Sweet Goddess, I've done it again!! I admit it took longer than I originally planned, but, what can you do? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!
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Six years later...

Astrea

"Mommy!"

I turn to see my little girl run towards me, the curls of her long, dark hair bouncing as she moves.

"Hi darling, what's the matter?" I murmur as she climbs onto the couch, immediately curling up next to me.

"Where's Daddy? He promised he would read me a bedtime story." She pouts, only making her look more adorable than she already is in her pajamas, tonight consisting of red flannel bottoms and a black long sleeve shirt.

"He should be home shortly, don't worry. You can stay up with me until he gets here." I reply, smiling as she snuggles closer, and I begin running my fingers through her hair softly. She enjoys it immensely, just like her father.

"Why has he been working late so much?" She asks, sighing as she plays with the hem of my shirt...which is actually one of Thane's long sleeve ones, the once dark blue now faded.

"Well, it is going to be Christmas soon, so he wants to get everything done now so he doesn't have to worry about it later." I explain, looking down to meet her light blue eyes, a thoughtful expression on her face. "That way, he won't have to work on Christmas."

She nods, going back to snuggling me.

"Good, I want him to be with us on Christmas. It's more fun that way." She states, and I chuckle at her matter of fact tone. "Besides, I really want him to see the presents I picked out for him."

I grin, ruffling her hair a little.

"Me too, he's going to love them."

We stay in comfortable silence as a Christmas movie plays softly on TV, the temporary black screen from the movie switching to a commercial shows the glow of multi colored lights, and I glance over to the front window of the living room to see the large Christmas tree sitting there, shining brightly and casting a soft glow through the room.

It's been six years, but it still feels like it's the first Christmas together all over again.

After our lives went back to normal, and our life together started, one the first things we discussed after he became Chief was the upcoming holiday. I admitted to him that I haven't celebrated Christmas in years, not since my father died, and his immediate response was to go big on everything Christmas.

I had questioned him on it, especially considering the holiday was based on a human religions celebration of their deity. He explained that in his family's eyes, no matter what religion you believed in, or species you were, Christmas was ultimately about celebrating time with family and loved ones, and he couldn't think of a better way to celebrate our new lives together than to have our first Christmas together.

After that, it was a whirlwind of decorations, music, family traditions, and the biggest real Christmas tree I've ever seen sitting in the living room of our new home. We spent two hours fighting with the lights and putting on ornaments, and it looked so pretty when we finished. He even let me put the star on top, saying that it was family tradition for either the youngest or newest member of the family to do that.

We went a little overboard on gifts, at least, he did anyway. He insisted that I deserved every single one, especially since I didn't own that much outside of my gear from being an agent. I ended up with a ton of casual clothes, which he explained were also from his mom since she helped picked them out. A lot of books, and a lot of gift cards, since he said he didn't know what else I would want, and that way he could see the stuff I like when we went shopping together.

I didn't get him as much as he got me, and I had started to feel guilty about it since he seemed to get me so much. But that changed after I had started feeling ill the week before Christmas, and I went to the Unit Doctor. After running a few tests, I found out I was four weeks pregnant.

I was shocked, and thrilled...and so was Thane when he unwrapped the gift with the ultrasound picture in it on Christmas morning....and then his mother when we went over to theirs for breakfast. His father was thrilled as well, but her's out shined his in the volume department. Nes immediately claimed Auntie and godmother, while Danté was thrilled to be an uncle.

Thane then proposed to me on New Years at midnight, and we had our wedding in February. Then on April 19th, not even a week after Thane's birthday, our Daughter Riley was born. Thane cried when he held her for the first time, though he'll deny it if I bring it up.

I suppose from the start she was always a daddy's girl, sharing a birth sign and all. And though she favors me in the looks department with her pale skin and blue eyes, only having her curly black hair from Thane, she has his personality almost exactly. Energetic and confident, and that same burning curiosity that occasionally causes trouble for them both. Hell, even her first word was 'daddy'...he teared up then too.

Christmas's have been even more fun since then, and even though she wasn't able to do it on her first Christmas, by her second she put the star on the tree with Thane lifting her up, and she's been doing ever since.

Though, she might not be for much longer.

"Mommy?"

I turn my attention back to her at the sound of her voice, and the feeling of her twirling the end of my loosely braided hair. It's grown out a lot since I left ICE, especially since I don't really cut it anymore.

"Yes darling?"

She gazes down at my lap, placing a hand on my heavily swollen belly. A thoughtful expression on her face, and her lips twisting a little as she thinks, something else her dad does.

"When will I get to meet them?" She murmurs at last, and I smile softly.

"Any day now, the doctor said they'll be ready to come between now and New Years." I answer, placing one of my own hands next to hers.

