth skin.

“Ha,” She smiled as she looked down towards him, “You’re so funny.” She nudged him softly, but had the decency to still look amused at his words. He traced his eyes over her dark eyebrows, her bright eyes and slightly pink cheeks. He traced her freckles and moles, then her plump lips. She was stunning, like an angel.

“Hey,” He whispered as he leaned forward, “I love you. You know that, right?” He questioned her softly, sitting close enough so she was the only one that could hear him. She smiled as she drew her eyes up towards his, then squeezed his face softly.

“I love you too.” She breathed out softly, her eyes warming the inside of his chest.

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The next two days were a bit better, but he could tell Daphne was a lot more sore than she was the previous night. He could tell she was hurting, even though she kept trying to brush it off.

“Your dad never came,” She observed gently as she turned towards him, watching the way he cradled Piper to his bare chest, “Did you tell him?” She looked at him curiously, making him feel a little disappointed as he was reminded about Roy’s words.

“He said they’d come by when we’re home,” He responded as he glanced away, “He’s been busy with something.” He shrugged his shoulders as he rubbed his fingers down Piper’s back, smiling at the way she shivered.

“Secretive,” She mumbled, smiling as she ran her fingers through Knox’s hair in fascination, “I can’t believe they’re actually here.” She said again, still sounding as fascinated as she looked down at them again.

“I can’t either,” He told her truthfully. He didn’t say it outloud, but he was really enjoying doing the skin on skin time with the twins, “You did such a great job.” He praised her again, hoping that she understood just how proud of her she was. She flushed a little, sending him a shy smile as she rocked Knox towards her chest.

Gator was less than happy by the time the nurse returned back. The twins were in the clear to leave, perfectly healthy and ready to go home. Daphne wasn’t. They wanted to keep her another night. On her own. He wasn’t thrilled with the idea.

“What do you mean she can’t go back yet?” He asked, doing his best to keep his frustration at bay as he looked back towards Daphne. She was holding onto Piper this time, rocking her as she gave her a bottle.

“It’s just a routine thing. Her experience was a bit more traumatic so we just want an extra day to watch her.” The nurse explained and it really did make sense, but Gator didn’t feel like it was right to leave Daphne behind.

“You can go home,” Daphne reassured him, “I’m going to be fine. My mom will be here.” She said with a soft nod, making him sigh as he quickly shook his head.

“I don’t know.” He said at last, fearing what might happen if he left. He was terrified he’d wake up to a phone call. That if he left, he’d be leaving her behind forever.

“You need to rest too,” She pointed out, “You’ll do that a lot better in a comfortable bed. And the twins should see their home.” She smiled as she rubbed her fingers through Piper’s hair, smiling sweetly as she bent over to kiss at her head.

“Are you sure?” He asked her, really hating the thought of leaving her all alone. He pushed his hair back, watching the way she quickly nodded her head.

“Positive,” She grinned at him, “All I do is sleep anyways. I’m still so sore.” She groaned as she rolled her shoulder around again, wincing a bit as Piper grunted in protest.

“What if something happens and I’m not here?” He asked her seriously, his stomach twisting and turning at the thought. He didn’t want to lose her. He feared it more than anything.

“What if something happens and you are here?” She shot back, smiling at the question, “Sometimes things happen and there’s nothing we can do about it. Even if you were here, it doesn’t mean you’d be able to save me.” She pointed out, making his chest a bit more hollow as he thought about it.

“I don’t like that scenario.” He told her seriously, sighing as he leaned forward to brush his nose against hers. She inhaled softly, smiling up towards him as she pulled away.

“Go home,” She told him, laughing as she kissed his cheek, “Get some good rest. Take a shower. I’ll be alright.” She promised him.

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