spamalot } of labor pains and name games

[cunningwolf]

Talia: [sighs] Breathe, Peter.

Peter: I am breathing. [close to hyperventilating]

Talia: You're not breathing enough.

Peter: [stops, giving her a look, and then closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths]

Talia: Come. [gestures to the seat next to her] Sit.

Peter: [moves to sit next to her, his hands cupping the back of his neck] I wasn't this worried when it was Malia. Why am I this worried now?

Talia: You weren't there for Malia.

Peter: When it was Malia in labor, I mean.

Talia: That wasn't your mate.

Peter: [deep breaths] True. I can't breathe. I can feel it, Tali. I know she's in pain and I can't do anything.

Talia: [she reaches one hand over to rub his back gently] There's nothing for you to do.

Peter: [and he leans against her for comfort] How did you do this three times? I can barely handle the echoes.

Talia: [laughs] Technically I only planned on the two. Cora was a surprise.

Peter: Yeah, so was Malia. That was apparently the year for us to forget the condoms.

Talia: Hmm. [and she'll just keep rubbing his back gently]

Peter: [and every few minutes he winces in a telepathic sympathy]

Talia: [and eventually that will ease and a doctor will make their way out and gesture for Peter to follow them] That's your cue.

Peter: [gets up, kissing his sister's cheek and going to follow the doctor. He knows Nadia's okay, but he'll ask anyway] She doing okay?

Doctor: [nods as he leads the way] She did beautifully.

Peter: And the baby?

Nadia: [the doctor doesn't respond, just opens the door to the room, and in there is Nadia, holding the baby, and when she looks up and sees him she smiles] Hi.

Peter: [seeing them both makes all the worry and nerves fade away, and he's instantly at her side, kissing her gently] Hi.

Nadia: [she sighs softly into the kiss, before shifting her arms up a bit] Want to hold him?

Peter: Yes, please. [and with practiced ease, he will pull their son into his arms] Welcome to the world, little one.

Nadia: [sighs as she leans back against the bed, watching them together. there were moments where she had doubted her decision to do this, but right now, this, for her, is worth it.]

Peter: [he's going to put his hip on the edge of the bed, not wanting to get too far from his mate while she recovered, but he was smiling down at the tiny face nuzzling into his arm.] He's perfect.

Nadia: [smiles softly] Yeah, he is.

Peter: You know, we still haven't agreed on a name.

Nadia: No, we haven't.

Peter: [looks down at their son, his finger going to pet along the tiny fuzz on top of his head. It was a reddish brown, almost the color of Peter's coat when he was a red wolf.] Rafe. [he looked at Nadia]

Nadia: [wrinkles her nose a bit] Rafe Hale?

Peter: [sighs] Yes, I see the point. At least two syllables.

Nadia: What about Roman?

Peter: [shakes his head] Roman Hale sounds odd.

Nadia: [sighs] Sasha?

Peter: Isn't that a girl's name?

Nadia: In Russian it's both. It means protector of humanity.

Peter: [licks his lips] I'd just worry. Kida can be cruel.

Nadia: [nods slowly]

Peter: [thinks] Gavyn?

Nadia: Gavin Hale. Hmmmm.

Peter: It's both Scottish and Russian, depending on the spelling.

Nadia: [she nods slowly] It's better than the others so far.

Peter: And if he doesn't like it, he can change it when he's eighteen and wants to complain about how overbearing we are and how we ruined his life in some teenage tantrum.

Nadia: [laughs] I suppose he can.

Peter: So Gavyn? With the Y, so it's the Russian style as opposed to the Scottish?

Nadia: [wrinkles her nose a bit] We can use the "I". The "Y" seems too pretentious.

Peter: [chuckles] Okay, Gavin with the I.

Nadia: [nods, tipping her head to let it rest against her arm]

Peter: [looks to where the doctor and nurses are waiting] I think they want to take you back to your room and help you get cleaned up and in bed. Why don't you do that, and I will take Gavin to meet his alpha and then come back up to you.

Nadia: [nods with a soft sigh] Okay. I'll see you soon.

Peter: [leans over and kisses her again] I love you.

Nadia: I love you too.

Peter: [and he's going to go carry Gavin outside to where his sister is waiting]

Talia: [look up when she sees him, a small smile stretching across her face] Let me see him.

Peter: [goes to sit down next to his sister, holding his son close] You officially have a nephew now. Gavin, this is your Auntie Talia.

Talia: [peers over his shoulder with a smile] He's beautiful, Peter.

