Ben smiled as Mal's eyes slowly opened and she looked at him. The day they had been waiting for had arrived and they had welcomed their third child into the world, thankfully without the stress of the first time.
"That went much more smoothly than last time, huh?" Ben asked as he gently brushed a bit of hair out of Mal's eyes. The doctor had said they had put her under general anesthesia though Ben had his doubts. Not because he doubted the doctor's words, but that he doubted that Mal had truly been under due to her status as the daughter of Hades.
"From what the doctor said, planned caesarians often go more smoothly than unplanned ones," Mal said, her voice soft as she smiled up at him before gently squeezing his hand. She knew he had been worried; even as she'd been faking being completely under to humor the doctor Mal had been able to feel how tense Ben had been and she knew why.
After all, Audrey's caesarian with Paige had been planned and they both knew what the result of that had been.
It was for that reason that Mal had made sure to gently rub her thumb on the back of Ben's hand during the procedure, as if to give her husband a sign that she was alright.
"How's the baby?" Mal asked, breaking the silence.
"She is just fine," Ben said. "Chip's waiting with her in the nursery while I waited for you to wake up."
Mal smiled as she heard that before pausing. "And Effy and Reese?"
"They're with Jay and Lonnie, enjoying their time with Jaxson," Ben said, giving Mal a small smile. He wasn't even surprised that she had forgotten they had dropped the kids off, considering she'd had a million things running through her mind at the time.
"Good," Mal said with a small smile. "I still want to see them though."
"They'll be by later today," Ben said. "Especially since it's nap time right now."
"Oh right," Mal nodded. "Why didn't we have one of our parents watch the kids?"
Ben chuckled. "Because we both agreed that Jay would be the least likely to spoil the kids and we wouldn't come home to the kids with a flying carpet or chariot or another private library."
"Harry was just as unlikely to spoil them though."
"Jay also only has the one kid and doesn't have an infant to juggle along with being a working single parent while his wife is away like Uma is right now."
"Oh, right," Mal nodded before pausing. "Why didn't we ask Hadie?"
"Because your parents had already asked him to watch Rea and Genevieve since they figured they'd be here if they weren't going to watch the kids," Ben told her with a fond smile.
Mal shook her head. "I should know all of this shouldn't I? Dunno where my brain is today."
"Well don't forget Dragon, you did just have a major surgery even if you are a Godling," Ben said, his fond smile still gracing his lips. "It'd make sense you'd be a bit out of it."
"Can I see her?" Mal asked.
"I was waiting for you to ask," Ben said as he leaned down to kiss Mal on the forehead. "I'll be right back."
"I'll be right here," Mal told him and Ben walked out to get their daughter. Mal didn't have to wait for too long, though, before Ben walked back in with a small bundle in his arms.
"May I present our beautiful baby girl, Bianca Abigail Uma Le Bête," Ben said as he gently placed her in Mal's arms. "I'm sure the twins will come up with a nickname for her though."
"Of that I have no doubt," Mal said with a small smile as she looked at her daughter for the first time. "Hello my Bianca, welcome to the world. We've been waiting to meet you and I'm so glad we get to see you."
Bianca opened her eyes to look up at Mal and Mal's heart froze slightly as she saw what looked like a familiar shade of green staring back at her.
"Ben...I think she has my eyes," she said softly.
"Is that a bad thing?" Ben asked as he kissed the top of her head. "I love your eyes."
Mal sighed. "I mean...it's not a bad thing Ben but the kingdom thinks of my eyes as Maleficent's. I don't want that for our daughter."
"Mal, it's been years since Maleficent was anything more than a lizard that your father gets to torment," Ben told her. "You are who the kingdom thinks of if they think of your eyes. You are who the kingdom is going to connect our daughter to. The woman who has saved the kingdom on multiple occasions and who is the love of my life, the woman who's blessed me with three amazing children."
"No more though," Mal told him. "We've run out of kingdoms for the kids to inherit."
Ben tilted his head at the same time as Bianca, causing Mal to chuckle softly.
"You see, my beautiful little one, if you want it, one day you will be able to rule a kingdom called The Moors," Mal said softly. "Your maman's never been there but it's her's and therefore your's by right."
