Chapter 34

Yang snapped picture after picture with her phone. "I think we should call Velvet, get some professional pictures done." She suggested.

"I think you've taken more than enough yourself." Winter noted. "And if you don't stop, Summer will be late."

It was Summer's first day of school, and she was dressed in her uniform, a button-up white shirt with a knee-length plaid skirt. A small red backpack was slung over her shoulders, for now devoid of books, only containing school supplies and a lunch lovingly prepared by Yang. She would be attending the Vale School of the Holy Maidens. They had a strong anti-bullying policy that was the main selling point for Yang, and a top-tier reputation that impressed Winter. Summer liked the playground next to the school. Reese would be attending as well, though she was a year behind.

"But she's so cute." Yang whined.

"Stop procrastinating." Winter admonished. "You need to get going." Yang sighed, putting away her phone and heading for the car with Summer in tow. "Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?"

"Yeah, I can do this." Yang replied, her voice a bit shaky. "I'm just dropping her off. No big deal. Right?"

"Alright." Winter offered a reassuring smile. "Have fun Summer."

The drive to the school was free of conversation, only the music from the radio filling the car. Yang pulled up before the school, into the back of a line of vehicles, more parents dropping off their children. "If anyone's mean to you, tell the teacher okay?" Yang recommended.

"Okay." Summer replied.

"And tell me too." Yang added. "And if the teacher is mean, tell me. Just...if there's any problems, tell me."

"I will." Summer confirmed.

The line moved slowly. It was hardly surprising. On the first day, parents were sure to take extra time before letting their little ones go. "You didn't forget anything at home, right?" Yang asked.

"No, it's all in my bag." Summer answered.

"Good, good." Yang mumbled. She was next in line. The car in front pulled away, and Yang slotted into the designated drop off spot. "Alright." Summer unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed off her booster seat. Yang got out and opened the door for her. "Have fun, I love you."

"I love you too!" Summer cheered. Yang crouched down to wrap her in a tight hug, squeezing until she squeaked. "Bye mummy, see you later!" Summer headed for the school, guided by teachers. The children were already lining up by class by the side door of the building. Yang hesitated for a moment, watching Summer go, then got back in her car and pulled away. She was already crying.

Winter sat at her desk, filling out some paperwork, as cheerful music filled the office. She considered giving Yang a call to see how things had gone, but decided against it. Yang would call when she was ready. Until then Winter would go about her day as normal. It would be a bit strange not having Summer around the studio. It was probably for the best today. Melanie had the only shoot, but it was a little risque, not something Summer needed to see.

The phone rang and Winter picked it up, looking at the caller ID. She was expecting Yang's call, but it was not her. Instead it read School Office. That did not exactly bode well. Winter was really hoping that Summer had not gotten into trouble just three hours into her school career. She tapped the screen to answer the call. Hello."

"Hello, Winter Xiao-Long?" A woman's voice asked. Winter recognized it as the principal. She and Yang had met with her a few days earlier to discuss Summer's situation and finalize her enrollment.

"Schnee for now, but yes." Winter replied. She could not help but smile at being called Winter Xiao-Long. "Is there an issue with Summer?"

"No, not Summer." The principal replied. "It's Yang actually."

"What did she do?" Winter groaned.

"Nothing...it's just that...she's been sitting in her car, across the street, sobbing since she dropped Summer off." The principal explained. "I'm worried."

"Oh...well then." Winter breathed a sigh of relief. "This was not entirely unforeseen. Would you like me to ask her to leave?"

"No, that's not necessary." The principal answered. "I just want to be sure she's alright."

"I'll give her a call and send someone to check on her." Winter stated. "I don't think she'll want to leave that spot. Expect her to be first in line to pick up Summer at the end of the day."

"Alright...um…" The principal struggled.

"And I'll make sure this does not happen again." Winter added.

"Thank you." The principal said.

"Sorry for the trouble." Winter apologized. "Goodbye." She hung up and leaned back in her chair. "Oh Yang…" She sighed to herself. "Well, I suppose she'll need lunch. Should I bring it myself or send Melanie…"

Nora lie on her back, belly bared so the doctor could perform the ultrasound. The first few times, when Nora got her early glimpses of the baby growing within her, she had been fascinated and thrilled. Now, months later, the novelty had worn off. The screen was still grainy, the baby looked the same as last time, and she was bored. Nora was ready to see her baby in person. Hopefully the opportunity would come soon. Unless she was awfully late, this would be the last check-up before the birth.

