The Guard- Elders-Part 3

Untitled Part 45

23

The next day Colleen and Shaun returned with their new daughter Melissa. She was beautiful.

I was the last one to arrive at their quarters. I had brought food to the workers.

All my family was waiting patiently for me to hold the baby. I could smell the difference between the baby and the rest of my family. She did not have that wild animal smell to her. It was something I noticed during Colleen's pregnancy. Her scent was slowly being replaced by Melissa's mortal scent.

Colleen brought me the baby. "Are you going to be my lucky charm again?" I smiled. "I do not know Colleen." I held Melissa. Everyone stared at her holding their breathe. I am sure.

"You are not going to change for me, are you?" I said as I caressed Melissa's cheek. Colleen's smile brighten just a little. She took her daughter.

"Ah my little mortal." She kissed the baby's cheek. Paddy came and put his arm around me. There was a knock at the door. Cory went to answer it.

"Hello Vincent, Tessa, Gillian and babies. I am sorry Vincent. I do not seem to remember your children's names."

"That is because we have not told anyone their names yet. It has taken us months to decide on names."

"Have you decided?" Cory asked.

"Yes we have. Ladies." He turned and let Tessa and Gillian pass into the room. They were all smiles.

"Colleen you had your baby. Have you chosen a name yet?" Gillian asked.

"Yes Gillian we have named her Melissa."

"What a beautiful name." She smiled.

"What brings you all here tonight?" Shaun asked them in general. Vincent was looking very proud. "Well I know I have not told any of you about our children. We decided to wait until we had names for them all." He put his arms around Tessa and Gillian. "Ladies introduce our children."

Gillian stepped forward. "I would like you all to meet Rebecca Ann and Mishika. I know it has been three months since their birth but like Vincent said. We wanted them to have a name first."

We went up to Gillian to see her babies. They were very cute then we stepped back.

Tessa stepped forward. "I would like all of you to meet Sophia Marie and Vlad. They are also three months old. Gillian and I had our babies on the same day. What are the chances of that happening?" We did the same with Tessa saw her babies then stepped back.

Cassie went into her bedroom and brought out her big quilt. She laid it on the floor.

"Okay Mothers put your children on the quilt." All three of them put their babies on the quilt. Then we sat around the quilt and cooed and awed. Vincent was so excited.

There was another knock at the door. This time Paddy answered it.

"Good evening Paddy. I heard your parents were back."

"Yes Councilwoman Cleo. They arrived about an hour ago. Come in." The entire Council walked in.

"Oh my. Look at the babies." She rushed towards the quilt. She went around the quilt gazing at the babies. "This blue eyed beauty is yours Colleen."

"Yes Councilwoman Cleo. This is Melissa." Colleen picked up Melissa and handed her to the Councilwoman. "Ah Colleen, she is just as beautiful as your other daughters." Colleen and Gen blushed.

"Thank you Councilwoman Cleo. They definitely get it from their mother's side." Shaun told her.

The rest of the Council were cooing to the other babies. The mothers picked up their babies introduced them then handed one each to the Council to hold.

This was a rare thing to have five babies in the cavern at the same time. The Council took their aunt and uncle role very seriously. After a few minutes they switched babies. It took them an hour to hold all five.

"She is beautiful Mom." Cory kissed his mother's cheek. "I am going to check on Robin and the others. I will not be long."

"Check on them?" Colleen eyed him curiously.

"There was an accident at the fourth house. Robin and five others were hurt."

"How badly Son?" Shaun asked.

"Robin was the worse. He has a large gash on his arm. The others just have some minor cuts and bruises."

"What happened?" He asked.

"During a storm a gust of wind knocked down the wall next to the fourth house. They for some reason put a pane of glass in before the house was finished. When the wall fell, Robin was hit with the glass."

"Is he all right?"

"He is now thanks to Kylie. I am just going to check on them. They will never know I was there." Cory smiled widely. We laughed. "All right Son." Cory left.

Vincent's children started to fuss.

"Oh it is feeding time. We will take them Sirs, Madam." The Council gave back the babies to the right mother. The only one still sleeping was Melissa.

Tessa and Gillian left with their children. Vincent stayed behind.

"Vincent, now that you have named your children. It is time to register them."

"Yes Councilman Antonio that was my next order of business. I had checked the library before we came here. Zeus and Julian were not there." He smiled.

"Then Vincent come with me and I will register your children." Vincent was standing at the door before the Councilman finished. We laughed.

They left.

Quinn shyly walked up beside his grandmother and watched Melissa while she slept. "Quinn you have not held your aunt yet." She placed the baby in Quinn's arms. "I do not want to hurt her, Grandma."

"You will not hurt her Quinn." He walked slowly back to his chair. He sat down. He smiled at her, talking softly then rocked her gently.

"Grandma. There is something wrong with Melissa." He sounded very frightened.

"What is it Quinn?" Colleen stood beside him and looked at her daughter. "Oh she shifted into a kitten." I looked up surprised. We all surrounded Quinn. Lo and behold she was a kitten.

"You are the good luck charm this time."

"Huh!" Quinn smiled. "I am a good luck charm."

"Watch Quinn." Gen picked up her sister. "See she is back to a little girl again." She placed Melissa back into Quinn's arms. She changed back into a kitten.

Quinn was speechless. He has watched his sister, father, aunt, uncle and grandparents shift all the time. I guess watching a baby shift just captivated him.

He sat there holding a sleeping kitten for a long time.

Councilman Antonio returned. He was smiling, shaking his head.

"I do not think I have ever seen Vincent so...so happy and proud. He is going to make frames for the registration papers so he can hang them up with the rest of his family."

"He has waited a long time for this." Shaun told him. "How is Hugo handling the additions?"