Quadruple the Part 1

[Amorentia]

Marucs POV

I heard Peni murmur from the bathroom, "That's strange," and I sat up, watching her face as she came to the door,"Marcus..." and then there was this quiet popping sound and a splash as fluid went everywhere.  I had seen this in the video's, but seeing it in real life, knowing what it meant, it was completely different.  I saw Peni's hand bracing her side as she said "It's time. Call Ewan and the Midwives..."she started to pant, "It's time..."

I ran to the door, planning to hunt them all down.  Peni needed someone to get here NOW.  Halfway down the stairs, I remembered I had a wand.  A wand that could send patronus'.  Why was I running?  Rolling my eyes at my own stupidity, I walked back into the room to the sound of Peni's laughter.  I grabbed my wand off the nightstand, using it to send a bulk patronus.  Anyone we could even think of wanting to tell was about to find out Peni was in labor.  I figured that way, no matter who we needed, they would be there.

Peni lay on the bed, laughing in hysterics as she said, "Stop you're making my water come out."

Horrified at her words, I looked at her closely, laying on her back with her legs spread, "Your not having them now! Close your legs!"  Just the thought...oh, man my head was spinning.

She rolled on her side, more of the fluid gushing out as she laughed.  I looked at her, "Is that normal?" Merlin that was alot of fluid.

She bent over more, grabbing her stomach as she moaned, "Oh my god. oh my god the babies coming! Now!"

I could feel the blood draining from my face as the world spun faster and went black.

Peni POV

It was a joke! Jeez. Seriously? Standing over him I was trying to wake him up, using my wand to call down for some help, ice, and I figured if this is his reaction to the start of the labor, he was going to need a lot of beer to get through this night. This birth will not be like any of those. Marucs told me.  I will be there for every minute, for every push, for every little one that enters the world. Yeah, right.

Jalil was the first one inside the room, shadowed by my Mother, my Cousin Leah, and one of the Midwives. Seeing Leah there made me start laughing through tears.

''Did you knock him out for getting you into this?" Leelee asked laughing as she hugged me,

"I didn't hit him, Leelee. He fainted." The look on Leah's face was priceless as I could hear Mom directing Jalil to put Marcus on the bed. As I held onto Leah the a string of pain started deep in my lower back to wrap around the sides as my uterus tightened. She and the midwife were encouraging me to breath, as I tried to relax, letting it all wash over opening to let the babies out.

"Mother of God," Jalil said as another one of the babies amniotic sac must have popped. "It's like Niagra Falls!"

Laughing through the last part of the contractions, I could feel the Midwives tennis ball giving counter pressure to my lower back. 

"You're almost nine centimeters," The Midwife told me. Mama came beside me after she kicked Jalil out saying, "You're almost there, Peni."

I hardly had time to breath before the next surge began. Staying loose, I breathed with Leelee and Mama holding me up. Suddenly the room started to fill up, John came in going strait to check on Marcus. My Father came in with the kids long enough for me  to kiss them an work hard to not look like I hurting this much, to tell each I loved them. To get them excited I cheered, "Yay! You're brothers..." pause to breath. "And sisters will be born."

"What wrong with Daddy." Deni asked looking at Marcus on the bed. Jalil and everyone laughed.

Taking another breath I said, "He's napping." Father took them out of the room promising they would all come up once the babies were born. 

There were more people in there, but I didn't know till the other Midwives came in with Ewan and I could hear them kicking everyone but initial family out. Tears came to my eyes with a laugh hearing my Pack brothers wishing me luck as they left to let me know they'd be downstairs. Already I could smell food. By the time the kids were born everyone Aunties, Uncles, The Pack, Cousins, Grandparents, and friends would be here eating and playing to welcome out new babies. It was just how I always wanted it.

"It's soon. I should have known... " I said shaking my head thinking of my talks with the Ancestors in the woods earlier that day. "They alluded. I basically asked."

Everyone was ensuring me as they all took their separate places checking over my body. They assured me Marcus was alright, he simply fainted. And the bump on his head wasn't bad. Looking at Ewan I asked as he scanned the babies, "Are they ready? Is it too early?"

With everyone else he waitied as I breathed through the next surge that ended with the beginnings of the urge to bear down.

"You're Brenna is the smallest, a small five pounds. But her lungs are strong. Don't worry, Mama." He smiled his reassuring smile as the Midwives got the large Birthing Ball for me to lean on. That's when I saw my favorite blue eyes looking at me from the bed. I asked,  "Are you okay baby?"

My eyes opened to the brown ones I loved more than any others, and I told her truthfully, "I'm sorry, I know I'm an ass baby. If it helps I have a really bad headache." What kind of guys passes out at a time like this?

Peni laughed lightly, giving me that sweet smile of hers before her eyes closed in pain, leaning forward on her ball and moaning.  I watched her mother and the midwives moving around her, helping her, knowing that should be me.  I felt like the world's worst husband in that moment.

My dad took the ice pack off my head, asking,  "Are you okay for this? Jalil brought ice and beer."

Peni moaned, "Start drinking.... long night..." She closed her eyes, moaning more, and I knew she was thinking this was going to be like all the other births after all.  I wanted to prove her wrong, I wanted to be what I said I would be. 

