"Ze'ev, he's a baby, not a bomb."

"I don't want to hurt him, Scarlet."

"You're not going to hurt him."

"I'll crush him. Have you seen my hands?" Wolf shook them for emphasis.

"Nothing is going to happen."

Scarlet settled the mewling bundle of cloth in Wolf's arms. He stiffened as his son wriggled inside the wrap and finally settled with a wrinkly frown. Scarlett laughed at his nervous expression and adjusted the baby in his arms. "Cradle his head and then put a hand right here." She slid one of Wolf's large hands under a wad of cloth just below the baby's back.

"He's so small," Wolf whispered, watching the baby in awe.

"He still needs a name," Scarlett replied, leaning her head on Wolf's shoulder with a weary smile. "I like Ryu."

"No," Wolf murmured, bringing their son to rest between them. "Something else."

"We could name him after your father." Scarlet paused, thinking for a moment. "What about Bear?"

Wolf looked at her curiously. "Why Bear?"

"I think it's cute," Scarlet said defensively. "We've been calling him our little cub since the first sonogram. Our nickname is wolf. Both bears and wolves have cubs. Simple."

The baby let out a hungry growl and both his parents smiled at him. Wolf set him in Scarlet's lap and she scooped him up, settling him against her chest and taking the bottle of formula from Wolf.

"I like it," Wolf said quietly. "Can his middle name be Alpha?"

"Bear Alpha Kesley," Scarlet declared. "I think it sounds perfect." She leaned over and gave him a lingering kiss on his cheek before turning back to their son. To Bear.

"Hi little Bear," Wolf whispered, running a calloused hand over his sparse hair.

Bear continued to suck on the bottle greedily, waving his chubby fists in protest when his mother pulled it away, empty.

"He's got an appetite to match yours. Pass me the other bottle."

Wolf handed over the second bottle the nurse had left them—"Just in case he needs it"— and watched Scarlet gently coax Bear into taking the new bottle. The second he realized it was more food, he made a contented noise and suckled the bottle in earnest. The new parents watched silently as he finished the second bottle and scrunched up his face.

"Why don't you burp him, Z?" Scarlet set the bottle on the table next to the bed and held Bear out to her husband.

Wolf blanched. "Are you sure?" She nodded. "I-I can't, I'll hurt him."

"Are we really back to this again?" She carefully arranged Bear over her shoulder and forcefully tapped his back.

"I don't want to hurt him, Scarlet!"

She paused in her tapping and carefully handed Bear off to Wolf. "Do what I was doing." He stared at her. "Go on, do it."

His motions were stiff, but Wolf managed to put Bear on his shoulder like Scarlet had and gave his back an experimental tap.

"A little harder. You won't get him to burp like that." Scarlet watched Wolf give a better tap, this time accompanied by a small but mighty burp from Bear. "See? You didn't hurt him."

Wolf gave her a toothy smile and continued to burp Bear while Scarlet tapped away on her port, letting the others know that the baby now had a name and sent a picture of Wolf smiling down at Bear and another of him smiling widely at the camera while Bear mewled in his arms.

"Everyone thinks he's the cutest thing since Cinder's tiny foot," Scarlet declared, attempting to take a sleeping Bear from Wolf, who pulled Bear closer and frowned at his wife.

"He's sleeping."

"I know he's sleeping, I just want to hold him, Ze'ev."

"But what if moving him wakes him up?"

She scoffed. "You don't think I can't get him to sleep?"

"Well, I, um… Can I just hold him for a while?"

"Fine. But you have to sit up here with me."

Scarlet moved over on the small hospital bed, and pat the space beside her. Wolf climbed up very slowly and held Bear with one arm and wrapped the other around Scarlet's shoulders. She curled against his side and peered sleepily at Bear. She murmured something incoherently and Wolf heard her breathing become steady. He kissed the top of her head.

"I love you, Scar, and out little cub, too."