Due Date | INVITE

Maternity Ward


They had been at home, at Chaos Manor, when it started. Labor pains, contractions, and her water breaking - at the moment, Sophia wasn't entirely certain which had come first, but she was fairly sure it the last on the list that got them moving and to St. Mungo's.

"Bloody fecking hell!" Sophia cried out as another pain made itself known. "How much longer is this tae take?" she gritted out. "Ye know I love ye, Ric, but next time, Imma take yer fuckin' wine bottle an' shove it where the son donnae shi--aaaaaaaahhhhhh!"

It was all happening so quick. One minute they were eating tea and the next they were rushing to st mungos. Was he even ready to be a father? He couldn't even look after the kids he was supposed to be looking after never mind raise his own.

He gripped Sophias hand all the way. Wanting her to know he was there with her every step of the way. He hated to see her in pain, but this was the one pain he could now do nothing about. "I don't know love. Just keep taking deep breaths, okay and before you know you'll be a mum." He smiled kissing the back of her hand.

"I am breathin'!" Sophia growled, though wanly returned his smile before the next contraction. Which wasn't long.

Her hand squeezed down on Ric's like a vice, and she let out another pained cry which died down to a whimper. "This part... sucks," she decided, pressing her head back into the pillow.

"Almost there, Sophia," the healer was stupid enough to speak. "The baby's head is crowning."

"What?" Sophia demanded fiercely, rising up on her elbows to glare. "Ye think I cannae feel that, ye bloody moron?!??"

"I know im sorry." He said flinching from her pain more than the pain in his hand. That pain he could handle because he knew it was nothing compared to hers and it was his fault she was in this mess in the first place.

"Shhh, its alright." He soothed rubbing his thumb along the back of her hand to try and sooth her. Or at least calm her down long enough to get the baby out. Without killing the nurse in the process.

Sophia gave his hand another squeeze, this one much more gentle as her brown eyes sought him. "None of that, now, love," she told him.

Again, her grip turned into a vice as there was another contraction, the suicidal healer telling Sophia to push.

"I am pushin', ye bludy fuckin' idiot!" she snarled at the poor man. "Is that whit ye trained fer, then, ye bleedin' moron? Cos, if that's whit ye're gettin' paid fer, ye're fir-aaaahhhh!

"It is so yer turn th' next time..." Sophia whimpered to Asric, panting slightly.

He couldn't help but smile at her attack on the healer. This was the woman he was going to marry. She was the one he was creating a family with and she was incredible. Even in pain she was showing signs of a great hunter. No hunter stayed down for long. She was the perfect hunters wife.

"I would if i could love. I'd love to take your pain for myself just so i don't have to see you like this." He said kissing the back of her hand. "I don't think we should have anymore after this one. Not if i have to see you like this." He said brushing back her hair.

"Like a man could survive this," Sophia snorted, though a glint of humor shone in her eyes. "We'll talk about it la-ahh... later. Gaaah!"

And from that point, Sophia focused on pushing, alternately squeezing the sensation out of Asric's hand and cursing the healer for being an idiot in between.

It wasn't long before a new sound pierced the air: a baby's cry.

He laughed. "Yeah you're probably right." He smirked before watching on in horror at her pain. No amount of time had prepared him for this. No one should ever see their one true love in this amount of pain.

Seconds turned into minutes and he soon found himself looking at the human being he had helped to create. A tiny little baby, his tiny little baby. His son. A small laugh escaped his lips as he looked on in disbelief. After years of thinking he'd be left alone for his entire life, he found himself with everything he'd ever dreamt of. A beautiful wife, which he then kissed on the forehead and gave her the biggest smile he could achieve. And now a son.

"You did it love. You've brought us a son." He smiled watching as the healers cleaned him off.

Sophia leaned against the pillow. She looked exhausted, her hair soaked in sweat, even so, a glow of contentment surrounded her. The woman smiled fondly at Asric, giving his hand a gentle squeeze before her gaze returned to the baby.