As John left, I listened to the midwives explanations, "Peni we need to let them come down easy. Each one nice and easy. We have to protect the vaginal integrity with as little damage as possible so it's ready for the next one... breath it out, Peni... don't bare down breath and moan in out... ride it...." watching her mother wipe her face with a cloth. 

Shaking my head, knowing I needed to do more than lay here, I pushed my self up, promising to do more from here on out,  "No, no drinking, long night for both of us." I looked at the pain etched into every line of her face, "Longer for you."

Moving to take a place in front of her, I placed my forehead on hers, trying to draw her gaze.  But she was even hotter than usual, the heat from her face almost burning me , "Oh, shit it's hot."

Watching her moaning and laughing, I knew the course to take to help the best way I could.  Leaning over, I said softly to her as I licked my lips,  "It is bad that this labor stuff is kind of hot." she laughed and I let my fingers trail over the soft skin of her shoulders.

"I see the head." One of the midwives called.

"Peni, stop laughing we need to slow down." The other told her.

"Marcus's shhhhhhhh.." Peni's mom said to me.

Loving her laugh, I leaned forward, whispering in her ear, "Shhhh" moving back so she could see the wicked grin on my face behind the finger pressed to my lips.

In a fit of giggles, Peni leaned against me, her warm body molding against me as the midwife said, "This baby isn't waiting. just don't push, Peni,  he's coming out just fine. breath it.... or laugh"

Lisa, Peni's Mother, said with a smile, "Only you two laugh at a time like this."

Ewan was laughing with us, "Better born to laughter than to tears." Exactly I thought. 

"Breath him out, Peni...breath him out....." my Midwives kept saying. It was so hard. The urge to push was instintcual. The intetion to blow out that urge to just push was rediculiously hard. My hand grabbed onto Marcus's head behind me trying to stretch my body back in\stead of curling up to bare down. "It's coming....." I breathed feeling the baby so far down with immense pressure. "It's coming..." 

"Isn't that what you say when we got them in there." Marcus said in my ear. Instantly I started laughing. 

"First sound they heard going on. Last sound they heard going out." I said still laughing. With a jolt I could feel it before the Midwives even said, "The head is almost out." Looking at Marcus I was amazed, we laughed our baby out.

"Not yours baby," I laughed just imagining Marcus looking down at his pants to check his zipper. "Out of me me...." His laughter tickled my ear making me giggle even more which was like healing medicine. By now the Midwives here laughing while still telling me to stop. 

Ewan clapped Marcus on the back saying, "So you're going to be a Father soon."

"I'm already a Father." Marcus said making me kiss him on the cheek for being my sweet man. "Today I'm going to get more."

"Let's get these shoulders out," I was told. "Now you can push."

Taking a deep breath a curled over starting to push.

"Push baby push. Harder. Come on. I know you can." Marcus breathed in his deep voice like we were making love. It gave me shivers all over causing more laughter making our first baby slide out in one easy movement.

Seeing them hold up Marki, cleaning him, hearing him cry...it was a moment I would never forget.  I loved all Peni's children like my own, but seeing my namesake enter the world, being there for his first breath, it was amazing. "It's a boy." Peni held onto me as they placed him between us for a moment,  both of us laughing with joy.  This was a miracle.  My miracle children with my miracle wife. 

The midwife looked at us smiling, "Now don't laugh you two the other ones close."

Ewan did a quick scan, "He's one good healthy boy."  

"Our baby. Our first baby." My Pretty Peni whispered as we kissed.    

"Let's get you to the bed." the Midwife said, explaining that the next baby was very close and they needed to ensure a smooth transition so Peni would be able to make it through this with as little damage as possible.  I got up onto the bed, moving behind Peni as she crawled up with me, watching as they placed our son on her chest, letting me cut the chord. I was in awe.  This was so much more than I ever expected.

"Hello, Marki... shhhhhh......" Peni whispered to our little one, turning to look at me,  "he looks just like you. So beautiful..."

I kissed her softly, knowing she would never know how much it meant to me, having a family that was mine, all because she took the time to love me, "Thank you."I whispered, knowing it was inadequate.

"Awww..." she whispered as we looked at our child together.

I noticed her breathing pick up as the one of the Midwives said, "The babies coming."  the others nodded and she continued. "Nice and slow again, Peni. Let's take as much time as possible."

Laying down I could feel every sensation of my labor so much stronger. My arms felt bare longing to hold Marki who looked so much like his Father. But I knew his sister needed my attention now. This was already becoming a good lesson in dividing my time. The pain in my back was excruciating. I rolled on my side so one Midwife could put counter pressure on it as again I fought the urge to push, breathing out strong breaths instead, with tears coming down my face so that Elissa could come down slowly keeping the Vaginal Wall and Perineum as intact as we could for the next once to enter the world.

Just when I though I was going to lose it, I heard Marcus's voice in my ear telling me all the things he loves about me. The roll of his deep voice calmed me, taking me to our own place, just me and him. 

