Reunited and a new arrival

The last few weeks had been absolute agony, Moe and Zeke had been wonderful, they did try their hardest to keep her spirits up, but nothing really helped.

In such a short time she had come to rely on Tahir so much and now she had been forced to cope without him.

What was worse than being away from him was the silence, she couldn't call and make sure that he was alright, she couldn't tell him that her health was fine, that their baby was fine.

Each night she had sat stroking her swollen stomach, cooing to their infant to wait to see the world, he couldn't arrive yet, he had to wait until Daddy could come and seem them, until they went home.

You have to wait.

Her back ached to the point that she spent most days laying around, if she moved around too much her joints got sore and her feet ached, having a Lycan child definitely was no an easy feat and she knew when their baby finally decided to come into the world that I would not be a pleasant experience but she would endure, the gains were far greater than her discomfort.

It was another quiet night, Alexis sat in the room she had been given, an open book propped up on her stomach, distracting herself was the best thing she could do and each night she read or tried to numb her mind with television.

The Vampire winced softly as her hand reached to stroke her stomach.
"Don't kick Mommy."

She muttered, shaking her head softly, he had been so active as of late and she knew it wouldn't be long now, she was already over due, but with a hybrid pregnancy what was considered 'due' was a very fluid date, there was really no telling.

The woman jumped slightly when someone knocked at the door.
"Come in."
She muttered, she thought it was Moe again, here to help her but inside the dark haired man she knew to be Belial walked in, her eyes looked up in worry, had something happened to Tahir? Her bothers? Were the Fae finally gone?

"Time to go home, darlin'." He muttered, the woman smiled brightly despite her discomfort as he moved to her side and scooped her into his arms, Belial knew well enough that she wasn't in any condition to be walking about.

In one moment they were standing in Lycus' home in Greece and the next they were standing outside of Tahir's bedroom door.

Belial reached over and knocked firmly on the door, still holding the woman cradled in his arms, it was an innocent gesture, he wouldn't want a expecting mother at this stage to be forced to stand up for long periods of time.

The day Tahir had to say goodbye to Alexis and his unborn child was one of the worst days he had ever had to face. The only bit of comfort he had was that he trusted the Elders. He knew that when they said she would be taken care of, she would be.

But still for the first few days the Persian man didn't know what to do with himself. His mind was heavy with wondering what his mate was doing, if she was feeling okay, if she was being treated the way she deserved and needed to be.

He couldn't sleep. He had tried to often. His mind was physically wearing him down, making it so he couldn't see straight. He wasn't able to focus on anything around him, just the thought of his beloved. The man would lay in bed for hours, tossing and turning, an aching in his heart he was not used to being there.

There were only three people in the man's life that were important to him. Alexis, his unborn child, and his sister Arzu. All three of those people were gone now, and Tahir didn't know when he would see them again. He didn't even know where Arzu was, if she was even alive. He didn't want to think about that. It made him sick.

He wished that he could sleep through all of this. It would be easier to slip into unconsciousness then deal with every passing minute of every agonizingly slow day. But sleep would not come to him.

The lycan spent much of his time in his beast form. He'd sit by the beach, staring out into the lulling waves of the ocean with heavy longing eyes. The salty wind and mist would tussle his thick black fur, but otherwise he was unmoving. At night he would howl to the moon, a low melancholy cry offered to the sky.

The first day that he saw the Fae it took everything he had not to lash out at them. He wasn't impressed by the pair. They looked weak and frail and pompous in the rugged man's eyes. Had he not witnessed the fear the Elders had for the Fae, he would have never suspected the true power they held. Luckily they never paid Tahir much attention. He was a pure lycan, alone in the mansion. There was nothing to interest them.

He noticed that the Fae would spend much of their time in the forest. During the second week of their stay Tahir decided to make use of himself to try and get his mind off of things. While the Fae were out he would spend his time moving Alexis's belongings into his room, and when that was out of the way, he set his sights on making a baby crib for their firstborn. Tahir had always been good with his hands, building and crafting things from the time he was young.

It took longer then it normally would have, because whenever the Fae would return he would hide the crib and leave the mansion to return to the beach. He didn't want to take any chances with them.

