Well...babies

[homeless_pard]

Who: Nat, Beryl, tiny twins
When: A few months after the twins are born.
What: Oh gods the parents need SLEEP.

Khemrys sighed, looking exhausted and grateful all at the same time, "true thanks, Beryl, that you are willing to aid here..." She passed a bag full of many things from cloth diapers to plastic ones that Jason found easier, and bottles, though adjusting to the breast pump had been, hard, it had freed her up a great deal to do more work in the greenhouse and stillroom, and let Jason feed them at night without having to wake her...

...it was still strange to use. But convenience was a large word in this world!


"Even I can tell you're ready to drop, Khem," Beryl snorted, slinging the bag over a shoulder easily. "We can handle them for a day." Easy, right?

"They are good children, but..."

"But babies, and you're both tired. Especially since Jason had to attend that banquet with Jean-Claude last week," she nodded. "Your job now is to let your employees run the store, let your husband take you to dinner, then you both sleep yourselves out okay?" She figured they didn't need any innuendo there. If they HAD the energy to get up to anything more power to them!

"Nat is getting the car seats installed properly.." She expected him any second really, eager to take an armful of infant!

Comments

[jasonpschuyler]

Nathaniel came up beside him and gave him a gentle hug. "Yeah. But don't worry about that. You guys look ready to drop. Have a nice dinner and get some sleep; the kids will be fine, I promise."

Jason let out a slow breath. "Thanks, Nat."

"You know I love you both."

He hugged Nathaniel back. "I know. Just promise to call if you need to, ok?"

"We will," Nathaniel promised as he opened the front door for Jason.

[homeless_pard]

Khemrys moved to adjust Beryl's arms, smiling, "Gentle support but firm hands," she instructed. "They will not break, so do not be afraid of touching the children," she chuckled.

Beryl looked up when the door opened, arms shifting a touch reflexively after Khem fixed the grips so little Kirion didn't even do more than yawn, "hey, we get those seats to pass inspection?"

[jasonpschuyler]

Nathaniel positively beamed at her. "Passed," he answered. He felt himself still for a split second when he saw her with the baby in her arms before turning that smile to Khemrys. "Can I hold Irias, then?"

[homeless_pard]

"Of course lord," she chuckled. "How else are they to get to your vehicle? I cannot walk them out..." being in her shift as it were in prep for being laced into a dress!

And to prevent Jason fussing, well, she drifted over to kiss her husband then take his arm, beaming at their friends.

Beryl...swallowed a touch nervously and started carefully toward the door!

[jasonpschuyler]

She would undoubtedly feel the tension in his arm, but he got the hint and gave an uneasy smile to their friends as they walked out of the house with his babies.

He would need a minute quietly holding her after the door closed.

"You good, babe?" Nathaniel asked carefully as he shifted Irias into one arm as he opened the car door for her to load Kirion in.

[homeless_pard]

Trust was necessary, and their friends were trustworthy. Khemrys would never say otherwise! And in lieu of a village to raise their children with, well...

Beryl gave Nat a nervous smile? "I'm a little terrified," she admitted. Honesty was good here? "What if we screw this up somehow? I mean it seems like it should be simple but..." But she was overthinking every little motion as she bent to get Kirion into his snug little seat!

[jasonpschuyler]

Nathaniel found himself snickering. "I know, but if Jason can do it..."

He flushed, teasing his best friend behind his back, but he knew Jason would laugh at it too. When he wasn't freaking out about his babies going on their first overnight...

He smiled at her from the other side of the back seat as he worked at loading Irias into the car seat. "And we have each other, so it's not nearly so scary."

[homeless_pard]

"...true," she laughed, relaxing a touch as Kirion's buckle clicked home properly on the first try. "He wasn't exactly first to mind when it came to the idea of fathers so, yeah, he can do it..." they'd be fine!

And she was certain Nat had read all the books to hep quiz Jason...despite it all. It had to have...hurt, helping him study. The look she gave her love was somber, and a touch sad, but then she was moving to get into the driver's seat. Nat was more comfortable driving than he WAS but she wasn't going to push it tonight! "Always babe."

[jasonpschuyler]

"Yeah, it wasn't his first thought, either," he laughed.

He saw that look; he couldn't help but notice any look she gave him. But no, they were supposed to be making Jason and Khemrys feel safe letting them take the kids for the night, so he kept his soft smile in place and finished buckling Irias in.

