The baby shower was a huge success.

Everyone loved little Rayvon and fussed over him for hours. Oliver talked to some of the family members who he hasn't seen in a very long time and it was nice for him to catch up with everyone.

Vinny stayed with him but barely said a thing. For some reason, he only needed to say one long sentence and his stutter exposes itself. He hasn't told his parents and maybe all these years without a speech therapist has taken its toll.

Maybe he needs the help again.

Oliver has noticed and did his best to speak up for Vinny, knowing he would be highly embarrassed if it showed.

Vinny's family knows about the stutter as they remember it from when he was a kid but they didn't know that it never actually went away.

But Vinny isn't a very social person anyway so it wasn't very noticeable.

A lot of people talked with Corey and Panuleon as their baby was due in just under a week.

They asked if they were having a baby shower after the birth and asked if they could be invited.

Madison leapt at the opportunity and invited everyone back for Corey and Panuleon's baby shower which they didn't actually agree to, they just went along with whatever would make her happy.

* * * * *

3 days to go until baby number two.

Corey was sitting on the couch with Panuleon. They were watching Vinny and Oliver play with Rayvon and there was something about a newborn baby that drew their attention in.

Oliver was lying on his back as the baby lay on his chest, belly down.

Vinny was sitting on the floor next to him so his head was level with Rayvon.

He seemed to find Vinny's face interesting and would stare with wide eyes for a very long time. He could see things that are about twenty to thirty centimetres in front of him so his dad's faces were extremely fascinating.

Often, he would make little noises and make random but very small movements with his limbs.

Vinny rested his chin on Oliver's chest and let his baby explore his face with those big eyes.

"I can't wait to meet our baby," Corey said as Panuleon looked down to him.

"Seeing Rayvon has made me so much more excited" He smiled.

"I'm eager to see how they react together because every time I hold Rayvon our baby kicks like he's trying to feel him."

"Well, if their bonds are destined to be stronger than our own, I have no idea what to expect when they meet before the connection is made."

"Can you imagine if it connected straight away? That would be so cute" Corey chuckled.

"It would be," Panuleon put an arm around his soulmate, feeling his warmth.

"Do you think he'll be a vampire?" Oliver asked Vinny.

"I don't know, maybe he'll be a mixture of both," He shrugged while Rayvon started squirming on Oliver's chest.

His limbs were still bunched up because he was so used to being in the womb. It'll take much longer for Rayvon to develop as he ages like his parents.

"When do you think we'll be able to tell?"

"If he's a vampire, his first teeth will be his fangs," Vinny said as he inspected Rayvon's little fingernails.

"Really? That is so adorable" Oliver chuckled.

Vinny smiled while his son closed his eyes and yawned.

"He's tired," He said but the sound of his voice flickered the newborns eyes back open.

Oliver rubbed the little ones back as his eyes glazed over and closed once again.

They both shared a glance and knew he would sleep for a few hours until it was time for a bottle.

Vinny slowly stood up as Oliver sat up and carefully climbed off the couch with his arms wrapped around him.

Rayvon's eyes were still closed and that was a very good sign.

Corey and Panuleon were quiet when they spoke, but Corey suddenly gasped and tensed.

He frowned and held his bump.

"That really hurts!" He breathed as Panuleon watched him with deep concern.

"What is it?" He questioned, wondering if it was a contraction but his baby wasn't due for another three days yet.

"I don't know, it feels tight and achy," Corey breathed but it began to fade.

Oliver and Vinny turned but Rayvon was getting restless and tired as he began to whimper.

"I'm getting in touch with Aliyah," Panuleon said but the pain had almost gone.

"We'll be back in a minute," Oliver said when their child began to cry.

As the boys walked out of the dining-room, the staff didn't hesitate to get a good look at the cute baby.

They knew they'd never see him grow up but they'd cherish the newborn as that's all they'd get to see.

"Do you think he had a contraction? It was pretty strong for his first one" Oliver asked. He held Rayvon close to his chest as his cries mellowed.

"Maybe," Vinny said as he started glaring at the staff.