But when it was finished he was satisfied with the woodwork. It was polished, intricate, and sturdy, suitable for his and Alexis's baby. While in town he had bought some blankets and pillows to lay in the crib as well. From that point on the crib would remain hidden until Alexis was back.

On this particular day, Tahir was in his room. He had heard that the Fae were gone for good, and that Alexis would be home soon. The news had nearly taken his breath away. It sounded too good to be true. He was quick to go to their room and began to make things presentable.

He was never a very good cleaner. The man could craft a custom made baby crib, smith his own enchanted weapons, and yet for the life of him he could not make a bed straight. It made no sense but he was too excited to question it. So trying his best he made the bed (the covers were crooked and lose but he tried), organized the dressers and shelves (which was a nice way of saying he just rearranged things and made sure nothing was knocked over), and gathered all the dirty clothes and rubbish in the room to hide in a hamper.

But this wasn't good enough, no. The room had to smell nice too, have the right atmosphere. So he lit sandlewood incense and candles to make everything right.

Taking a deep breath Tahir finally felt his body relaxing. There was always something very calming about watching smoke dance in the air. He sat beside the desk and stared at it, letting himself slip into a bit of a meditative state.

Alexis would be home soon, in his arms, ripe with child. Soon everything would be right again, he'd have his family once more.

The knock at the door sent a shock through the Persian man's body. Not missing a beat he bounded across the room, opening the door immediately. His heart skipped beats as he saw her cradled in Belial's arms.

Reaching out he scoped her into his own embrace, kissing her forehead and holding her close. It was her, his beloved Alexis back in his arms. And she hadn't had the child yet, he hadn't missed that.

His heart swelled with so much happiness he could not speak, there was nothing he could say that would accurately express himself. So instead he looked to Belial with eyes that had all the thanks a man could possess, infinitely grateful for his love's safe return.

As soon as that door open Alexis practically leaped into his arms, as best she could in her current state. Her arms wrapped around his neck tightly as she held him close.

Belial eagerly handed the woman over and looked down at the two of them, he could feel exactly what the man was going through and gave a silent nod in response to the man's thankful gaze

"If you need my help at all, just call."

He muttered before disappearing from their sight immediately, he too had loved ones he need to find.

"Tahir..."

The dainty Vampire whispered, her face nestled in against his neck as her pale fingers tangled themselves in his jet-black hair.

She had missed him so much, her heart had felt such loneliness without him, as if a part of herself had been removed by force and she had longed for it all this time.

The baby in her womb stirred, awoken by the sound of it's father's voice, which had not been present in recent weeks.

They were a family again, together and safe, Alexis could not ask for more than this.

Tahir was not going to miss out on anything, the baby had listened to her pleas not to arrive yet, to wait until they were home, and now she was a few days overdue, her swollen stomach a complete contrast to the rest of her slim body.

The woman was bundled in a cardigan to fight off the cold and a long layered shear dress which wrapped around her protectively, just like the arms of her Mate as she clung onto him.

Tahir smiled big, his features still tired looking, but much brighter then they had been in a long time.

Neither of the two looked their best. Alexis was exhausted from the effects of lycan pregnancy, and Tahir had been worn down with worry about his mate.

And yet still in their tired and run down state the couple had a beauty about them. The kind of light that always somehow manifested itself around people who were completely in love.

Using his foot to close the door, Tahir carried Alexis over to the bed and carefully laid her down on the mattress. Her stomach was huge, especially in comparison to the rest of her. She was so endearing to Tahir in every way possible.

"I've missed you." He finally said in a low, soft voice. There was so much that he was eager to talk to her about. Had she been treated well? Was she feeling okay? These questions and more ran around inside him.

He Gently picked up her hand and kissed it over and over, a different kiss for each knuckle. He wanted to press his lips to every part of her body, but he held back because he didn't want to overwhelm her.

It was clear that both of them were utterly exhausted, but even still, just being together breathed new life into the woman, she was eager to sit and talk with him, cuddle up to him.

"We've both missed you."

She replied, a dainty hand stroking over her large stomach, they didn't know what the baby was but she did know that it had missed him as much as she had, the way it moved at the sound of his voice was evident enough of that.

