regency au } { of new life and screaming babies

[hereditare]

Watt: How can she hear us over all the screaming! I can barely hear myself.

Parrish: [rolls his eyes] My friends, please. Not helping.

Roland: It's not like it will stop them. After all, her pregnancy didn't stop you. You two are not the quietest pair after all.

Erica: Quiet. All of you, unless you want your quarters regulated to the stables. [and with that the door closes and she's back inside again]

Watt: [starts to speak]

Parrish: Watt, I would rather not live in the stables. Shush.

Roland: [laughs and goes back to a piece of wood he is witling into a toy]

Melissa: [eventually the screams die down and there's a beat of silence, and Laura's screaming is replaced by the sound of a very healthy set of lungs from a crying baby]

Watt: [laughs] The babe gets it from her mother!

Roland: [nope, still laughing. What, Watt is funny! That's why they keep him around]

Melissa: [eventually the baby quiets down and there's a whole lot of silence from the room. The door opens and the ladies slip out not long after. There's a small smile from Cora to Parrish as she passes, but Melissa is right behind her, carrying a small wrapped bundle in her arms] Congratulations, my lord. [she stops in front of him before holding the baby out to him] You have a daughter.

Parrish: I have a daughter? [he smiles, going to pick up the baby the way Derek had been teaching him, pulling her to his chest] I have a daughter.

Melissa: [smiles softly as he takes her, before taking a step back] Laura is sleeping, but you can go in now. You two - [she means Roland and Watt] - go to bed.

Watt: What, I don't get to see the baby?

Roland: [smiles at Melissa, then gets up and grabs Watt by the arm] You heard the woman. Off to bed with you.

Parrish: [laughs] Thank you, my friends, for waiting with me.

Melissa: [she smiles softly before gesturing Parrish inside] Go. I'll make sure no one disturbs you until you are ready.

Parrish: Thank you, m'lady. [and he will go back in, rocking his daughter back and forth a bit as he walks in to find a place they can sit and get to know each other until Laura wakes up]

Laura: [they cleaned up the sheets and Laura as best they could, and the ladies had taken the soiled sheets out with them, so as far as Parrish can tell, aside from the sleeping baby in his arms, his wife could just be sleeping normally. They had brought in a bassinet for after the baby was born as well as a rocking chair for him to sit in if he doesn't want to sit in the bed]

Parrish: [he doesn't want to disturb his wife. She had to be exhausted, after all. The rocking chair will be fine, and he will just rock back and forth, completely in love with the little one in his arms]

Laura: [she'll be out for most of the rest of the night. As the sun is starting to come up she opens her eyes, still tired but knowing she needs to be awake at least for a little while. She wakes up to the tableau of Parrish holding their daughter and she can't help but smile] Already has you wrapped around her finger, has she?

Parrish: Aye, that she does. Though more like she has mine. [because she was clinging to that finger tightly] Are you well, my love?

Laura: [she nods and although she doesn't move because everything is still sore in a way she can't explain, she can also feel herself healing so she knows that she'll be fine] Let me see her. [meaning come here, you're too far away]

Parrish: [and he slowly gets up and walks over, going to sit on the bed against the headboard next to his wife, lowering the baby to her eye level] Perhaps you want to see if she's hungry?

Laura: [she shakes her head] No, I already ... [she moves her gently to set her on the bed next to her so that she can really see her] ... how long have I been sleeping?

Parrish: Just through the rest of the night. You sounded as if you needed it.

Laura: [she nods once, and a small smile crosses her face as she looks at her, letting one finger brush against her cheek] We need to name her.

Parrish: That would probably be a good thing. Do you have any traditions in your family for names we must honor?

Laura: [she shakes her head] I have a feeling Derek will probably name his next daughter after our mother, and I wouldn't want to put that mantle on her anyway. It is enough that she will have to be the alpha after I'm gone.

Parrish: [nods] I have none that I know of she can take from.

Laura: [she laughs softly] Which now leaves us with too many options.

Parrish: Do you wish to go traditional, or something different?

Laura: Hmmm. [she pauses as she considers] I never really gave it much thought.

Parrish: [he just looks at her a moment, then smiles] There are not many names that go well with the name Parrish. Perhaps she should carry yours.

Laura: [she nods with a small smile] I was hoping you would say that. The Hale alpha should remain a Hale, I think. [she glances down at her again] I keep hoping that she will just ... tell me what the name should be.

Parrish: I think we are far off from her being able to speak. [he looked down at their daughter a moment] Amelia?

Laura: Amelia Hale. [she doesn't dislike it] We could call her Mia.

Parrish: Or Amie?

Laura: [hums, considering] I think I like Mia better. But we could call her both.

Parrish: She will know who she is talking to by the name she is called. [chuckles]

Laura: [she laughs] When she gets older, we'll figure out which one she likes more.

Parrish: And then she will tell us what her name is. So you will have your wish.

Laura: [she grins] But for now, Amelia.

Parrish: Amelia.

Laura: I like it.

Parrish: You want to try for a middle name?

Laura: We don't normally do middle names. Do you have one in mind?

Parrish: No, we don't have to. I know some people do.

Laura: [she nods] Amelia Hale. Hello. Your uncle Peter is going to want to meet you very soon.

Parrish: I think everyone in the family wants to meet her.

Laura: Mmmmm. But in the morning. [she glances up at him] You should get some rest as well.

Parrish: I probably should. Should I put her in the bassinet, or do you want her?

Laura: [she shakes her head] No, put her in the bassinet. I think I'm going to sleep again as well. [she just wants her husband next to her when she does it]

Parrish: Okay, then, my little Amie. Let me just wrap you how your uncle showed me... [and he works to swaddle the baby. Derek took care of all the training on Parrish, obviously]

Laura: [and she will shift over - very slowly - so that she was more on her side of the bed and he has room to climb in next to her]

Parrish: [and once the baby is down, he will pull it closer, and slowly slide back into the bed, keeping his eyes on the baby until he's unable to and then he will turn to Laura and lean in and kiss her] I love you.

Laura: [smiles into the kiss] I love you too.

Parrish: [and he is just going to snuggle and will promptly fall asleep]

Laura: [and she will curl up and fall asleep immediately as well]