Boredom aside, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Sun had promised to treat Nora and Pyrrha to one of his sensual massages when they got home. His attempts had started off clumsy and at times comical, but over the months he had gotten rather good at it. Plus Pyrrha was always happier after a visit to the doctor. The novelty of the ultrasounds had never worn off for her, and being given a clean bill of health was a weight off her shoulders. That probably explained why she scheduled so many, and why she insisted on being seen first.

The doctor ran the wand across Nora's belly, then stopped. He moved his head closer to the screen and moved the wand back. "Huh." He said. He put the wand down. "Just a moment Ms. Valkyrie." Without waiting for a response he left the room, returning moments later with a second doctor. He moved the wand back to where it had been and pointed to the screen.

"Let me have a look." The second doctor requested. She took the wand and adjusted the positioning, trying to get a better view of whatever it was they were looking at. "Oh...I see it."

"Go ahead and get the room prepped." The first doctor instructed. The second nodded and hurried off.

"What's going on?" Nora asked, trying to hide her growing alarm.

"I'd like to perform an immediate c-section." The doctor replied.

"Why?" Nora pressed. "Is something wrong?"

"I have a concern about the positioning of the baby." The doctor explained. "It's probably nothing, but the safest course of action would be to-" A nurse walked in and handed him a clipboard. "...would be to perform a c-section now."

"O-okay." Nora stammered.

"Just sign here." The doctor thrust the clipboard before Nora. There was a lot of information and fine print, and even had she not been too panicked to read it, most would have gone over her head. She took the pen from the doctor, but it soon slipped through her shaking fingers. She managed to pick it up and scribbled her signature. "Alright, we'll have you prepped immediately."

"I need to tell Pyrrha, and Sun." Nora insisted.

"They're in the waiting room, right?" The doctor asked. "We'll pass them on the way to the operating room."

"Uh...I…" Nora struggled.

The second doctor returned. "The team is getting ready."

"Alright, let's…" The doctor started.

Nora did not really hear what the doctor was saying as panic overtook her. "I-is my baby g-going to be alright?" She whimpered.

"She should be." The doctor replied.

Should.

The first indication that something was up was the increased traffic. Doctors and nurses were heading back and forth between the examination rooms and the OR just down the hall with increasing frequency. The double doors that led to the operating rooms hardly had time to close before they were opened once more. Sun seemed not to notice, perhaps his mind was elsewhere, but Pyrrha noticed. Something was happening, and it was probably not good.

The sound of a rolling gurney drew Pyrrha's attention. "Sun!" She gasped. "It's Nora!"

"Huh?" Was all Sun managed as Pyrrha grabbed him by the hand and dragged him into the hall. She was prepared to put herself in the path of the gurney to stop it, but there was no need. The nurses pushing it simply wheeled Nora to her.

"The baby...something's wrong...they want to...now…" Nora sobbed, tears streaming down her face.

"What's wrong?" Pyrrha asked. "What's going on?"

"I saw something concerning on the ultrasound." The doctor replied. "The safest course of action is an immediate c-section. Don't worry. It's very low risk."

"What about the baby?" Sun demanded.

"The baby should be fine." The doctor replied. "This is mostly precautionary."

"Pyrrha...you have to call Yang." Nora instructed. "My baby needs her godmother!"

"Okay, I'll call." Pyrrha nodded, grabbing Nora's hand. "Everything's going to be fine. You'll be fine, the baby will be fine. Just relax."

"I'll try." Nora sniffled.

Pyrrha stepped back and Sun bent down to hug Nora. "It'll be okay." He promised.

Pyrrha and Sun moved out of the way to let the gurney pass, and Nora was wheeled through the double doors to the OR. Pyrrha could hold back no longer. She pulled Sun into a desperate embrace, tears streaming down her cheeks. "This is a nightmare. No...it's worse...it's real...what if-"

"No what ifs." Sun cut her off. "Worrying won't get us anywhere. We just have to believe that it'll be alright. Come on. Nora's indestructible."

"But her baby-" Pyrrha started.

"Is indestructible too." Sun insisted. "Come on, we've got calls to make."

