HOBI POV:

I slump down exhausted, feeling the last bit of energy leave me as I sink down, barely feeling the pair of arms that dart out to stabilise me, that hold me upright and supported by a solid firm back.

"It's okay hyung, I've got you." Kookie's voice comes out firm and gentle and soft, supporting me as I sag against him, finding that I have no strength to keep myself up anymore.

I was exhausted, it clung to me and tugged me down and seeped into my bones and yet still I forced my eyes open, to peer at our soulmate, to assure myself she was fine.

(Y/N)'s eyes are shut, chest rising and falling far too slowly for my liking, the shaky pained sounds of her breathing beginning to level out now that the labour was over, now that our baby was born.

And all the energy levels I'd directed to her, to keep her stable and healthy and safe during labour at some point had dipped into my own personal reserves, part of the energy that made me and I was paying for it through the feeling of an achy body and stuffed head, eyes trying to close and body desperately pleading for rest.

But it was worth it.

But I'd do it all again in a heartbeat.

Because we'd come so close to losing her, to losing our soulmate, our wife and I didn't know what to do except try keep her stabilised as the pain grew, as the contractions became frequent but it was so, so hard for her to push, for her to birth our third baby.

And I couldn't forget the feeling of her broken cries, how the strength and courage that were ever-present in her voice, trail off and leave and she'd sobbed for it to be over, sobbed as she clutched at Jin hyung's hand- his touch sending out pulses of calming energy and the other in mine, her grip tight and clenching and steadily losing strength, losing energy for all that I was sending to her and her eyes had fluttered shut- unable to stay awake, stay conscious through the labour, through the pain.

And my eyes fall to her, to her unconscious figure which had pushed everyone in the delivery room into a panic, into a frenzy because she was unresponsive, because for all that she was having contractions, our baby couldn't come out of their unconscious mother.

And remember the horrific feeling of drowning, of being lost when the doctor said we'd have to have a caesarean, that the safest quickest way now was to operate to get our baby out and to keep (Y/N)'s vitals stabilised and steady using machines.

The agonising torture as we were escorted out, as the doors shut on us and we could only wait helplessly, drowning and suffocating in the feelings of fear and panic and horror- waiting to hear what happened to our wife, to our youngest soulmate.

And the feeling of profound crashing relief when what felt like lifetimes later the doctor had emerged, seen our small huddle of bodies- desperately latching on and seeking out comfort and given us a weary tired smile.

"Both mother and daughter are safe. It was a long risky process but we got there." She says smiling, taking in the tears spilling over and sounds of shuddery breathing and sobs as we clutched at each other, as we scrambled to our feet and rushed to her.

To where we were now.

To standing inside a hospital room and seeing our beautiful bold soulmate lie there with shut eyes, changed and cleaned and blankets drawn over her, resting on her stomach. Like this she looked like she was sleeping, like she'd taken a few moments to close her eyes and rest. But the dark circles under her eyes, the dried tear stains and the weariness that seemed to cling to her form told another different story entirely.

And seeing her, seeing and hearing the steady beat of her heart connected to the monitor makes the last dredges of energy drain out of me, sagging against Kookie- finding that with the sight of her safe had made me legs lose the courage to remain standing.

On the other end of the bed Jin hyung gives a weary fatigued smile, battered with the constant flux of emotions that were still emanating off all of us, from feeling just how scared and panicked (Y/N) had been and the tension of the seven of us which had mounted as we'd waited was taking its toll.

And though Kookie holds me, supports me, his arms tremble as they encase me, his breath shudders as he takes in the sight of her, a broken murmur of her name that makes my heart and the bond ache.

The doctor hadn't said when she'd wake. When the medication keeping her from feeling the pain would wear off, when she'd wake up.

But even so, we all crowd around the bed the others sitting down heavily into chairs, puppets whose strings have abruptly cut and slump down staring at the bed, leaning in close, gravitating close to each other and to her.

"Hyung...when will she wake up?" Tae asks, low voice rough and eyes red from where he'd surreptitiously tried wiping his tears away but they trickled down as we'd sat there, sat there and felt hopeless, useless.

