Choosing Life

Chapter Eighteen

"Oh that's great news son!" Beast said as Chip rushed over to gather Ben up in a hug. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks dad," Ben said.

Hadie grinned. "Two nieces or two nephews or one of each for me to spoil and be the fun uncle to? Awesome!"

"Um, that's my role!" Chip exclaimed as he released Ben. "Oh, Lucas is sorry he couldn't make it. He had a deadline he had to meet."

Ben shook his head. "I'm not offended at all Chip, I know how important deadlines are. But he's meeting his nieces or nephews or niece and nephew."

"I'll drag him to the hospital myself," Chip nodded. "Or is Mal still insisting on a home birth?"

"That's still a contender but I think this news might change her mind," Ben said.

Hades frowned from his seat. No one but Persephone had noticed him sinking down into a chair at the news. "Speaking of Mal...where is she?"

"In our ensuite," Ben said. "She's running herself a bubble bath. I was just about to get her some chocolate covered strawberries since she's feeling more than a little overwhelmed but I thought you guys should get the news first."

Persephone shook her head. "Mal feeling overwhelmed is completely understandable. To go from thinking you were expecting one child to two...though with Hades' family's history, it was always a possibility. Apollo and Artemis are the obvious examples but there's also Castor and Pollux, Helen and Clytemnestra, and Amphion and Zethus. Oddly enough they're all connected to Zeus in some way."

"It's not that odd," Hades shook his head. "But we're not here to dive into my family's history, we're here to celebrate the fact that Mal's having two sunspots instead of one."

"You're taking this awfully well Hades," Persephone said, and Hades was thankful that she hadn't mentioned the fact that he was the only one sitting. Though he was sure that she would tease him for that when they were alone.

Hadie chuckled. "He's ranting over the mental link again. Dad, you're about as good as Mal is with the link."

"Everybody's a critic," Hades shook his head.

Belle chuckled softly before looking over at her son. "Ben, let me know if you need me to watch the kids at any point," she said. "I'm more than happy to help."

"Same with me," Persephone nodded, a small smile gracing her lips.

"Thanks mom, Lady Persephone," Ben said.

Beast rested a hand on his son's shoulder. "Do you know the genders of the babies? After all you said that was the main reason for the visit today."

Ben sighed and shook his head. "Lady Eileithyia gave me an envelope with the genders revealed in the sonogram but I haven't looked yet. I want to do that with Mal. I mean, I know we should know if we're having two but it doesn't feel right looking without Mal here."

"I can agree with that," Beast nodded.

Belle chuckled. "I had insisted on knowing when I was pregnant with you Ben."

Ben couldn't help but chuckle as he heard that. It didn't surprise him at all.

"You all having a party without me?" Mal's voice called from the doorway.

"You are supposed to be relaxing," Ben told her as he turned to his wife, a smile on his face.

Mal shook her head. "Well I was drawing the bath but then I figured I'd see what was taking someone so long with the chocolate he'd promised," she teased as she walked over to Ben.