| The whole day has passed and the sun has set already. I look to my left to see the time, 11:47 p.m. I can�t believe I�ve been in labour for only 11 hours. It feels more like two days. My belly is now completely blue from the bruises and the baby�s head is crowning. I can tell that Max is incredibly tired, but he�s trying not to show it. He doesn�t want me to think he won�t be here for me. But I know he�ll stay till the end. Michael and Isabel stay by my side, letting me squeeze their hands when the baby kicks. Sometimes I can hear Michael squint a little when I squeeze so hard. I don�t care at this point. The pain I�m giving him is no where nearly as painful as mine. I�m so tired and I can barely keep my eyes open. Max keeps telling me to close my eyes to rest them. But I can�t. It hurts too much. Suddenly I feel the pressure from the baby�s head release. �The head�s out!� Max exclaims as he prepares to �catch� the baby. �Just a little bit longer and he�s out, baby. Just hang on.� Now I can feel the baby kick even harder, as if he knows he�s almost out and he wants to get out of my body as fast as possible. I mentally encourage him on while I cry out with the kicks. Finally, the shoulders are pushed out and his body falls into Max� hands. �He�s definitely a boy.� Exclaims Max when he wraps him tight in a blanket. Isabel is smiling with delight as she looks at her nephew. Michael gives me a kiss on the forehead and says congratulations. Max puts the baby in my arms and I hold him tight. This is the moment I�ve been waiting for so long. My baby is the most beautiful baby in the world. He looks healthy and that�s all that I care about in this moment. I look at Max and he moves in to give me a kiss. �I love you, Max.� I whisper. �I love you.� He responds. �What should we name him?� He asks. My eyes go wide as I remember that we still have to name our baby. �I don�t know. I�m too tired to name him right now. Do you have a name?� I say. �I like the name Benjamin.� He says. I think about it for a few seconds and then nod my head. �Benjamin is a good name.� I turn to my baby boy. �Hey Benny. I love you so much. I don�t know where our home will be, whether it�s here on earth or far away on a distant planet, but I do know that where you are, that is my home. And I will always be your home.� I look at Max and mentally tell him that that went for him as well. He gives me another kiss and then picks up Benny. �Hi Benjamin. I�m your daddy. Your dadda.� He talks in a baby voice, smiling from ear to ear. Then he hands him over to Isabel, so she can hold her nephew. He�s so small in her arms. Michael leans over Isabel�s shoulder as he looks into Benjamin�s eyes. �Soon we�ll have one of our own.� Michael says to Isabel. �Yeah, we just have to wait. But it�ll be worth it.� Isabel says. Suddenly, I remember mom and dad. �Max, can you phone my parents and tell them that the baby is born?� I ask Max. He nods as he rushes towards the phone. As he�s talking to my parents, I can hear them yelling and whooping when they find out he�s a boy. They�re going to be here right away. Tess� parents rushed into the apartment and into Isabel�s room where Tess lay on the bed holding her son. �Let me see him.� Diane said quietly as she approached her daughter. She smiled when she saw her grandson and took him into her arms. �Oh he is so beautiful! Hi baby. I�m your Nanna. Yes I am. Oh you�re so cute.� She talked to the baby. Tess gave out a little giggle as she watched her mom do baby talk. Then her dad took the baby in his arms. �Max, I�m so sorry your parents never lived to see this. But, if it means anything to you, I�d love for you to call me Mom. Only if you want to, of course.� Max gave a surprised look when he heard this news. Up until now, Diane hadn�t shown much compassion for him. �I�d really like that. Thank you.� Max accepted the gracious offer. �Your welcome.� Diane answered. ~*~ 5 years later ~*~ �Come on Izzy.� Michael rushed his wife into the granilith and then came in after her. Max and Tess were already inside. Tess was holding onto her son�s hand as tight as she could without hurting him. Isabel did the same with her daughter Virginia. �Mama, I�m scared.� Virginia cried. Michael and Isabel had explained how the granilith worked many times, but when it came down the last minute, she still was scared to death. �Don�t worry Jeanie. Nothing will hurt. Just hold on to my hand.� Isabel bent down to her daughter�s height and gave her a hug. Benjamin, who was standing right next to her, took Jeanie�s hand in his. �It�s okay. I�m not scared so you don�t have to be either.� Benjamin said smiling. She calmed down and stopped crying. �Okay, it�s time. Put your hands on the cone.� Max instructed everyone. He lifted up his son so he could reach. Benjamin touched the energy cone and disappeared. He appeared inside the cone. The rest did the same and soon, they were all inside the cone. The compartment started to shake and the door sealed itself. Suddenly, they started to lift into midair and they shot into space. ~*~Epilogue~*~ The Royal Four made it home to Antar along with their two children, Benjamin and Virginia. They all kept their human names in memory of their short lives on Earth. Max�s army defeated Kivar�s army and Max reclaimed his thrown. He was able to bring Antar back to the brink of a new age and in fact was able to reach that new age. Antar became the most prosperous planet in the galaxy. The Royal Four lived for many more years and had many more children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. They kept their lives on Earth alive by having one day set aside every year celebrating the existence of Earth. On that day, they would tell stories of that great primitive planet. When King Maxwell died, Benjamin was crowned King and continued to live out the legacy of his father. |
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