Covered In Ink

Bonus chapter bitches!

"That makes it seem like all you do is watch me," I said, sideways glancing at him.

He shrugged, not denying it. "It's my favourite hobby."

I shook my head. "You're a strange one."

"I'm allowed to look at you, I get marriage privileges."

I snorted. "Marriage privileges?"

"Yup," he replied, as we turned into the hospital parking lot. He didn't bother to explain these 'marriage privileges' to me.

We parked in the closest spot we could find to the actual building, which just happened to be a disabled spot. Apparently being pregnant makes you disabled. You learn something new everyday.

Ryan grabbed the bags from the trunk, and then helped me out of the car, not that I couldn't have done that myself, but I was sort of...stuck. We walked up the path to the main doors, Ryan locating a wheelchair for me to sit in. Part way through the journey to the maternity ward, I felt something.

"Ryan..." I said hesitantly.

"Yeah sunshine?"

"I either just wet myself, or my water broke."

He didn't seemed terribly affected my my discovery. "Lets just hope for the second option."

I nodded as we turned a corner into the bustling maternity ward. Midwives and doctors rushed around, some with clipboards, some without. All of them were wearing light pink shirts and pants.

"Well this is going to be a traumatising experience," I said, eyeing the smudges of pink that blurred past me.

Ryan chuckled, knowing what I was talking about without me even having to tell him. "Come on, pink isn't that bad."

"Try having Jasmine for a sister," I replied, briefly closing my eyes as another wave of pain settled over me.

"At least she's grown out of that now."

"Oh yeah, she stopped playing with barbies, and now she looks like one. What an achievement."

I couldn't see him, but I knew he'd be smiling and shaking his head. Saying I knew Ryan well would be an understatement. I knew everything about him, which actually sounds really obsessive and creepy when you say it like that. I mean, we had known each other for eight years, almost nine, and been married for three. It was totally crazy to think about how far we had come, what we'd been through together, and what was still to come in our lives.

Ryan talked to a nurse at the reception desk, who showed us to our room, but left shortly after, telling us the midwife would be with us shortly.

Ryan helped me out of the wheelchair and onto the the bed, claiming the chair next to the bed for himself. I found my phone, dialling a number I knew off by heart.

"Hey, H, what's happening?" Caleb answered. I could hear shouting in the background, and he sounded out if breath.

"Are you okay?" I asked worriedly.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. I'm just arresting this guy for urinating in public," he said casually.

"You're arresting a guy for peeing?"

Ryan gave me a look that I could only describe as disturbed.

"Yes, he was pissing on a statue of a dog, that is just plain disrespectful, and then he bit me, which is kinky, but I'm married dude." There was an animalistic growl in the background, which I'm assuming came from the urinator. "Oh god, please don't sit down. It will make it so much easier for both of us if you just walk like a normal person. Thank you, that wasn't so hard now was it?"

"Uh, Caleb?"

"That's my name, don't wear it out."

"No offence, but why did you answer the phone if you were arresting someone?"

"Because arresting people is fun, but talking to you is also fun, and I couldn't decide between the two, so I just did both. By the way, why did you call?"

"Oh, I'm in labour."

"Oh labour..." He paused. "Wait, you're having the babies?!

"Well, not right now but-"

"Dude, you need to walk faster, my sister is giving birth!"

I heard the sound of a car door slamming. "I'll be there as soon as I can, I can't speed though, wouldn't that be embarrassing if I got pulled over by another cop?"

I just rolled my eyes as the line went dead.

"He arrested a guy for peeing?" Ryan asked, looking at me with his eyebrows raised.

"Yep," I replied. It seriously didn't surprise me that much. Caleb left the marines not long after they adopted Charlie. He wanted to spend time with his family and watch his kids grow up because he said that they needed a father. Honestly, I just think he wanted to give them everything that he never had when he was a kid. He never had a proper father figure when he was young.

~*~*~*~

Labour is painful, you know that?

Like seriously, it feels like your internal organs are exploding, or they're being sliced up in a blender that's set to purée.

"Push Hazel!" The midwife said encouragingly.

I glared at her through the pain and she shut up.

I looked at Ryan, who was squeezing my hand supportively. "This," I panted. "Is all your fault."

He nodded. "I totally agree. Definitely my fault. You can yell at me as much as you want, but you need to push. They're almost here."

As much as I wanted to hit him, I knew he was right, so I did as he said.

~*~*~*~*~

Five minutes later, holding two beautiful babies in my arms, I had already forgotten about the pain. A girl and a boy.

Ryan kissed my forehead, wiping a single tear from his cheek. "You're amazing, you know that?"

I smiled. "What should we call them?"

Of course we had talked about names before hand, but I don't think you can really be sure what the perfect name is until the baby is born, or babies in this case.

"I think we should call her Lily-Rose," he said, gently touching her nose with his finger. "Because it's a name fit for princess."

"I like it."

"What about him?" He asked, as our little boy wrapped his tiny hand around Ryan's pinky.

I looked at both of them affectionately. "What about Joseph?"

Ryan smiled, watching as Lily-Rose yawned. "It's perfect."

Our little family was almost complete, we were just missing one member...

Cooper burst thought the door, grandma Stella in tow, and Archie watching from the door with a gentle smile gracing his face.

He climbed on the bed, looking with wide eyes at his new brother and sister.

He stared at them for a while, not really knowing what to do. He suddenly pointed to Joseph.

"Chicken!"

He pointed to Lily-Rose.

"Potato!"

I looked at Ryan, who was barely containing his laughter.

Is it strange that my child wants to eat his siblings?

~*~*~*~

This is officially the official last chapter. For real this time.

You guys probably have trust issues now because I lied to you, saying that the epilogue was the official ending. I can't afford to pay for the therapy that you all need, so I'm sorry. But, I could probably organise appointments for you guys with this crazy psychologist I know...

Goodbye pork pies.