Almost five months ago, I found out I was pregnant again, though it wasn't from lack of trying. We had originally decided to wait a little while before having more kids, especially since we were adjusting to life leading a Unit as well as raising Riley, deciding to wait until she was a little older before we started trying for more.

So about three months after Riley turned five, we started trying again, and it wasn't long before I got pregnant...though we were a bit surprised when it turned out to be twins.

"I hope they come before Christmas." She murmurs, rubbing my belly softly.

"And why is that?" I chuckle, silently wondering if she really knows it's already the 22nd.

"So we can be together for Christmas."

"But we're already together darling."

"Mommy, you know what I mean! I can't play with them or hug them until they come!" She pouts, and chuckle again. Too precious.

"I suppose you can't play with them, but you can hug my belly if you want."

She immediately crawls into my crowded lap, sitting on my knees as she wraps her arms around my belly, resting her ear against the curve of my stomach. So cute.

"I can hear their heartbeats Mommy!" She exclaims excitedly, and I smile. She's got sharp hearing already, impressive.

"Cool huh?"

"Yeah! But I still want to hug them for real." She sighs out, closing her eyes as I stroke her hair again.

"Soon darling, I promise."

After a few minutes of her holding me, she looks up at me with a questioning look.

"Can we have some hot cocoa?"

I laugh at her serious expression, ruffling her hair.

"With giant marshmallows?"

She nods her head vigorously.

"Of course, I'll even make us some popcorn. I think Rudolph is on next." I reply, and her eyes sparkle at the mention of her favorite Christmas movie, Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas coming in a close second.

After fixing our drinks and popcorn, we settle in and watch the movie together. Her usual comments on how 'the other reindeer are jerks, and they're just jealous that Rudolph has a cool nose' making me laugh.

At the end of the movie, she's almost sound asleep, her head resting on my stomach. I just keep stroking her hair, letting her stay until Thane gets home, since she'll want him to tuck her in. Though as I lean my head back against the couch, I can feel myself nodding off too.

The sound of soft footsteps pull me out of my dozing, and scent of Thane immediately relaxes me. I open my eyes to see him smiling at us softly, his hazel eyes glowing in the dimly lit room.

"Hello Beloved~" I sigh, and his smile widens.

"Hey Snowdrop, you two having fun?" He chuckles, coming closer to us.

"We were, but sleep seemed to call us both, and who would say no to that?" I reply, closing my eyes as he kisses my forehead.

"True, I can feel it calling me too." He sighs, and I open my eyes to see the tiredness in his.

"Well, once you tuck her in and give her a bedtime story, we can both go to bed."

He grins, pecking me on the lips before reaching down to Riley and gently shaking her shoulder.

"Daddy?" She mumbles sleepily, looking up to him with half lidded eyes.

"Hey Princess, let's get you to bed." He says as he lifts her up in his arms, hers immediately wrapping around his neck as she nuzzles into him.

"You owe me a bedtime story." She mumbles.

"Of course Princess." He chuckles as he begins carrying her upstairs.

"Night Mommy." She calls softly.

"Goodnight darling." I call back, watching as they head up the stairs. Once they disappear from view I sigh, and struggle to get off the couch, cutting off the TV and taking our dishes to kitchen once I do. I dump the pitiful remains of the popcorn into the trash before taking the dishes to the sink, rolling up my sleeves so I can wash them. As I do, I think over Riley's words, chuckling.

I wouldn't mind having them before Christmas myself, if nothing more than to stop being pregnant. Don't get me wrong, I love my little cubs, but it's time for them to move out...so to speak.

Placing the now clean dishes in the drying rack, I feel a pair of strong arms wrap around me, circling around my belly.

"That was quick." I giggle, and I can feel him smile as he presses his face into my neck.

"She was out before I got halfway through Goodnight Moon, most likely because she stayed up past her bedtime."

"Well, she was waiting for you, you promised to read her a story tonight, and she always holds you to your promises."

"True, but now that's done, does Snowdrop want to be tucked in and read a bedtime story?" He teases, and I laugh as he kisses my shoulder.

"I think I'll pass on the story this time...but I wouldn't mind being taken to bed." I play along, only to squeak as I'm suddenly lifted into his arms princess style.

"Your wish is my command Snowdrop."

Thane

"Daddy! Stop stealing my cookies!"

I laugh as my little princess pouts at me, glaring as I eat another one of her gingerbread men.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, but they look so yummy."

She continues to pout, crossing her arms and holding that adorable glare.

"I made them! And decorated them! Eat your own!" She argues, and I grin at the sound of Astrea laughing at us both.

"She's right Beloved, you know the rules. Everyone makes and bakes their own cookies, no eating anyone else's." She scolds playfully, Riley looking even more confident with her mom's support.

"I'm sorry baby, I won't eat anymore."

She huffs, grabbing an icing tube and pointing it at me.