He slid into his seat and buckled his seatbelt, shifting slightly in his seat to be able to see the two carseats clearly. "All set," he assured her.

[homeless_pard]

"Alright," she trusted him to monitor the babies as she eased them out of the alley behind the shop and into traffic. Normally she drove like any other city dweller, today she was CAREFUL and took turns slow enough not to upset anyone!

Well, anyone in the car anyway. "Khem sent dinner too," she chuckled at last. "Think she's just as worried as Jason just..." in her own way.

[jasonpschuyler]

Nathaniel actually chuckled at that. "You know, I can't even be offended when I know how worried she is. But it does save me from having to make dinner, and now we can have all our focus on the babies."

He felt the shift in her driving and reached out blindly to rest a reassuring hand on her thigh.

[homeless_pard]

"She is used to a village aiding with babies, but..." she chuckled wryly. Mothers still worried it seemed. "And yeah we can just let the slow cooker go all night for tomorrow." Since he'd started something before they left but it was by no means the full meal he'd intended!

At the next red light she dropped a hand to his, squeezing his fingers gratefully.

[jasonpschuyler]

That earned her a quick smile and a squeeze in return before turning his attention back to the twins. "Has to be nice, though, right? Knowing that everyone is going to look after your kids without you having to worry?"

That thought registered and he was somewhat quiet, watching over the two babies in their backseat.

[homeless_pard]

"...yeah, and it's a healthy idea," she admitted quietly. It was her turn to lay a hand on his thigh before the light turned, once it did though, well, BOTH HANDS. They might even be at ten and two. "Here in America it's a very 'you should be self sufficient' thing you know?"

Far, far better to reach out to other willing adults and not...expect your kids to deal with it. She was quiet herself at that thought honestly.

[jasonpschuyler]

"Yeah," he agreed quietly. "But it doesn't really work that well like that, does it?" He was lost in thought as images from his past whispered through his mind.

[homeless_pard]

"...that's a culture and America debate," she admitted with a sigh. "I think more importantly you need a safe circle of adults who are able and willing. Not everyone can handle kids. Though did you see Jean-Claude when he got to hold them?"

[jasonpschuyler]

That broke through his ghosts and he laughed. "I saw Jason realize he might not get them back. I thought maybe Asher would hold them, too, but I don't think I've ever seen him look so terrified."

[homeless_pard]

"Well, I think Asher will be an 'uncle' once they can walk and feed themselves," she chuckled softly. "But yeah, never seen the City Master so...sadly soft around the edges. He was a good choice for godparent." Given Khem, well, there were four in total. Her and Nat being among them.

[jasonpschuyler]

"Yeah." Nathaniel nodded slowly, letting out a slow breath. Jason had told him once, during one of his panic sessions towards the last trimester of Khem's pregnancy. But that knowledge wasn't going to help anything here. "I think out of both of them, Jean Claude would have been the only one who might have wanted to be around kids."

[homeless_pard]

"I bet he's already researching how to handle CPS if anyone calls them when the kids get to hang at the circus," she snorted, grimly amused. A big fan of being prepared, Jean-Claude.

Still...that wasn't here and now. "Home, babe." And not even a scream from the babies!

[jasonpschuyler]

"CPS?" Nathaniel snorted as he straightened in his seat and reached for the buckle. "I think if CPS came to the Circus he'd forget all about how the law feels about mind control from vamps." He started getting out of the car and poked his head back in to add, "And then the rats would be working overtime tracing that phone call so he could deal with the tattletale personally."

[homeless_pard]

"Absolutely, but you know someone would TRY." Because people were idiots. "Probably spurred on by that damn deputy..." she growled. She did NOT like that man. At all. Sadly he WAS a customer.

Okay, she could...get the baby back up out of the car seat right? Right. Slowly.

[jasonpschuyler]

A deep, menacing rumble escaped Nathaniel's throat without him even noticing it. "Is he still causing problems?" His eyes were glued on Irias as he fumbled with her buckle with slightly shaking hands.

[homeless_pard]

She paused, looking over at Nat. Rare her boy sounded dangerous after all, "as far as I can tell he doesn't believe Khem is married. But you know more?" she asked evenly. Should she be worried and talk Khem into banning the man through the wards?

[jasonpschuyler]

He froze, blinking down at the baby in her carrier. "I know I don't trust him," he managed. He carefully pulled Irias into his arms, cradling her gently as he pulled her from the car.