"By Deya's grace! Look at her!" Blink gasped as he held up the squirming toddler in his hands. "She's such a tiny little thing!"

"Tiny, but loud." Notenrique commented as he gagged. "And you do not want to know what sort of smells I've come across when I have to do diaper duty."

It had been a month since Laura was born before Jim and Claire decided to return to the New Jersey Trollmarket. Ever since their return, numerous trolls would come up to the couple to congratulate them and coo over Laura before giving her little trinkets like a strange looking pacifier, stone blocks for her to chew on when she began teething, little stone charms to hang over her cradle for superstitious reasons and at one point a large axe ("So she can begin her training soon!" The troll who gave it to them commented happily.)

"We are so sorry for not bringing her sooner." Jim chuckled as Claire plucked Laura from Blinky's hands. "We had to wait just to be sure she didn't have any allergies and be able to board the plane."

"Well it's good to have you both back, we had to take away Merlin's staff and lock him up just to make sure he didn't try to "bless" the poor child." Blinky replied and frowned. "What sort of wizard does he think he is? He's already turned you into a troll, who knows if his "blessing" might turn the baby into one as well!"

"Oh he better not, I'll bite him if he even tries!" Notenrique growled.

"Here Aaaarrrggh, you wanna hold her?" Claire asked the Kubera troll as she walked over to him.

Aaaarrggh looked at her in surprise before extending his large hand out to her. Claire placed Laura onto his outstretched hand before he brought her close to his chest. Laura gave a tiny yawn and snuggled against his green fur. Aaaarrggh smiled and made a soft purring sound as he carefully cradled in infant human.

"Be careful, she's still very fragile." Jim warned gently before turning to his mentor. "I've been thinking that maybe Claire and I should move out of Trollmarket to avoid Merlin, like maybe live in a house close by."

"Hmm, that would be a good idea but Merlin would insist you stay and try to keep you from leaving. And we all know you need his potions to keep up your humanly appearance."

A few months after they had arrived in New Jersey and found the Heartstone, Merlin had created Jim a special potions that would allow him to turn human for several hours at a time. Jim hardly used the potions since Merlin told him the ingredients in them were rare and difficult to find, he only used them on certain occasions.

"I've been trying to save them up, but I feel like Merlin is just telling me the ingredients are rare just so I won't use them all the time. Newt stomachs, drool from some kind of creature that we can easily find, grinded gnome bones, a lot of them can be easily found!"

"Yes but we need strong magic to make it work. I know Claire knows quite a lot of magic, but I believe there is a certain spell needed and a certain time when you have to make it. And I'm sure Merlin has not taught her that."

Just then, they heard Laura crying loudly. Claire quickly rushed over to pluck her child from Aaaarrrggh and attempt to soothe her. Jim was wondering what had made her cry when Aaaarrrggh started growling at a figure in the doorway of the forge.

"I see you're finally back." Merlin said as he walking in. "And I see you and the Fair Claire brought your offspring back to her rightful home."

"Who let you out?" Notenrique snarled, leaping onto his sister's shoulder. "Take one step towards my niece or-"

"Crush!" Aaaarrrggh growled, making a fist with one hand and punched the open palm of his free hand.

"Leave the child alone Merlin, you've already hurt her parents enough." Blinky said sternly, stepping protectively in front of Claire as Jim walked over to stand at her side. "She does not need any blessings from you after what you've done to her father!"

Merlin frowned. "Did you really think I was going to turn her into a baby troll? Goodness no!" The wizard laughed. "If I had to bless her with anything, it would be with anything her parents wished she would have!"

"She doesn't need a blessing." A familiar voice growled. Jim nearly gave a cry of relief when he saw Draal and Nomura enter the Forge with their welps in their arms.

Nomura approached the wizard, anger buring in her bright green eyes and poked him in the chest with one long nail. "Leave the child alone, or I'll snap that walking stick of yours in half and feed you to those reptiles we caught in the caves."

Merlin narrowed his eyes and for a moment, Jim thought he was going to blast the changeling when Draal growled threateningly.

"Very well, it seems I am not needed. But Trollhunter, I will have to examine your daughter soon to make sure she doesn't start turning into a troll and accidentally kills herself by going into the sunlight." And with that, Merlin walked out of the forge, leaving the group alone.

Claire let out a sigh of relief as a he hugged Laura tightly to her chest. "Oh god, I thought he was going to hurt her."

"If he tried, Draal and Aaaarrrggh would have smashed him into a pancake." Notenrique assured her. "On the bright side, the old wizard is terrified of Draal. After all, the big blue boy nearly crushed him when he found out what he did to Jim."

"Best keep Laura out of Trollmarket for a while." Blinky muttered. "Master Jim could stay down here and visit Claire and the baby at night when they find a home on the surface."

"Let's hope that at least works." Draal grumbled as he shifted one of the welps to his other arm.  "And speaking of welps, I think it's about time my son got to meet the Trollhunter's new offspring."