(no subject)

[notascreensaver]

AndrAIa wakes in the middle of the night, something she's become accustomed to more and more as the alpha grows inside of her. Tonight, though, there's no full-feeling bladder and for a moment, she lies there, trying to figure out what woke her until a sharp pain causes her to almost cry out. As soon as it passes, the Game sprite reaches over to nudge her husband awake.

"Matrix?"

Matrix just grumbles a little in his sleep and turns over. AndrAIa doesn't stop nudging him, though.

"Lover, please get up."

"Whatzit?"

"Enzo, I...think the baby's coming."

Before she even finishes the sentence, Matrix is out of bed and on his feet, rushing around the apartment and gathering things to take with them to the hospital, and he very nearly makes it out the door without her before she calls him back.

Matrix most likely breaks several traffic laws getting her to the hospital, but miraculously, they make it there in one piece and the look on the nurse's faces is priceless as he kicks open the doors and roars for assistance.

The rest of the night is long, emotional, painful, but by the morning, Matrix is nursing a bruised hand, AndrAIa is exhausted, and both are deliriously happy.

The Matrix family has grown by one.

Comments

[command_dot_com]

And the number of Matrixes in the room went up by two. The moment Dot got word about this over breakfast, the first thing she did was drive over here with Mairi.

After she chewed someone's input for not telling her right away last night that this was happening.

"AndrAIa...Matrix..."

[notascreensaver]

AndrAIa looks up from the bundle of blankets and baby in her arms, flashing Dot and Mairi a wide smile.

"Hey, Dot."

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

Hey, it's not like, when babies are arriving there's time to vidwindow anyone but the medical team.

When Juniorette decides she's ready, she's ready...

"Hey sis."

He's trying not to rub his left hand so much. Trying.

[command_dot_com]

It all takes how much of a nano to send an alarm saying 'baby arriving!!!1!'?

"Mairi...look ar your new cousin.." Dot's just going to carefully manuver the toddler to get a good look at the newborn. "Say hi Mairi."

"Hiiiihii hi."

[notascreensaver]

AndrAIa shifts the newborn slightly in her arms so Mairi can get a better look. The baby's hair alone is enough to mark her as a Matrix with hair slightly darker than her mother's sticking out at odd angles.

"Mairi, Dot, this is Ana."

[command_dot_com]

"Hiiii nananaana!"

"She's darling...now someone mind telling me why I got the notice with breakfast this morning?"

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

"Yes, Dot, I should've sent that message before the first contractions were felt."

And yet, he's still grinning. Catty remarks can't chase that smile away.

"In all seriousness, we could've sent it from the hospital, but a personal touch was needed here."

[mendanddefend_archive]

There's a sound of rapidly approaching footsteps, and then Bob bursts into the room.

"SorryI'mlateIwasongamedutywhereisshe?"

[notascreensaver]

Laughing softly at Bob's enthusiastic entrance, AndrAIa gestures the Guardian over.

"Right over here, Bob. Come meet your niece."

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

"Actually, you're just in time. You didn't miss much."

Except the shouting. The screaming. The threats to body parts.

Uh, yeah.

"Analog Matrix. Ana for short."

[mendanddefend_archive]

Bob smiles down at the little orange face peeking out from the bundle of blankets. "Hey there."

[notascreensaver]

Said bundle of blankets squirm a little in AndrAIa's arms, making a soft, gurgling sound as she waves a tiny fist around.

[mendanddefend_archive]

"She's beautiful, AndrAIa."

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

"She should—she looks just like her mother," Matrix whispers.

[notascreensaver]

"Flatterer," AndrAIa murmurs before looking up at Bob again. "Do you want to hold her?"

[mendanddefend_archive]

Bob looks astonished. "I--are you sure? I mean..."

[notascreensaver]

"It's fine," she soothes, reassuring the Guardian. "Don't worry."

[mendanddefend_archive]

He hesitates a moment longer, then carefully reaches out to take the tiny alpha sprite in his arms.

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

With Matrix watching intently.

Oh, he trusts Bob, but... Try telling that to his newly-found paternal instincts.

[mendanddefend_archive]

"Hi, Ana," Bob whispers, brushing one finger over his niece's hand. "I'm your uncle Bob."

[notascreensaver]

The brush of Bob's finger against her hand causes Ana to latch on as tight as a baby can and her eyelids flutter open.

Hey, Bob, you have a purple-eyed niece gazing curiously up at you.

[mendanddefend_archive]

Bob's smile broadens considerably and he wiggles the trapped finger as vigorously as he dares.

[command_dot_com]

"Hi Ana...I'm you aunt Dot...and this is your cousin Mairi." Dot murmurs coming around to Bob's side.

Mairi for the most part just looks at the newborn and babbles.

[l33t-mouse.livejournal.com]

A statuesque purple sprite opens the door - minus her usual weaponry, one might notice. "Sorry, darlin'. Nurse wanted me t'leave the swords at th' front desk. I said what's a baby gonna do with..." She stops mid-complaint to gasp. "Aww! There's the little darlin'!"

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

"I hear ya," Matrix says with some complaint. "Nurse wouldn't allow Gun in, either."

Pause.

"Her name's Ana. Analog Matrix."

And after Mairi, is the only Matrix to not have that famous shade of green skin.

[notascreensaver]

Mairi's babbling coaxes more infant noises from Ana and she waves clenched fists [and Bob's finger] in the air.

Back in the hospital bed, AndrAIa watches her family though half-lidded eyes. It's been a long night, and for now, she's happy to watch them all together.

[mendanddefend_archive]

That grin might just never leave Bob's face.

"She's a lively little node, isn't she?"

[l33t-mouse.livejournal.com]

"Tell me, Bob - she got a good grip? Fer a baby, I mean," Mouse says, keeping her voice low so as not to disturb AndrAIa.

[mendanddefend_archive]

"Definitely," says Bob. "See for yourself--" He goes to hand the baby to Mouse, than hesitates, looking to Matrix and AndrAIa for permission.

[notascreensaver]

AndrAIa motions for him continue.

"Go ahead, it's alright."

[mendanddefend_archive]

Bob nods and holds Ana out for Mouse to pick up.

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

And now it's Mouse's turn to be observed intently.

This time, at least, those new instincts of his are more amenable to listening.

[l33t-mouse.livejournal.com]

Mouse carefully picks up Ana, supporting the baby's head in the crook of her arm. She experimentally holds the fingers of the opposite hand within the baby's easy grabbing distance.

[notascreensaver]

Ana looks up at Mouse curiously because, wow, that's interesting hair. Instead of the proffered fingers, she stretches to try and grasp the glowy tendrils.

One thing's for certain, though, she has her daddy's grip.

[l33t-mouse.livejournal.com]

"Whoawhoawhoa ow!" Impressively, Mouse manages not to drop or even dangerously tilt the baby, but she does hand Ana off to the closest willing sprite so she can pry the kid's fist open and free her hair.

[mendanddefend_archive]

'The closest willing sprite' turns out to be Bob, who carefully holds Ana up far enough that she won't yank Mouse's hair any further.

"Sorry, I should have warned you--Mairi used to do that to me a lot."

[l33t-mouse.livejournal.com]

"It's all right, Bob," Mouse says, smoothing her hair back into place. "Guess that answers my question about the kid's grip."

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

Matrix? Is just grinning. Possibly a little self-satisfiedly.

That's my girl...

Ana may look like her mother, but she's likely gonna end up a lot like her dad in other ways.