Bianca cooed slightly and Mal smiled as she gently ran a finger over her cheek.
"She's perfect," she whispered.
"Takes after her mom that way," Ben said with a small smile.
Mal shook her head. "I'm not perfect, Ben."
"Agree to disagree," Ben said as Bianca cooed slightly. "And it seems as though our daughter agrees with me, so therefore you are outnumbered."
Mal snorted in amusement as time went by and both her parents and Ben's parents stopped by the room; having waited out in the waiting area just as they did for Effy and Reese's birth. And yes, Mal and Ben did have to ponder the wisdom of leaving their dads alone together with Chip available to egg them on if needed but they also realized that both of their mothers had been there as well.
They truly were the only people who could talk sense into their husbands and Mal at least had to be honest, she wanted to learn their ways.
Though, if both parents were honest, there was one visit they hoped to have as soon as possible.
"You guys honestly didn't think we'd let you go too long without your kids?" Jay's voice came from the doorway that afternoon and Mal grinned as she saw her children rushing to her bed.
"Careful now, careful," Ben said as he went over to help pick up Reese; Jay doing the same thing with Effy. "Your maman's got her hands full and she's got an owie that needs to heal before we can give her the same amount of love as we used to okay?"
"Okay papa," Effy nodded. "But...what does maman have?"
Mal chuckled softly. "It's not a what, it's a who. Effy, Reese, meet your little sister Bianca."
Ben expected cheers, he expected Reese to complain about being outnumbered by girls. He did not expect to see his daughter give his son a smirk (if two year olds could smirk) and say "I won!"
"Effy, what did you win?" Mal asked.
Jay chuckled. "Sorry Mal, your kids might have learned about betting..."
"And let me guess, they learned it from Lonnie?" Mal teased him.
"What was the bet?" Ben asked.
"Whether we would have a baby brother or a baby sister first, papa," Effy said. "Now I get Reese's dessert for a week!"
Ben shook his head. "No you're not, Effy. That's way too much sugar for you and that's not nice to your brother."
"But papa, that's not fair! Unca Jay says you have to honor a bet!"
"Stephanie Isabelle, I know you're upset but you need to use your indoor voice," Ben said. "Especially since you don't want to upset your sister, do you?"
"No papa...sorry papa," Effy said softly.
Ben walked over and gently kissed the top of Effy's head, the young girl still secure in Jay's arms. "It's okay, Effy. I know you were likely looking forward to all that dessert. But that would make your tummy upset too and that's no fun, is it?"
Effy tilted her head in thought before shaking her head. She looked up at Jay. "Unca Jay, can I go see maman?"
"Me too papa!" Reese said.
"Sure thing bud," Ben said before pausing. "Where's Lonnie?"
"She thought three excited toddlers might be a lot, especially in a hospital, so she's taking Jaxson to go and spend the day with her parents," Jay said and Ben nodded. The two men gently placed Effy and Reese on the bed and Reese started to look around.
"What are you looking for bud?" Ben asked.
"Where's her brother maman? Is he shy?" Reese asked, looking at Mal.
Mal gave her son a loving smile as Jay snorted slightly in amusement at the fact that Ben's question had been ignored. "You're her brother Reese. Bianca was the only baby born this time," she explained.
"Why Bee not have a brother?" Reese asked, tilting his head.
Mal had to hold back a coo as she heard the nickname, giving her son another loving smile. "She does have one, sweetheart. She has you. Sometimes babies decide they want to be born on their own rather than come together like you two did."
"But that's not fair to Bee, maman!" Reese said, shaking his head. "Bee needs a brother like Effy and me!"
"I know she might get a little lonely at times...but that just makes your job as her big brother extra special and important because you have to be both her brother and Effy's. It's a very important job, do you think you can do that?" Mal asked.
Reese nodded his head. "Yes maman! I can do that! I'll be the best big brother ever!"
"We have no doubt about that bud," Ben said, gently kissing his head.
"Do you want a closer look?" Mal asked, holding Bianca lower so the twins could see her more easily.
Effy and Reese smiled at their sister. "Hiya Bee," Reese said softly. "I'm Reese and that's Effy. We're your big brother and sister."