She held out her arms for her child, their child, cradling him close when he'd been handed to her.

"Hello, love," Sophia cooed. "Look at him, Ric. He's perfect. He's ours."

He smiled and brushed back her hair. He was so happy right now even words seemed to fail him. His life was now complete. "Hello." He said softly brushing a finger along the side of his sons face. "We have a son! It all seems so surreal." He smiled looking at his future wife and then back to his newborn son. He had a son!

"He needs a name. What do you want to call him love?" He asked.

Sophia watched Asric with great fondness as he greeted his son. Had there really been a moment, brief though it was, that she had wondered how he would respond to knowing he was to be a father? Of course, she should have known, regardless. There only one possible response from him: joy.

Her gentle brown eyes settled on the face of her child, drinking in those perfect little features.

"Boys should be named after their father," Sophia declared. "He should be called Asric after you, an' Collin after his grandfather. Asric Collin Chaos."

He smiled and kissed his wife to be on the forehead once more. Only this time pausing in the kiss. "Thank you, its perfect just like him." He smiled offering his little finger for his son. "Thankfully he got his mothers looks and now my name." He said looking up and tilting his head to the side.

A second later he laughed a little. "Ghost is eager to see him... going to take him for runs around the forest apparently." He smirked.

Sophia smiled. "He's not the only one who'll have yer name," she remarked lightly.

"Is that so?" the woman laughed. "It may be a while b'fore wee Collin's up to much runnin' - in the forest, or otherwise.

"Here, love." Sophia lifted the baby towards Asric. "You hold him a bit." She smiled encouragingly, waiting for Asric to take his son.

"And that day cannot come quick enough for my liking." He smiled placing a kiss on her lips. "At least now we have junior to see it happen, even if he doesn't remember a thing about it when he's older." He smirked looking at his son.

He laughed. "Well you can try telling her that. She's already having visions of giving him piggyback rides." He smirked. "She seems to think we've had some sort of miricle baby that can hold on to her fur whilst she runs."

He looked at his son and then to his future wife and frowned. He could hold him. He looked so small and breakable. Surely he'd break him or at least drop him. "What if i drop him?" He asked looking at her unsure. No hunter should have a family so it was bound to go wrong right?

Sophia gave him a soft smile. "Ye willnae drop him," she said kindly and confidently. "He's th' most precious thing in th' world, now. Ye willnae drop him, Ric. I know ye won't."

She leaned forward, and gently shifted the baby into the crook of Asric's arm. She pulled away slowly, careful to see that the man had a secure hold on their child.

"Watch his head," Sophia murmured quietly. "There, now. See?"

"Are you sure?" He asked before he was handed over. He felt so small and vulnerable in his arms. He would have to do everything in his power to keep him safe. To keep them both safe. He would not make Ace's mistake, Ace wouldn't let him even in his mental state.

He adjusted junior in his arms making sure his head was settled properly on his arm. He smiled and held him in one arm, whilst the other hand his sons hand. "He's so small." He smirked looking up at Soph.

"Aye," Sophia murmured softly, settling back against her pillow as she watched Asric hold his son. "That he is. He'll grow quickly, though. He'll grow up tae be a handsome man." Just like his father, she thought fondly.

Smiling fondly, Sophia allowed her eyes to drift shut, only to drift off to sleep in exhaustion.

She had nothing to worry about, though. Ric was here. Ric would look after their son.

He smiled. "Lets just hope he grows up to have the same interests as me. I think my master would kill me if he turned out otherwise." He smirked looking down at his son. "How does that sound Junior? Just you and me out on the hunt?" He asked earning himself a little noise. "Oh i will take that as a yes."

He turned to look at his future wife and smiled. "Lets leave mummy to sleep shall we?" He said leaning over to kiss Sophia on the forehead before moving to sit on a chair to rock little Ric to sleep.