"Soon I hope. Really soon." Yoongi hyung murmurs, hand brushing tenderly over her ankle, eyes drifting to where Jiminie and Joon carefully hold our baby girl, Joon's arms cradling her close to his chest even as his eyes fitfully drift to (Y/N).

"Do you think skin to skin contact would help? I know it's essential during this time as well." Joon murmurs, already rising to his feet and Jiminie supporting him, hovering as he walks close to the bed, presses a soft kiss to Jin hyung's cheek- murmuring for him to sit down.

Jimin's hands are slightly shaky as they unlace the top of the hospital gown, gently drawing the material aside to bare her chest, to reveal her skin and carefully bring our baby down, carefully remaining to keep our girl steady.

Our girl.

Our baby girl.

Who'd made such a fuss during pregnancy and during birth. That baby girl.

And I squeeze my eyes shut when tears trickle down my cheeks.

Realisation that already she seemed to be so much like her mother already, fussy and stubborn and trying just because she could be.

Because after so many struggles, so much pain and suffering for (Y/N) as she went through this pregnancy was finally here, was finally curled against her mother- unconsciously forming a bond as she began to recognise the feel, the warmth, the touch as intrinsically mum.

Because even if our daughter was here, our wife wasn't awake, wasn't conscious to see and feel and experience these moments, because her body was battered and trying to cope with the pain, trying to heal from it.

Because I wanted to hear her voice, wanted to see her beautiful eyes fall to us and our child.

Because it felt like eons since I'd pressed a kiss to her head as I was leaving for work, as she'd hugged me close and enveloped me in that sweet warmth that was just her, telling me to have a good day. That she loved me and both mother and baby would be eagerly waiting for me to return.

I was here now.

But she wasn't eager.

(Y/N) wake up. Please open your eyes kit, please look at me I beg with each sob not realising the words have spilled past my lips, that I'm trying to tug myself close to brush those words against her skin, to murmur into her ear that I was here, that I wanted to see her and wanted her to see me.

I move forward to press my lips to her temple, to her cheeks where the proof of her effort remain, where her tears have dried against soft skin.

"Wake up kit and let us take care of you." I whisper against her skin before moving back, before allowing Kookie and Tae to nudge me into a chair and stand, hands intertwined behind me and their other ones squeezing my shoulders reassuringly.

"Relax hyung." Tae's voice comes out thick and smooth and persuasive and heavy with the weight of his ability, helping my muscles to unlock and body to relax, slump in the chair even if my eyes remain glued on her.

"She'll be fine. She'll wake up." Tae promises, voice thick with emotion and promise. Not washing over us as part of his hypnotic charm but radiating as truth in the bond.

Because he firmly believes it.

Because neither he nor us will accept any other alternative.

She has to be fine. She has to wake up.

JOON POV:

It's devastating that the birth of our beautiful daughter comes with the pain of our soulmate's. That with the sound of the small cries of our baby it wasn't reciprocated with  (Y/N) reciprocating by cooing and rushing to soothe but with her silence, with her still figure that only breathed deeply as she lay in the hospital bed.

"Give her to me." Yoongi hyung says, carefully accepting our daughter from Jiminie's careful hands as he lifts her off her chest, large pale hands cradling her close and a small low hum rumbling out of him, soothing her and when I turn Jiminie's lacing her hospital gown back up, covering her up and leaning forward to cup her cheek, looking at her with an expression of extreme tenderness and love, fingers lingering. He holds the same longing we all feel. For her to wake up.

Even Yoongi hyung's eyes flicker to her, frowning when she doesn't stir.

I don't know how long she'll stay unconscious, whether it's anything more than what the doctor had told us but with each passing moment that she remains still, the air gets thicker and heavier with tension, with worry.

Wake up (Y/N).

Wake up because I don't know how long I can see auras shrouded with blacks and greys, clinging heavily with grief and panic to our soulmates.

Wake up because I can't bear to see you without an aura, without an emotion. Because it had never happened before.

Wake up (Y/N) because your family needs you.

So, so much.

"Is baby okay?" Kookie asks, having barely spoken since (Y/N) had slipped into unconsciousness, teeth worrying at his lip and staring wide-eyed at the small bundled up form against Yoongi hyung's chest.