Yang could be an insufferable backseat driver, but for once Winter was happy to take the punishment. She knew that letting Yang drive at a time like this would lead to a wild ride that would probably get them killed. Something was wrong with Nora, or her baby, or both. A clearly shaken Pyrrha had not been entirely clear when she had called, but the upshot was clear enough - get to the hospital now. Yang had been ready to rush out the door, but Winter convinced her to slow down a bit.

Blake, Velvet and Melanie were at Solstice with them, so they should be informed. Winter called the school and Yang talked to Melanie, arranging for her to pick up Summer and Reese at the end of the day. Yang called her mother, Blake called Glynda, and Melanie contacted Qrow. With everything squared away, they packed into Winter's car and headed for the hospital at an expedited, but still safe pace. They arrived alongside Glynda, who had immediately canceled her appointments for the day. Raven had wanted to go as well, but she needed to stay home with Penny.

Sun met the group in the lobby, and once they checked in at reception, he led them to the waiting room where Pyrrha sat crying, quickly going through a box of tissues. The doctor had explained the situation, that there was almost no threat to Nora's health, and only a minimal risk to the baby, but that had not soothed her. If anything happened to the baby, Nora would be devastated, overcome with grief, it might destroy her. The doctor said everything was probably fine, but if there was not an issue, he would not have ordered the procedure.

There was a long wait without news, filled with many hugs and encouraging words, but also freely flowing tears. When a nurse arrived to notify them that the procedure was complete, and that they could see Nora, it set off a stampede that ended with a very crowded recovery room. Nora was clearly exhausted, physically and emotionally, with tear tracks evident on her face. Pyrrha rushed to her at first sight and embraced her, and Sun moved to her other side and took her hand.

"She...I didn't see her." Nora whimpered. "They took her away...I didn't hear her cry. They didn't tell me anything."

The group shared a round of worried looks, Pyrrha tightened her hug, and Sun squeezed Nora's hand. "Where the hell is the doctor?" He growled.

"Let's all try to remain calm." Glynda advised. She was beginning to sound like a broken record. "We still don't have any information."

"That's the problem." Pyrrha complained. "We haven't been told anything from the start." Glynda could sympathize. She had spent plenty of time dealing with hospitals, much of it left out of the loop.

"I just wanna' see my baby." Nora cried.

"That's it, I'm gonna'-" Sun started.

The door to the recovery room opened. "Oh." The nurse said, seeing the large crowd. "Um...Ms. Valkyrie?"

"Is my baby okay?" Nora asked desperately.

"She's right here." The nurse carried the baby over. Pyrrha backed up, allowing the nurse to place the baby in Nora's arms.

"Sh-she's okay?" Nora stammered, holding her child for the first time.

"Yes, sorry for worrying you." The doctor replied, having followed the nurse into the room. "We wanted to perform a thorough examination as soon as possible, just in case. But she's perfectly healthy."

"Thank the Maidens." Pyrrha breathed a sigh of relief.

Nora smiled at her baby, who looked back at her. "She's beautiful...but so small...are you sure she's alright?"

"She's a little underweight, but within the normal range." The doctor explained. "Her vitals are strong. We'd still like to keep both of you here for a few extra days for observation." Nora nodded absentmindedly. Her daughter now had her full attention.

"Are you ready to name her?" The nurse asked.

"Oh uh...yeah." Nora answered. "Solara. Solara Alexandra."

"Sweet name." Yang commented.

"Like something out of an anime, right?" Nora smiled. She looked to Sun. "Wanna' hold your daughter?"

"Um...alright." Sun hesitated. It still did not feel real to him. He leaned in to take the child from Nora's arms. "I'm a dad...I'm a dad." Sun laughed and cried simultaneously.

"I think we should give them some room." Velvet whispered to the others.

"Probably a good idea." Blake agreed.

"I need to give Raven a call, and she can bring the kids." Yang suggested.

The group started to file out. "Yang, wait." Nora called. Yang stopped in the doorway. "Solara needs to meet her godmother."

Yang hesitated for a moment before walking back into the room. Sun approached, handing a now sleeping Solara to Yang. She gazed at the baby, tears welling in her eyes. "She's so beautiful. I want one."

"Sun's for rent if you're interested." Nora joked.