"Gently Reese, she's all new so we have to be very careful with her," Ben said as Reese held out a finger to Bianca's face.
"I'll be careful papa," Reese promised.
"Thank you bud," Ben smiled as Mal helped Reese gently run his small finger down Bianca's cheek.
"She looks like you and Reese, maman," Effy said with a smile.
"I guess she does, doesn't she sweetheart?" Mal said, returning her older daughter's smile with one of her own. "Your papa got you as a look alike and I have your brother and sister. That's nice to think about isn't it?"
"...Papa needs another look alike too maman," Effy said, crossing her arms. "It's not fair to him if you have two and he only has me!"
Ben couldn't help but chuckle softly at the indignant look on his two year old daughter's face. "Well, we'll see about that honey but for right now, I'm perfectly happy with you three."
"So am I," Mal said with a small smile. "Right now, our family's perfect."
"So...should I go? Cause I'm happy to keep standing here awkwardly if that's what you want," Jay spoke up and Mal snorted with amusement.
"Go and spend time with your wife and son Jay," she told him.
"Will do," Jay nodded before pausing. "Oh! Wanted to let you know that Evie might not be around for a while. She texted me that she's been having a weird stomach bug and she doesn't want to risk the kids getting sick."
"Oh no," Mal said with a small frown. "Thanks for letting me know Jay, I'll give her a call and let her know we're thinking of her."
"I'll do that, Dragon," Ben told her. "No one's going to be upset with you if you don't call Evie right away, not after you just gave birth."
Jay nodded. "Yeah, in fact she kinda told me not to tell you. She didn't want you to feel like you had to call her, but I didn't want you guys thinking she was avoiding visiting you or anything."
"Auntie Evie's not feeling well?" Effy asked.
"Yeah kiddo, her tummy's feeling yucky and she didn't want to risk you two or your sister getting sick," Jay nodded.
"Would she feel better if she had Vi-Vi?"
"Who...?"
Mal chuckled softly. "Effy, that's a sweet offer but I'm sure Evie would feel better if Violet stayed with you," she said, referring to the stuffed dragon Effy had received at her first birthday party.
"What about Cerbi?" Reese asked.
"Cerbi too," Mal nodded. "Tell you what, if Aunt Evie still isn't feeling well within the next couple of days, we can talk about lending her Violet and Cerbi okay?"
"Okay maman!" Effy and Reese nodded.
Ben smiled and picked up Reese, Jay doing the same with Effy to prevent the young girl from accidentally irritating Mal's incision. "So little man, did you read anything good while you were with Uncle Jay and Aunt Lonnie?"
"Uh huh!" Reese nodded. "Uncle Jay read me the Tourney book! Papa, were you a Tourney player like Unca Jay?"
"I was," Ben nodded.
"Whoa! You must not have been as good as Unca Jay though. He's famous!" Reese said, his eyes wide as if Ben had just blown his mind.
"Excuse me, I was the captain," Ben said as Mal and Jay both chuckled at the faux offended tone in Ben's voice.
"Yeah Reese, no one's better than papa!" Effy said and crossed her arms. "Not even Auntie Lonnie, and she did swords with us!"
Bianca cooed slightly, as if agreeing with her sister.
"See? Bee's on my side!"
"But she doesn't even know Auntie Lonnie!" Reese exclaimed.
"We'll have to fix that, then," Mal said with a smile as she looked over at Jay. "Jay, you know you and Lonnie are more than welcome to come over once we're home."
"Jaxson was clamoring for the chance to see the baby so you know we're going to take you up on that Mali," Jay said with a small smile of his own. "Plus Uma and Harry will be over with Helena and Mliah."
"Yay!" Effy cheered.
"Why am I not surprised you're happy to see your partner in crime?" Mal said with a small chuckle before looking at Jay. "Sounds like a plan. Be sure to text Dean so we can make sure to drag Ben away from his paperwork."
"I'm not that bad!" Ben shook his head as Mal and Jay couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. Mal smiled as she leaned back, holding her new daughter close to her as the twins curled up in Ben and Jay's arms respectively. She didn't know how life could get better than this.