"You better not! Or I'll turn you into a gingerbread man!" She threatens, and I bite back the laughter...but Astrea doesn't.

"Here darling, you can have a couple of mine to replace the ones your daddy stole, you did help me with them after all." She murmurs, and Riley smiles before going back to work on decorating hers. I smile before turning back to my pitiful looking cookies, groaning in defeat. You'd think after the fourth time doing this I'd actually be good at it, but they honestly just look more like gingerbread blobs instead of people.

"I think they've improved."

I turn to scowl at my smirking mate, mischief twinkling in her eyes.

"How in the Goddesses name have they improved?" I grumble, and she laughs.

"Well, the first year you burnt them, and the second you undercooked them. The third and fourth they came out as circles cause you made them too big, and last year they had absolutely no flavor cause you forgot some ingredients." She lists off, Riley giggling from her spot on the stool next her mother.

This right here makes me glad I finished up all my work yesterday, now I can have uninterrupted quality time with my favorite girls. We've done so much today, starting with playing in the snow together, Snowdrop unfairly using her magic to win a snowball fight, though to be fair, she was helping Riley too since it was me against them...and I had my butt kicked.

A family of snowmen sits in front of the house now, as well a family of snow angels. And once that was done, we've been baking to warm up ever since.

"You good over there Beloved?"

I snap out of my thoughts at Astrea's voice, and I turn to her with a sheepish smile.

"Yeah, just trying to figure out exactly what to do with these abominations." I mutter, looking at the vaguely person shaped cookies.

"Ooh! You could make them Santa's and snowmen!" Riley chirps, smiling proudly at her own idea.

"That sounds perfect Princess, what are yours going to be?"

"All my family! I made one for both of you, Uncle Danté and Aunt NiNi, Auntie Nes, Grandma and Grandpa, and all my cousins!" She explains, and look over to her cookies have a pretty good likeness to the family members they represent. Red icing for Nesryn's hair, yellow for her mom, uncle and cousins, and black for me, Nina, and her grandparents. Even the dots for eyes are close in color.

"They look very good Princess, good work!"

"Thank you daddy!" She grins, going back to work on the cookie that's obviously her. I look over to see Snowdrop finishing hers, looking like the fancy traditional ones you see in the magazine ads. Damn, I really suck at this.

"Yours look wonderful Snowdrop." I comment, and she blushes.

"Thank you, yours aren't half bad." She giggles as she watches me make a sloppy looking snowman.

"Please, don't sugarcoat it. Compared to yours mine are comical."

"I was trained to have an eye for detail and a steady hand. Not your fault." She explains with a grin, and I roll my eyes as I finish up mine.

After we all finish up our decorating, me and Astrea proceed with the clean up while Riley gets ready for bed. Sighing, I curl my arms around her stomach from behind, nuzzling her her neck.

"As much as I love this Beloved, it's not helping me clean the kitchen." She chuckles, leaning back into my chest.

"I don't see you trying to escape." I reply, kissing behind her ear.

"Well, the warmth does help my back, it's been hurting for a little while now." She sighs, and I immediately rub her belly.

"Why didn't you say anything?" I question, concerned. She's been on her feet a lot today, no doubt it's coming back to bite her.

"It's fine, I'm used to my back hurting. These two aren't exactly lightweights."

I frown, knowing that even though her pain tolerance is higher than most, she shouldn't be on her feet this much so close to her due date.

"Alright, you go sit down, I'll finish up here."

"Thane-"

"Don't start, just sit. You need rest." I insist, and she sighs in defeat.

"Fine, if you insis-"

Her words are cut off as she gasps, leaning onto the counter for support.

"Astrea!?"

She huffs in pain, turning to look at me in surprise.

"I think-ah- that the pain I've been feeling has been contractions-" She huffs out, and I blink in shock.

"Now?" I respond, and she groans.

"Apparently. So please, let's go to the clinic before I give birth on the kitchen floor."

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It wasn't even two hours after we arrived at the clinic that the first of the cubs made their appearance, all eight pounds and seven ounces of him, crying loudly in displeasure about suddenly being cold.

Fifteen minutes later, his brother joined the party, their loud cries filling the otherwise silent clinic.

I look down at the one in my arms, grinning proudly at his strong grip around my finger. With a thin layer of pale blond hair like Astrea's covering his head, and my darker complexion, he's an exact match to his brother.

"They're going to be handsome little devils." I chuckle, and Snowdrop hums from her hospital bed, holding the other little one close to her chest.

"Definitely, just like their daddy."

Grinning, I turn to see our little girl come in the room with my parents on her heel, her eyes even wider than theirs.

This right here, is perfection.

Cash & Kiaran Auberon.

December 24th, 1:31-1:46 am.

8 lbs 7 oz & 8 lbs 4 oz.