I grabbed her arm as she rose and she looked down on me. Seeing my concerned face, she added, "I'm going to tell them that I'm a grandma to two perfectly normal, regular, healthy, and beautiful children." I nodded at her that she understood. That what we were, what they were, needed to be kept secret. She nodded back, and then flitted from the room to go off and brag about them.
Ashley walked up next, giving Julian and then me a kiss. She looked over my shoulder at Teren and then back to me. "You guys did great. You were amazing, Emma." She giggled and added, "And I'm never having children. That was disgusting." I laughed and smacked her arm and she laughed and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "I'm going to go call Tracey and Ben." I nodded and watched her leave.
Imogen swished from the room and came back moments later with handmade knitted blankets in blue and pink. Looking sheepish she said, "I couldn't help but make a whole bunch in different colors." Smiling as she swaddled Julian in blue and then Nika in pink, she added, "I was really hoping for one of each.
Taking Nika from Halina, she placed her in the crook of my other arm. Halina looked at her longingly, not seeming to want to let her go. With a sigh, she did though, and backed away from the bed. Staring at Teren and I and our children, she looked at her daughter and grand-daughter. "Well girls, how about a celebratory drink? I know I could use it."
Alanna and Imogen smiled and nodded. Alanna turned to me as Imogen and Halina left the room. "We'll be downstairs, dear." Her eyes flicked down to my body. "Holler, if you need anything."
I smiled, nodding, knowing that I knew exactly where they were in this house, and I knew they'd hear me if I casually asked for anything. Alanna's comments were sweet though. As she and Jack left hand in hand, I sighed and settled into Teren's side, sort of happy to finally be alone with our new foursome.
Teren's arm went under my shoulders, holding me close in the beautiful bed I'd birthed our children in. His pale eyes locked onto mine as a soft, peaceful smile settled on his face. We stared at each other for several quiet minutes before he spoke. "You know, now that they are safely out of you, you could stop taking the injections, if you wanted."
I stared down at the two bundles in my arms, one a mass of cotton-candy pink, light-blondish, fuzzy hair poking out the top, the other, a sea of powder blue, with a patch of thick blackness at the head. I kissed each soft and warm tuft of hair and closed my eyes, reaching out with my new senses. In the distance, I could hear Jack and Alanna talking quietly in the kitchen. I tuned them out. In the dining room, I could hear Imogen and Halina laughing as they clinked their glasses and sipped their blood cocktails. I tuned that out. I heard Ashley on her phone, talking to Hot Ben, who said he was hopping in his car now and he'd be here soon. I heard Mom on her phone, gloating over how her grandchildren were perfect angels, and one of them bore her late husband's name. Next to me, I could hear Teren softly mimic breathing, waiting for my response. I tuned them all out.
Pinpointing my abilities, I listened for the two tiniest beings in the room. Their breath was faint, but I could hear it. They hiccupped and sighed and stopped and started with their breathing, still getting the hang of it. I squeezed them just a smidge tighter and listened for their hearts. Like a musical sympathy, the beats filled my ears. The longer I concentrated on only hearing those specific sounds, the louder they became. I let my own heartbeat fill my ears and smiled as the three of us fell into a similar pattern as they lay near my chest. My heartbeat was slower, one of mine equaling two of theirs, but the rhythm was perfectly in sync.
Opening my eyes to Teren, I sighed softly, contently. "Not just yet. I want to stay like them for awhile longer." He nodded, his eyes as content as mine, as he reached out and stroked a dark clump of Julian's hair with his finger. "Are you okay with that?" I whispered.
His eyes snapped up to mine. "Of course, Emma." His finger traveled up to linger on my cheek. "I will stand behind any decision you make on this. It's your body, your choice." He leaned in and gave me a soft kiss. "And I've always said, I'll take you any way that I can get you." He leaned back and gazed at me, his face still pale from the amount of blood I'd taken from him. "If I get you young and beautiful or old and elegant, I'm happy." He smiled, his eyes brightening. "Because, either way," he cupped my cheek, his eyes watering, "I get you forever, and I never thought I'd get that."
I smiled, my own eyes watering. "I didn't either. I love you so much."
He grinned crookedly at me. "I would say I love you too, but I think I've gone too far past that, so I'll just say..." his grin turned serious, "you make eternity something to look forward to."
I gave up on trying to contain the tears after that. Darn emotional vampires.
***The End***