"That's okay." Yang shook her head. "I think I'll have my hands full enough with Summer." She looked up. "Pyrrha, I think it's your turn."

"Okay." Pyrrha approached, carefully taking Solara into her arms. "I'll have my own soon. Hopefully with less drama."

"I'd second that." Yang chuckled.

"Thirded." Nora added.

"Fourthed." Sun smirked.

"Well, I'll let you crazy kids spend some time with the newest member of the family." Yang noted. "The rest of us'll hang out in the lounge. Let me know if you need anything."

"Thanks for being here Yang." Nora smiled.

"Anytime." Yang responded. "That's what family's for."

Nora and Solara remained in the hospital for almost a week, but it was mostly precautionary. They were discharged with clean bills of health once the doctors were satisfied that there were no issues lurking beneath the surface. Sun and Pyrrha spent much of that time visiting the hospital, so all were relieved when they could finally go home. Having a new baby took some getting used to, and even once home they got little rest. Like most babies, Solara did not keep to a schedule, and her crying and fussing would cut any periods of sleep to a few hours at most.

After a few exhausting days, Sun offered to give Pyrrha and Nora some time off. Winter helped, buying them a spa day, and they leapt at the chance. Nora loved Solara dearly, but she needed some relaxation. The spa in question was pricey and well-appointed, if not picturesque. As much as Pyrrha and Nora would have loved a trip to one of the resorts away from the city, they did not want to stray far from home, and so settled for a place in downtown Vale. The reviews were fantastic, and it had all the amenities, so what if the view was lackluster?

The pair started the day with manicures and pedicures, which also included foot massages. Sun was good, but he could not match the pros. Then it was on to full body, deep tissue massages. Pyrrha had difficulty getting comfortable lying down, and so settled for a truncated, seated massage. Still, it did wonders for her shoulders and back. When she was done she checked on Nora, who was still in the midst of her own massage. Somehow she had managed to fall asleep, even as the masseuse kneaded her muscles. Given her recent lack of rest, Pyrrha could not blame her.

Next up for Pyrrha was the main event, a dip in a heated pool of mineral-rich water meant to simulate a hot spring. Nora would join her when she was ready, but for now she was left alone with the attendant, who sat in the corner of the room and allowed her to relax in peace. It was nice, a moment of quiet the likes of which had become increasingly rare for her. Pyrrha let out a deep breath and reclined against the edge of the pool. Then…

"Gah!" Pyrrha gasped as a sharp pain engulfed her abdomen. She doubled over and held her stomach. She had experienced pain like this before. False labor pains, in recent weeks the frequency had only increased. But something was different. It did not just flare and dissipate. The pain persisted. Maybe this one was not false. She pulled herself up and out of the water, sitting on the edge of the pool. "I think…"

"Ma'am, are you alright?" The attendant asked.

"I…" Pyrrha trailed off. As the pain subsided she felt a warm trickle of liquid replace it. "I think my water just broke."

"Oh my!" The attendant exclaimed. "I'll get someone...I'll call an ambulance!"

"Get Nora!" Pyrrha instructed as the woman rushed from the room. Pyrrha was not alone for long, as several staff members rushed in. They helped her into a nearby deckchair, offering words of encouragement. She grunted as another contraction wracked her body. "Where's Nora?"

Nora was enjoying some of the best sleep she had experienced in months. After stripping down and lying on the massage table, she had fallen asleep almost immediately, snoring loudly even as the masseuse worked away at her muscles. A sound roused Nora from her slumber. It was garbled, and she needed a moment to figure out where she was. She looked around and found herself alone. The nearby door was not quite closed, and there was quite a commotion coming from the hallway outside.

"Nora!" Pyrrha cried desperately from somewhere beyond the door.

"Pyrrha!" Nora yelled back. She leapt to her feet and raced to the door but hesitated. She was completely nude.

"Nora!" Pyrrha called again. "The baby's coming!"

That did it for Nora. Clothes or no clothes, she was not going to leave Pyrrha hanging at a time like this. She pushed through the door and into the hall to find Pyrrha being wheeled away on a stretcher by a pair of paramedics. They were already almost to the exit. "Pyrrha!" Nora shouted. She raced to Pyrrha's side, grabbing her hand. "I'm here."