But the bond flickers with agony even if I see the concern in his eyes, see it brush against his aura. He cares. But it brings him agony to see one crying softly and our other girl cut off from her surroundings, unaware of what was happening.

"She's okay Kook-ah, our baby girl is a fighter but she just needed the final push to sleep. Just a bit fussy." Yoongi hyung reassures with a gentle smile but his brows are furrowed with concern as he looks at our youngest husband, because there's something distinctly angry that clings to his aura, to his posture and the stiff set of his shoulders and feet, curling in on himself, hand slipping away from Hobi and Tae.

"Kookie baby..." Jin hyung murmurs, starting from his seat, beginning to move around the bed to get to him, to scoop him into his arms and tucking him close.

Undoubtedly he's read his emotions far more aptly than we all could- with the added advantage of being an empath and knows exactly what's bothering him right now.

Jin hyung's murmurs are too low to be heard save for Yoongi hyung whose face crumples and looks devastated even as he continues to hum for our daughter.

And Kookie's stiffness bleeds away as he slumps and curves into hyung, hands going to fist into the fabric at his back, a stifled sobbing sound, broken and hurt as he leans into him.

"It's okay Kookie, (Y/N)'s a fighter, our phoenix soulmate." Jin hyung murmurs as he cradles him close, as he brushes his hand through his hair and the other up and down his back, lips pressing to his temple.

"But hyung she won't wake up. Hyung it's been hours." He sobs, voice raised with distress and alarm and hurt.

And though it aches to see him like that, the others already trying to move close, my feet already moving automatically as well, it doesn't explain the angry harsh colours of rage that still cling to him.

When I get close I lean forward to press a kiss to the back of his head, sandwiching him between me and Jin hyung.

"Why are you angry baby?" I ask softly.

He shakes, nuzzling into hyung and staying silent.

"Come on Kookie, don't hurt alone." Tae says, voice soft and pleading, imploring for him not to shut us out, to not buckle under the emotions alone.

And it's not charm or persuasion but simple pleading love that has him snapping, crumbling between me and hyung.

"I'm angry that we were late in getting here. That this pregnancy has been so hard on her. That she was in so much pain her body couldn't deal with it. That even now our daughter is here, but...but my baby isn't." he sobs, clutching tightly at Jin hyung, voice shuddery and heavy with rage and hurt.

I sigh as I lean in to hug him from behind, his feelings were extremely rational. Kookie as the joint youngest only had (Y/N) as the younger one in our relationship, the only one he felt the need to properly fuss and dote over- gladly basking in the affection from the rest of us.

But (Y/N)?

She was an extremely soft spot of his- the only soulmate he fussed over protecting, over taking care of. And right now he was feeling as if he'd failed her in that.

"You couldn't change the way things happened baby. None of us can. Otherwise things would be very different." Hobi says sympathetically, face twisted with concern, a much healthier flush to his initially drained complexion.

He's right.

If we had any control over the terrifying events that today had brought us, then none of this would've happened. We would've all stayed at home despite all her fussing and insistence. We would've all been there to help reassure her when her waters broke, when she'd gotten dizzy in the hospital and been there for every single moment of her labour comforting her every single moment.

If we had any control then we would've done everything to make this pregnancy easy, a fluid passing of time that wasn't riddled with morning sickness that remained at times for the better half of the day or cramps and backaches and tears of insecurity and fear as she sobbed in our arms that something felt different, much scarier this time around.

If we had control, she would be whole and hearty and awake- laughing and crying as we celebrated the birth of our daughter, of our baby girl.

His sobs echo through the room, tear and yank at our heartstrings and make the bond ache with an echo of his feelings and yet he shakes himself out of our embrace, stumbles to her side and clutches her hands, lowers himself shakily into the seat that I move to guide him down into.

"Baby please wake up." he murmurs, pressing kisses to her encased hand, head bent over them.

He continues to speak in a low aching voice to her, telling her he'd do anything, that she couldn't be so mean that she couldn't even peek at him and let him know she was fine. That it was meant to be them against us, not her against him too. Murmured that he would give her more of the blankets, that she'd never feel cold in bed. That he'd piggyback her around the house on demand.