"You are such a wonderful mother. You're the best wife a man could ask for and you're sexy as hell." Already melting I breathed a laugh as he continued, "You're so strong." I didn't feel strong as I breathed hard arching my back. "So sweet. You hold everyone together."

In the distance I heard Ewan say something about this being Elissa and her heart issue. My eyes opened as Marcus's arm went around me while Ewan encouraged, "She seems fine. We're taking her tirectly as she is born to monitor her. But she'd reading as healthy and strong as her Mother."

Marcus tightened his hold on me as I lost my focus baring down to push.

"You're always thinking of others." Marcus moved some of my sweaty hair from my face. "Our children are going to be so lucky to have you as thier mother...." Focusing on his voice, his overwhelming love melted me again until I could feel her crowing and the midwives voices pick up telling me to just breath her own to stretch nice and slow. My mind was so hazy. It seem like no time I heard a faint cry as someone said, ""It's a girl."

Opening my eyes I rested back against Marcus laughing, thinking over and over. I did it. I did it. Then it hit me. Closing my eyes I knew I had two more to go. We were only half way through and so tired. How am I going to do this?

Ewan was holding our precious daughter, and brought Elissa close to my chest for us to see. She was beautiful, already darker than Marki but not quite as dark as Jaki. Almost my color. She had big heart melting chocolate colored eyes. But we only had a minute then she started turning a little purple. The Healer and Ewan took her to the table to check her out as the Midwives directed me that we needed to turn the next baby so he could be born safely. This was Marki, our largest son, and he was turned in a sideways position. My heart was with my daughter when I got on my hands, to turn to do what I needed for my other son. 

Ewan took my baby girl to the table, scanning her as I tried to crane my neck to watch,  "Go with her. Go with her to tell me she's okay." Peni asked and I was torn between wanting to be with both the girls I loved.

Thankfully, Ewan made the choice unnecessary when he yelled, "So far so good. Don't worry Mama." I heard her start crying over Peni's moaned and my insides loosened up, my lungs able to breath deeply when I heard him say, "She's a healthy girl!"

Turning the baby was excruciating. It was the worst pain I had ever felt in my life. With their hands, and wands, they were moving Johni's head from my right rib cage to present downward. With everything in me I tried to be strong changing positions how they needed while they turned him. About the time the tears started down my face, I hear Marcus's voice again soothing me instantly. 

"I can't do this." I told him feeling the tender around my stomach tissue starting to bruise.

"Look how good you're doing. He's so to have you - you're making it safe for him to be born. You're a great Mother. You're doing so well."

With my eyes closed I rode his encouragement putting my head next to his. Though I could hear other voices, I focused on his face, closing my eyes when the pain was too much. Then finding with my watery tears his blue eyes there waiting for me when i could open them again. Between breaths I asked with a smile, "Is its still hot now?" 

"Baby, if you really want to know what that position is making me think about." I laughed, wiping a tear from my eye when Marcus said that.

It wasn't long after that Johni was in place to be born. But he was still high up. The contractions had all but stopped. It was nice. I needed the break. Marcus climbed behind me as I sat in between his legs. This break was just enough hopefully for me to be able to eat and drink something, rest a bit, and for us to spend some time with her new babies: Marki and Elissa. 

John had tears in his eyes holding Marki. My Mother had Elissa. Biting my lips I was so excited to really meet our babies face to face. We put each baby to a breast in the football hold. While I supported their head, Marcus held their bodies. Occasionally all I could do was lean back against Marcus to kiss his jaw telling him over and over how much I loved him.

There is no feeling that matches holding the woman you love while she cradles the lives you created together.  Never had she been more beautiful to me, never more sexy, never had I loved her more.  This incredible woman that had given me my own special world to belong in.  I looked at my children adoringly, counting fingers and toes, feelings their soft skin, marveling that we were getting to meet them finally.  I knew this was the best day of my life.

Marcus Nathanial Jr. (Marki) weighed 5'9oz. He nursed with a hand to his ear that was a perfect tiny replica of his Daddies ear. He was as pale are Marcus with a head full of Nevi brown hair. Our son's eyes were a lovely deep blue as they lazily opened less each time as he drifted quickly to sleep.

Elissa Rose was 5lbs 6ox and wide awake with large curious eyes watching in turn Marcus and myself as we spoke. My Mother swore she looked just like me as a baby. I agreed with John, she looked like Kara. Her skin was a pretty light brown sugar with brown sugar hair. Her tiny hand held onto my breast with a strong grip with her Daddies finger in the other hand.   

 (With Grandpa John)

While we filled our eyes with images of them, they filled their bellies with breast milk. Slowly the contractions started picking back up. Leaning my head against Marcus I let him hold the babies while I tried to close my eyes for a bit before birthing Johni. Marki released from the breast first, soundly asleep, my Mother took him downstairs. The labor became to intense by the time Elissa had nursed for around forty minutes. I had to pass her off to Marcus's sister Emily to take to all the waiting arms down stairs as I prepaired to do this again. I wanted to quit. It reminded me so much of my races with Jacob as a kid. I wanted to give up. Like Jacob told me then, I'll never get through it if I don't just dig down deep and do it. There was no option to quit.