Duke and Madison were walking down the corridor while they were walking up.

When they saw the boys, they grinned wide.

Seeing them with a baby is still new and exciting.

"Is that a baby cry I hear?" Duke chuckled.

Vinny's face remained blank as his parents fussed over Rayvon.

"He really needs some sleep, he's getting a little cranky" Oliver said with a smile.

"Which one?" Duke asked before looking at his son.

Vinny rolled his eyes and walked passed them.

"That one" Oliver chuckled as he followed.

"Have you noticed that Rayvon frowns just as much as his father?" Madison asked as they watched them go.

"It's hard not to notice, they look so alike."

* * * * *

2 hours later.

"It's getting much worse" Corey breathed.

When Panuleon contacted Aliyah, she came immediately to assess what was happening.

She was surprised that Corey was having contractions but they were big to start with and she knew it would only take a little while for things to get serious.

The power seemed to speed up the birth. It wasn't slow and built up gradually, it was fast and forceful.

It was now Corey's turn to sit in the fist aid room and go through this incredibly painful time.

Panuleon was holding his hand as his soulmate squeezed it tight.

"Will my pelvis break too?" Corey asked, wondering how Oliver coped with it.

"It's very likely, but I'll heal you immediately after," Panuleon reassured him while running a gentle hand through his hair. "That's it, control your breathing."

The only people in the room were Jenny, Zachariah, Vinny, and Oliver. Panuleon didn't want the room to be crowded by a lot of people but the Vanderwood's understood.

They were sitting outside, waiting patiently.

Oliver and Vinny felt rather special that the boys wanted them to be here too, but they're good friends now and their friendship will only grow stronger.

John was sitting with Rayvon outside the room so he wouldn't be alarmed by Corey's cries.

"You're almost ready to start pushing" Aliyah beamed as she rested Corey's legs on the two pieces of equipment that were on either side of the bed.

"Okay."

He was taking deep breaths, trying to mentally prepare himself for the pain ahead.

"It's all worth it for a baby" He kept thinking in his head, which Panuleon could hear.

"Have you thought of names yet?" Oliver asked.

"We have a few but we didn't want to decide until we could see the baby." The angel said.

For some reason, everyone was assuming the gender would be female.

If they're supposed to be soulmates and there's already a male, then why wouldn't it be a girl?

But why wouldn't it be a boy?

The two strongest bonded couples in the world were all male so the baby could be any gender.

Just then, Corey gasped and scrunched his eyes shut.

"I can't believe this is happening early," Oliver said, not liking that his friend was in so much pain but he was excited to see their child.

"I know, I hope they have everything ready."

Vinny put his arm around his soulmate as they prepared to watch new life appear right in front of their eyes.

"You're ready Corey. On your next contraction, push as hard as you can."

Corey was heating up and begin to feel a little scared.

He didn't think this would happen when he woke up this morning and it did come very quickly.

But he had been counting down the days to meet his child and it was great news to know that they'd meet it early.

"You can do it" Panuleon's gentle tone helped to calm him, but he was still in lots of pain and he knew it would only get worse.

Corey nodded, but he wasn't one hundred percent sure that he'd cope very well.

When he felt the wave of pain, Aliyah told him to push.

He tensed and tried to relieve the pain by crying out, but he has never experienced anything quite like it.

His body trembled as he really struggled to keep going.

"It hurts so much!" He cried before tears spilt over his eyes and streamed down his cheeks. "I-I don't think I can do it."

"Of course you can" Panuleon soothed.

He moved his sweaty hair from his forehead and kissed it softly.

"You're so strong."

Corey's fists were clenched and he was breathing heavily.

"Again Corey, push!"

He did what Aliyah told him to do but he could barely even cope.

His cries were heard from outside the first aid room as staff had started crowding on either side of the Vanderwood's, eager to hear of any news.

Duke didn't mind, he liked that they were so supportive.

Rayvon was lying in his grandfather's arms but he didn't seem phased by the noise, he was staring at the door like he was waiting for something.

It was almost like,

He was waiting for his soulmate.