And it makes tears sting at my eyes even if I'd promised myself to be strong for the maknaes.

Because he's begging, pleading for her to open her eyes even if it's just for a moment, head pressing against his hands that hold hers.

And when I blink my tears away, eyes drifting to her my breath rushes out of me in a shudder.

A sudden exhale and the tears this time spill over, rushing down without preamble.

Because (Y/N)'s eyes slowly flutter open, because they don't shut, because there's awareness in them and she raises her head slightly off the pillow- the smallest gesture having everyone snapping to attention, jerking forward as if yanked towards her.

And then her eyes fall to Kookie, who's head is still bent over her hand and her face flashes with something fond, tender and aching- wincing when her body rises from the pillows, gratefully taking Jiminie's assistance in being helped.

"...I'll give you anything (Y/N) but please..." he murmurs, voice rough and sore and drained.

(Y/N)'s eyes flash with pain, with longing. And her other hand gently goes to card through his hair.

"Just give me you." she whispers, voice hoarse and rough with disuse.

But his head bolts upright, dislodging her light touch before he lets out a thick broken sound and barrels forward, over the edge of the hospital bed, lips feverish as they brush kisses over her face, as he shakes and nods.

"You have all of me." he promises, head resting against hers.

The two of them seem to truly breathe, shaky exhales as their heads curve to each other.

And then his eyes peer at her, with fondness, with overwhelming love and tenderness.

"But if you do that to me again I'll never forgive you." he says seriously.

She shakes her head.

"Never again if I can help it." She whispers back, closing the distance between them to press a soft chaste kiss against his lips.

Never again.

Never.

And despite being in the same room together, all eight of us, now that she's awake it's as if the world has shifted on its axis, finally righted once more. As if the world has been set to rights once more.

And when Yoongi hyung steps forward, it's with a look of peace washing over his features.

"Won't you say hello to our baby girl?" he says softly.

The two of them separate, (Y/N)'s face crumpling with emotion as he sets our girl into her carefully awaiting arms.

"She's tiny." (Y/N) says softly, voice filled with marvel and letting Kookie guide her back down against the pillows, to recline more comfortably because her face was pinched with pain.

"She's perfect." Kookie murmurs.

Though with his gaze fixed on our soulmate holding our baby, it's not clear who his words are intended for.

But they are. Both perfect.

Everything's right again.

And that in itself is perfect.

(THERE YOU GO! BABY NUMBER THREE IS FINALLY HERE! AND SHE'S A GIRL JUST SO CUTE AND SMOL AND TEENY! AND SHE CAME WITH A LOT OF STRUGGLES AND A LOT OF TESTING TRYING TIMES FOR MY BABIES BUT NOW THAT SHE'S HERE- IT'S ONWARDS TO RECOVERY, HAPPINESS AND FOR FAMILY HEALING FLUFF TIMES! I HOPE THE FEAR AND PAIN THE BOYS WERE FEELING REALLY CAME THROUGH, I WANTED TO SHOW THE OTHER SIDE TO PREGNANCY- AND THIS IS BECAUSE QUITE A FEW REQUESTED ANGSTY HURTY STUFF A WHILE BACK AND SO I HOPE THIS DELIVERED! AND JUST...LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE CHAPTER. I SWEAR I'M NOT TRYING TO SCARE YOU GUYS OFF FROM BECOMING FUTURE MUMS- I DESPITE RESEARCHING FOR THIS ALL, STILL WANT KIDS OF MY OWN ONE DAY! I HOPE THIS WAS SUFFICIENT ANGSTY HURT AND NOW I CAN MOVE ON TO WRITING HAPPIER WHOLESOME CHAPTERS OF FAMILY MOMENTS! STAY SAFE, TAKE CARE AND ENJOY LOVES!)

QUESTION...ANYTHING YOU'RE CURIOUS OR DYING TO KNOW ABOUT ME? THOUGH I'M NOT INTERESTING I SWEAR!

Mine is...something I want to know about you is...if you guys could have a superpower what would it be?? Mine is...shapeshifting! That's a
top fave.

Borahae! 💜💜💜

PurpleQueenie <3