Alexis lay out on the bed comfortably, he could see that he had clearly tried his best to make this comfortable for her, the bed was made, scruffily but she found that charming, and the smell of sandalwood swirled through the air, relaxing her senses.

Her golden eyes landed on the crib, lighting up with joy as she looked over at it.

"Did you make that?"

She muttered, bringing her hand to her mouth, it was beautiful, and the thought that Tahir had sat down and sent his time creating it just for their child made her heart swell.

Her eyes turned to him, watery with joy as she pulled him closer and pressed a deep kiss on his lips as she guided his hand to her stomach as their child kicked and squirmed within her.

Tahir's eyes lit up when he saw her notice the crib. He nodded his head, proud of his work even more so in this moment. He could tell by her reaction that she approved, and that was all he really wanted.

The tears welling up in her eyes surprised him though. He was not expecting that. If she hadn't been pregnant either he would have been a slightly worried, but he learned that she was much more sensitive then normal. And honestly the fact that what he did meant that much to her just made him even happier than before.

Before he could say anything she pulled him into a kiss. Closing his eyes he kissed her back, lightly rubbing the tight skin around her stomach when his hand was placed there. He felt the little kicks and it surprised him, but excited him all at once.

He never knew that little things like this in life could make him so incredibly happy.

When she finally pulled away from the kiss she nestled in against him, the fact that he had gone through the effort of actually making the crib instead of just buying one meant so much more to her.

Even when she wasn't around Tahir was doing his best to do the right thing for her and their child.

"It's wonderful."

She muttered as her arms wrapped around him, pressing soft kisses to his neck.

Alexis was definitely more emotional in her current state but it was to be expected and that didn't mean that her admiration was any less real.

Tahir never would have considered himself to be a snugly man. But with Alexis and his baby safe in his arms, it was now one of his favorite feelings in the world.

“You really like it?” He asked. He wanted her to like it so much, and while he had been proud of his work, getting her approval like this was extremely important to him.

He continued to rub his hand over her tummy, anxious for the upcoming day when he could actually hold their baby. He wondered what the baby’s eyes would look like, if they’d be silver or gold. He wondered what kind of personality the baby would have. Would it be loud and hyper or quiet and shy? He couldn't help but smile at all of these thoughts, and at being reunited with Alexis. Thank the God's they were safe.

"I absolutely love it, it's perfect."

She replied, leaning up to press a soft kiss to his lips as she nestled in against him affectionately.

This couldn't have been a more perfect reunion in her eyes, he had taken care of everything, he even went out and bought blankets to fill the crib, not many men she knew would have so much initiative for something like that.

"It's so good to be home with you."

Tahir smiled and nestled himself in closer to her. He had one arm supporting her head so he could run his fingers through her hair, and his other hand gently rested on her stomach.

“It’s so good to have you back. How was Greece? Did they take care of you there? I’ll admit I thought about you every minute of everyday… Ever since I met you I feel lost when you’re not around…” He said honestly. He didn’t like showing weakness like that to anyone except Alexis. Only she could know the full extent of how he ever felt.

"Greece was alright, the staff were very helpful, I didn't realise that the Elf Elder lived like that, you should have seen the estate, everything looked like it was straight out of ancient Greek architecture, though it probably was."

The building was absolutely massive and everything was made of polished marble.

"It doesn't compare to being here though, nothing could ever compare to this."

She replied, this was her home, she wanted to be here and no matter how grand another place could seem she would always long to be here with Tahir.

The Persian man was glad to hear that Alexis had been treated well while she was gone. The estate sounded wonderful. Just what she deserved.

"Good." He said, nodding his head.

Being here at Cacciatori di Sangue was perfect for the two of them though, so long as they had each other. The coven was massive, well furnished, and complete with a new family he could call his own.

The thought of family forced his sister into his mind. Tahir wondered if he should tell Alexis that the girl disappeared, or if it would be best to not focus on that at the moment. It was eating away at him from the inside out, but he decided it was best to not burden Alexis with that at this time.

Alexis gave a soft gasp as she looked up at Tahir in a mixture of surprise and concern.

"Tahir...sweety...I think I need you to carry me down to the infirmary and get Giacinto."