Peter: Thank you. And we actually chose a name.

Talia: I take it that was a trial?

Peter: I think we were overthinking it.

Talia: [hums in agreement, before holding out her arms] May I?

Peter: [nods, and gently hands the baby over]

Talia: [shifts and lets him settle in her arms with a warm smile] He's very calm.

Peter: He obviously gets that from his mother. [chuckles]

Talia: [laughs softly as she rocks the baby gently] I'm sure.

Peter: [digs out his phone to do his due diligence and goes to send two pack texts - Hale, and Kirsanov - with the relevant information and a quick photo that he will snap of the baby in Talia's arms.] There, now no one can say they weren't told.

Talia: I'm sure you were very thorough.

Peter: I set up the message groups last week to make it easier.

Talia: Good. [slowly eases Gavin to sleep like the pro she is]

Peter: You've still got that amazing touch.

Talia: That's just practice.

Peter: Yeah, tell that to Cameron. He isn't fond on falling asleep in my arms. Neither did Malia.

Talia: You just have to show them whose boss.

Peter: Yeah, their mothers. [smiles]

Talia: [laughs] Fathers can be too. Who knows, maybe Gavin will be different.

Peter: At least he won't be the only boy his age in a pack of wolves.

Talia: That is a bonus.

Peter: And he will forever wonder how his nephew is six months older than him. At least I didn't have that problem.

Talia: [laughs] I think he'll understand it when he gets older.

Peter: Maybe Gavin and Cameron will be close like Derek and I. I think that would be nice.

Talia: Me too.

Peter: [leans against his sister affectionately] and hopefully he won't be nearly as tiresome to his sister as I was.

Talia: Oh, he's your son. That I don't think we can guarantee.

Peter: [laughs and kisses Talia's cheek] You love me though.

Talia: [smirks, teasing] Against my better judgement.

Peter: Well, lucky that you have a soft spot for troubled souls with puppy eyes. I grew out of my difficult phase over time.

Talia: You did. And you're better for it.

Peter: Life got a lot better after it, I'll admit.

Talia: Yes, it did.

Nurse: [clearing her throat] Mr. Hale, your wife is settled and sleeping. I can take you to her. We also need to do a full exam of your son and he will join you once we have everything.

Talia: [sighs, before shifting to hand him back to Peter] I am going to go make some phone calls and get some coffee. If you plan to stay the night, let me know.

Peter: I will. Let me see if Nadia wants anything and I may end up texting you a dinner request. [small grin as he takes Gavin]

Talia: [nods] Sounds good.

Peter: [and he will go with the nurse at that point, exchanging his son with a kiss on his forehead] You be good for the nurses.

Nurse: Do you two have a name for him yet? [cradling the baby gently]

Peter: We have a first name. I need to verify the last name still. It's been a eight month series of negotiations.

Nurse: [chuckles] What's the first name?

Peter: Gavin.

Nurse: Alright. Come on, Gavin. Let's go get you cleaned up and weighed... [heads down the hall leaving Peter at Nadia's door]

Peter: [frets for a moment, letting the infant go off, but makes himself go into the recovery room instead of chasing the nurse down the hall]

Nadia: [is dozing in bed, worn out from all that hard work, and barely stirs when she hears him come in, eyes only opening briefly to make sure it's him]

Peter: [he closes the door quietly, and then pulls up a chair to her bedside. He's close to crawling into it with her, but the bed is really only made for one person so he will just sit at her side.] Just me. You rest.

Nadia: [hums softly in agreement, her hand reaching over to find his] How is he?

Peter: Perfect in every way. The nurse took him for them to so all their little tests and clean him up. [takes her hand, lifting it to his lips] How are you?

Nadia: Tired. [the parts that would normally hurt are healing, thanks to being a wolf, but the exhaustion is still there]

Peter: I would imagine so. [his free hand reached up to stroke the side of her face] You are amazing you know this.

Nadia: [glances up with a small smile] I'm just glad you're happy.

Peter: I was happy with you. I'm ecstatic now. [leans forward to kiss her] Thank you.

Nadia: [hums softly into the kiss, before taking her arm between her hands and pulling him closer] Come here.

Peter: [and he will stand up, letting himself be pulled closer]

Nadia: [shifts and settles so that there's room for him to curl up next to her. She doesn't care how big the bed is. she wants him here]

Peter: [and he is more than happy to oblige, shifting to curl around her back, spooning her and pulling her against his chest to keep her close]

Nadia: [and she'll be asleep not long after that, looking to take a very long nap]