"Nora...where were you...where are your-" Pyrrha started, only to be cut off by the pain of another contraction.

The paramedics had stopped when Nora reached them, no doubt shocked by her appearance. "Well come on, let's get her to the hospital!" Nora implored. The paramedics looked at each other, and one shrugged. They continued wheeling Pyrrha on, out the door and into the ambulance just outside. Nora followed without hesitation.

This time there was less of a rush to the hospital. Pyrrha was in normal labor, and it would likely take several hours before her child was born. That gave the others time to make arrangements. It was the weekend, so the kids were not at school. Qrow was called in to watch them. He would take them to join the others at the hospital once Pyrrha had her baby. There was no sense making them sit in a waiting room with nothing to do. He had enough experience taking care of kids to handle even Solara.

Sun and Glynda headed to the hospital immediately, but the others took their time. Yang, Winter and Raven were the next to arrive, followed by Blake and Velvet, and finally Melanie. Even then it was still a few hours before the baby decided to make an appearance. Sun got to do the dad thing this time, being present in the delivery room to witness the birth and to cut the umbilical cord once the time came. He found the visuals alarming, but managed to avoid passing out as he had feared he might.

Soon the others were beckoned into what became another very crowded recovery room. This time, the new mother was all smiles, holding a baby boy in her arms. Pyrrha was flanked by Nora and Sun, who matched her joy. "Everybody, meet Helios Sigmund Nikos." Pyrrha introduced her child. Unlike Solara, Helios looked robust and healthy.

"I can't believe you popped that big guy out of you." Yang joked.

"Me neither, and he was a stubborn one." Pyrrha chuckled. She looked to Glynda. "Well, godmother, want to hold him?"

"Of course." Glynda approached, taking Helios in her arms.

"I guess that makes me his godmother-in-law." Raven observed, looking over Glynda's shoulder.

"So, Sun, gonna' teach your boy to play ball?" Blake asked.

"Just as soon as I learn how to." Sun laughed. "Hopefully he'll stick to parkour."

"Already he wants our kids jumping off buildings." Nora rolled her eyes.

"I'm glad this one came with less drama." Velvet noted. "I don't think I could've taken another scare."

"I know I couldn't have." Sun admitted. "I guess being scared shitless comes with being a dad."

"Language." Winter admonished. "There's a baby in the room."

"Eh, his brain's still mush." Sun shrugged. "I'm gonna' get the swears out while I still can. Fuck! Cunt!" Sun smirked. "You should have heard Pyrrha when she was pushin' this little guy out. I've never heard such loud and angry swearing."

Pyrrha blushed, looking ashamed. "It really hurt."

Yang noticed something odd. She had not seen Nora earlier, as she had not left Pyrrha's side during her labor. "Um...Nora, why are you wearing a hospital gown?"

"Oh, I left my clothes at the spa." Nora shrugged. "We kind of left in a hurry."

"I'm...I'm not even surprised." Glynda sighed, passing Helios to Sun.

"I have some spare clothes in my car." Yang noted. "I'll grab 'em for you."

Pyrrha yawned. "I need a nap. It's been a rough day."

"That sounds like our cue to leave." Winter advised. "It's a bit late already, perhaps we should wait for tomorrow to bring the kids to meet their new cousin."

"Alright." Velvet agreed. "Let's get a round of hugs before we go."

"Sweet, I love hugs." Nora cheered.

"Hugs are great." Yang added.

"You can never have enough hugs." Pyrrha declared. "Never."

Hours later, all was quiet in the recovery room. Sun had passed out on his chair, snores muffled by the coarse fabric of Pyrrha's hospital bed. He had surrendered Helios to Nora beforehand, who now alternated between staring lovingly at the sleeping child, and at his mother. "You're a lucky little fella', you got the gentle genes. Your sister's gonna' be a bubbly ball of energy ya'know, and you're gonna' have to chase her all over to make sure she doesn't break anything...just like Ren did for me."

Nora could not help but let her voice warble. Sometimes she forgot how this all started, with her dream, to start a family with Ren...and that scared her. Ren was her life, was supposed to be her entire life, but then she lost him, and by all rights she should have followed. Instead she got lucky, she was saved, and she found love anew, family once more, and now she had two loving partners and two beautiful children. It was perfect, even if Ren was not here to see it, though if what he believed were true, he absolutely could.