Her bladder control had taken a beating with being pregnant but she wasn't that bad, there was no way she had just...

"My water just broke."

She added calmly, the last thing she needed was the man freaking out on her right now.

Tahir didn't jump when Alexis gasped, but his eyes widened a little in surprise.

"You're... you're what?" He asked, taken aback at first. He quickly looked down and then looked back up to her eyes.

"Oh!" He said, connecting everything together. Wasting no time he scooped Alexis up in his arms, and in that moment he was so excited that he forgot where the infirmary was. He made his way out into the hallway and started heading the wrong direction before realizing so, promptly turning back to go the right way.

Tahir knew nothing about childbirth. He had never witnessed it before, and it wasn't the type of thing that he'd studied, though he suddenly found himself wishing he had.

As soon as Tahir went in the wrong direction Alexis started giggling, contractions hadn't started yet so she wasn't in too much of a rush, though it was too amusing seeing her man so excited that he got himself lost.

"You're not allowed to freak out on me okay?"

She replied, nuzzling up against him as her hands draped over her stomach, stroking it lovingly.

"But you need to get Giacinto for me, she will know what to do."

The woman was the oldest of them, she would know how to deal with having this child.

Tahir took a deep breath as he walked, telling himself to calm down. Everything was going to be fine. Better then fine, everything was going to be wonderful. He would be able to greet his firstborn with Alexis into the world, they would be a complete family.

He smiled down at her as he carried her in his arms.

"I promise I wont." He said, reassuring his love.

He turned into the infirmary and laid Alexis down on the bed, pulling the curtain around her so she could have some privacy.

"I'll go find Giacinto, I wont' be long okay?" He said, kissing her forehead before turning to leave.

He walked briskly down the hallway, heading towards Giacinto's room. If she wasn't in there he'd try his best to follow her scent.

"Thank you, Love."

She replied, reaching her hand up to stroke his cheek as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

The woman loved to know that even when he was excited or worried he had the composure enough to be able to do what she needed him to do.

Alexis made herself comfortable in the bed and waited for Tahir to return.

Lyssum slowly backed out of a large wooden doorway which lead to Giacinto's room, she had only went to show the Elder her latest discoveries about the inside of a vampires brain but the older woman did not seem interested at that point in time.
The Elder was in a bad mood, one of her "Nobody loves me, Iwantsomeonetolovemeee!" type of moods in which the nurse could not help with at all. So instead of trying to snap her out of it, she simply decided to leave the dissected vampire brain on Giacinto's set of draws and leave the room as slowly and quietly as she could.

She let out a small sigh. With the wooded door now shut she mumbled to herself.

"Hmm..if Gia does not want to know, maybe there is someone else that would? Maybe Raoul... but he is gone, so no Raoul, nope." Though there were not many people that would tolerate Lyssum, there were a few that could. Most would turn there nose up in disgust if they ever saw her skipping down the hall with a fresh bloodied brain dripping through her fingers. It made her feel left out at times, with nothing 'useful' to contribute to, what she needed was something that only she could help with or at least something that would take up some of her time.

She stood outside the door swinging her arms about in boredom."...What shoould Lyssum Doo?~"

Tahir was trying to use his senses to track Giacinto down, but in the moment he was so excited and a bit caught up that it was more difficult for him then normal.

He spotted a women in the hallway which he believed to be leading towards Giacinto's room. He hadn't ever seen this women before.

She was a bit... disheveled looking. Something about her seemed to be very off, even for the coven.

"Excuse me miss, is this the right way to find Giacinto?" He asked, and it was clear that he was in a hurry. His eyes were big and his words rushed.

Lyssum turned around as if she was expecting the the hurried man to come along and ask such a question, then again no one else normally came along this way unless going to see the Elder so it was expected. She grinned and clapped her hands together in greeting to the stranger.

"Hii~ Lyssum knows where Gia is, but Gia is in a bad mood, yup she is!" She shuffled to the left so she was facing the Elders bedroom door before placing her fingers into a point and turning her arms in a clock like motion only stopping them as they came back around to point towards the wooden panels.

"Gia is in there!" She giggled.