"I love you Ren, I'll never forget when you did for me, I hope I made you proud." Nora whispered, leaning down to kiss Helios on the forehead. The baby let out a groan, his little mouth bobbing like a fish. Nora giggled at the sight.

"I think he looks like Sun." Pyrrha suddenly whispered.

Nora just smiled. "Cute, but clueless?"

"That too...but he's got his nose." Pyrrha explained.

"And your hair." Nora observed.

"Hah, just...I think he's got your jaw." Pyrrha added.

"Please, this is all you babe." Nora countered.

"Hey, take responsibility." Pyrrha insisted. "You're as much her mother as I am."

"Oops." Nora laughed softly. They sat there silently for a time, watching the baby shift in his sleep, soft and delicate, impossibly beautiful.

"Do you think you'll want more?" Pyrrha finally asked.

"Didn't expect you to ask so soon." Nora noted, surprised.

"I know, neither did I." Pyrrha nodded. "Just...when I look at them, I love them, and I think, yeah, I could do more. It's not that I actively want to, I just know that I could, and I'd be happy. What do you think?"

"I think...we're lucky Pyrrha." Nora sighed. "We did it. We wanted to have a kid, we ended up with two, we survived pregnancy, survived the births, had some scares...we are so lucky nothing went wrong, that we can all sit here and just be happy. I don't wanna' tempt fate. I think this is enough. I think this is more than enough. I think this is perfect. I don't want anything to change."

"I understand...but if down the line, when the kids are older and you want to try again…" Pyrrha suggested.

"We'll talk to Sun about it." Nora responded.

"Yeah, he's got his work cut out for him." Pyrrha noted.

"He'll be okay." Nora suggested. "I'll handle the kids, he can handle the gym, and you can go back to doing what you love."

"Are you sure?" Pyrrha asked. "Nora, I don't want to doubt you, but handling two children by yourself is a big thing."

"I know, and I know I'll make some mistakes, slip up here and there...but I'll ask for help when that happens, from you and Sun and Yang and Glynda, Raven too." Nora rambled. "We're not alone in this. We don't have to worry so much. We can just be happy."

"I am happy." Pyrrha declared. "So happy with you, with this, all of it. It's just...it all feels like a dream."

"That's because it is a dream, my dream, the dream you helped come true." Nora smiled. "I love you Pyrrha, now and forever."

Pyrrha felt tears welling in her eyes. "Now and forever, I love you too."

Cinder stood at the bar, staring into her drink, the murky surface reflecting her blank gaze. Relaxation would not come to her, no matter how hard she tried. The music was too loud, the people too obnoxious, and the booze not nearly strong enough. Perhaps if she drowned herself in it she could find some peace. It had never been this difficult, but then again, things were different now. Everything felt numbed. She was almost through downing her drink when movement drew her gaze leftward. Holly, one of the hangers-on that passed for her friends, stumbled beside her, obviously a few drinks ahead.

"Hey Cin…" Holly greeted, wobbling a bit. She put a hand on the bar to steady herself and smiled at Cinder.

"Holly." Cinder said flatly.

"Don't be a downer...come on, we've got the VIP room reserved...let's have some fun." Holly swayed. "And it'll be so much more fun without that lovesick puppy slut following you around." Cinder froze, staring at Holly. Her mind went blank. She finished off her drink and placed it on the bar. "Well?"

Cinder turned and unleashed a right hook that landed flush on the side of Holly's jaw. In an instant she was on her back. Cinder leapt atop her, pounding Holly's face repeatedly with her fists. Holly whined in pain and drunken confusion, struggling to defend herself against the onslaught. Cinder felt an arm tug at her shoulder but she ignored it, landing another punch. Finally she was pulled up and off.

"What the fuck Cin?!" Mercury demanded.

Cinder very nearly struck Mercury too, but caught herself. Looking down at the bloody mess that resembled Holly's face, Cinder clenched her fists, a twinge of pain ringing through her arm. The adrenaline coursing through her veins masked its entirety, but she could guess something had broken. She shook it out, taking a few calming breaths, then without a word she tossed some lien on the bar and walked out.

End Season 3

Author's Note: Season 4 will happen eventually. For now, RealTerminal and I are shifting over to work on Thicker Than Water. Read it, I think you'll like it.