Just as she finished a loud crash was heard from within the room as well as some annoyed grumbles. Lyssum simply stood there listening with her usual grin on her face.

When the woman spoke she was even more peculiar then she appeared. Tahir tried not to judge, he had no idea what would make her that way, but he did know by now that the Coven was full of all sorts of surprises.

The Persian man did frown when he heard the crash and grumblings come from the elders room. Alexis was going into labor and Giacinto did not sound like she was in any state to help.

Tahir turned his attention back to the woman in the long dress.

"Listen." He said, his fingers twitching and his eyes darting around as he tried to think of what to do. "My mate is going into labor. Do you know anyone in the coven that would be able to help us?" He asked, hoping that Lyssum could be reliable.

He wished that Arzu was here, that she was in a better mental state to help them. But now everything was happening so fast, and even though Tahir thought he was prepared, he really wasn't as much as he would have liked to be.

Lyssum blinked in surprise at the man as he asked if anyone in the mansion was able to help him and his mate, it just so happens that he had come across one of the most able in the whole mansion. She had been practising the art of medicine for well over 600 years and no matter how peculiar she may seem, she took the skills seriously.

Her grin dropped from her face and was replaced with an out of character expression of seriousness. She was finally needed and she would most defiantly do her best. Turning around to face the mad head on once again she leaned forward.

"Of course~ Ly will re-introduce herself. She is Lyssum, Chosen Regent and Coven Nurse, if anyone can help you it would be Ly." No matter the situation, she naturally spoke about herself in third person. A small smile peaked through her serious expression.

"Can she be of help?"

Tahir blinked a once in shock, wondering if he heard right. It was then that his memory came back to him. He'd heard the name Lyssum before when learning about the chosen Regents. He never would have imagined her to be like this though!

It was comforting to him to see her take on a more serious tone. In the moment he didn't have time to judge her or be picky. She knew how to help, and he and Alexis needed help.

"Yes, thank you. If you'll just follow me, I have her in the infirmary." He said, leading the vampire woman along as he walked. He was certain that since Lyssum was the nurse she obviously all ready knew where the infirmary was.

"My name is Tahir, and my mate is Alexis. It's her first pregnancy." He explained as they approached the room where Alexis lay.

The night dragged on for the pair of them, though thankfully the birth went without a glitch, it took a stain on the Vampire's small body.

Lycan pregnancies were harsh, causing the body to adapt rapidly as the child grew at an accelerated rate, without the ability to shift into a wolf Alexis had to pull through the old fashioned way.

Her shouts echoed the halls until the early morning, even without the presence of any windows in the infirmary room she had been place the effect of the daylight hours moved to exhaust her further.

Despite the stain as soon as their child took its first breath she was able to sit up, a smile gracing her tired, sweat slicked face as she cradled him in her arms, their son, their first born had finally arrived.

"He is beautiful."

She muttered dreamily, stroking the small dusting of dark hair that graced his head.

Tahir was by Alexis's side throughout the whole event, holding her hand, brushing her hair out of her face, speaking softly to comfort her.

He had never witnessed anything like this, but luckily it wasn't as gruesome as some of the other things he'd seen in life, so he was able to not get nauseous. Instead he was strong and a good shoulder for his mate to lean on the entire time.

He was worried about her, but he knew she was a strong and capable woman. Still he heated hearing her in pain.

It wasn't until he heard his baby cry that Tahir thought he may pass out. The baby, cleaned and wrapped up in a blanket, was handed to Alexis. The Persian man felt his knees may go weak. That was their baby, his son. They had created that beautiful child.

He had witnessed many things that most wouldn't be able to even dream of. As a man he had fought a lycan and survived, survived a transformation, summoned dark arts, and fought in countless battles.

And yet here and now he found himself clueless as to what to do. This babies life was in his and Alexis's hands. What if he screwed up? What if he wasn't a good father? What if he wasn't the father this baby deserved?

All these thoughts rushed over him, but at the same time an immense amount of adoration swelled in his heart as well.

He was so proud and in love with Alexis for giving birth to his handsome, perfect son, and he was in awe at the amount of protectiveness and affection he felt for this little baby as well.

Tahir found himself speechless, his eyes wide as he looked at the little bundle in his mate's arms.