Night slept soundly in her bed with Hartz snoring beside her, arm curled protectively over her swollen belly. All was quiet in the Slydale-Dread household in the mild month of August, the night going by normally for the sleeping family. Or not, a soft but quick knock echoing off of the closed door. Her eyebrows furrowed hearing the noise and she turned, rubbing her husband's chest.
    "... Hartz, someone's at the door..." She groaned, her grey eyes refusing to open. Hartz didn't answer, merely turning onto his side as his blasted snoring continued. Night sighed and sat up, hearing another knock, more soft than the last set. She shuffled carefully from her bed and threw her robe on, walking over and opening the bedroom door. Her teenage son stood on the other side disheveled and shaken up as the mother tried straightening up her vision. "Jin, baby, it's nearly four in the morning... What on Earth are you doing up?"
    "M-mama, I-I..." Jin swallowed the growing lump in his throat as a fresh set of tears graced his eyes. "I-I'm sorry, b-but I had a nightmare... I-I just wanted to know you're okay..."

Her poor baby, Night thought as she pulled him into her embrace, kissing his head. The poor thing was shaking in her arms but seemed to slowly stop, rubbing his back gently.
    "How about we get you back in bed and you can tell me what's on your mind. How does that sound, baby?"
    "Y-yes please..." Jin mumbled, squeezing her gently before pulling away with a sniffle.
    "Alright, come on then..." Night took his hand gently and the two walked up the stairs, walking into the teen's bedroom. Jin laid down in bed with a sniffle and Night tucked him in, drying away his tears. "Now, what has you so upset, pumpkin?"
    "I-it was awful... Mama, you had the baby really early a-and we lost you both..." Another round of tears filled his eyes as his breathing shallowed, clutching his shark plushie tightly. "D-dad and I were so upset, mama... I don't wanna lose you and baby sister..."
    "And you won't, honey. It's just a little nightmare. I'm okay and so is your baby sister, see?" Night took his hand and pressed it up against her belly. And right where she put her hand, there was a soft kick. Jin smiled softly and rubbed her belly gently, his eyes softening as his anxiety settled.
    "Thanks mama..." He said softly, taking his hand back and getting cozied into his blankets.
    "Of course, baby. Now get some rest. We'll talk more in the morning..."

Night kissed his head one more time and wished him a good night, standing carefully from his bed and walking to the door. Jin waved slightly and yawned, turning on his side and closing his eyes. Making her way carefully down the stairs, Night held her belly and swallowed a bout of anxiety that stuck to her. Everything is fine, she's fine and the baby's fine. That's the end of it.

~~~

That was most certainly not the end of it.

A week later, when Hartz was running errands in town, Night was picking things up around the house to keep busy. Jin was up in his room cleaning up a bit, his music blaring from his speaker to keep him focused. Night held the laundry basket in her hands on her way to the laundry room, humming to herself as she loaded up the washer. As she set the basket down, a sharp pain sliced across her abdomen.
    "Ooh..." Night hissed through her teeth, wincing from the pain. "Hey kiddo, take it easy on mommy. That really hurt..." Her baby girl kicked in response and the mother laid it to rest, starting the washer and walking out of the laundry room. As weird as that felt, it was still way too early for her to feel contractions.

She was due in October.

Another sharp pain and another hiss from the mother, holding her aching belly with concern. She looked at her phone and noted the time and took a deep breath. She was not going into labor. She's just paranoid. Maybe something to eat would take her mind off of it, walking into the kitchen to make lunch for her family. The pain only deepened before she was able to comprehend and she let out a startled cry, her knees buckling from the force. Her heartbeat echoed loudly in her ears and her breathing labored, fear making itself present as she reached for her phone with shaking hands. No, there was no way she was going into labor, something was definitely wrong. She took in a sharp breath and called her husband, setting the phone on speaker.
   "Hey baby girl! How's things at home?" Hartz answered with a smile, keys in his hand as he was walking into the store.
    "W-well things could be better, Hartz. I-I think I'm in labor..." Night breathed, hunched over in the kitchen. Another round of harsh pain graced her body and it made tears fill her eyes.
    "What?! Are you sure?!" The wind howled on the line since Hartz turned right around to run back to the car.
    "T-they hurt a little too much to be Braxton Hicks, s-so yeah... I-I think I'm sure..." She sniffled and cradled her belly. "H-honey, I'm scared... T-this can't be right, she's too little..."
    "I'm on my way Night. We don't know if these are actual contractions until we get to the hospital. Hang tight."
    "I-I'll try..."

The couple hung up and Night exhaled sharply, her head in her arms as she leaned into the counter. Everything felt nerve-wrecking, tears coating her pale cheeks.
    "Mama...?" Jin had only just walked into the kitchen when he found his mother hunched over the counter, his eyebrows furrowing together. "What's wrong, are you okay...?"
    "Mama's fine, honey. J-just, in a bit of pain right now..." Night mumbled, picking her head up to look at her son. She spared a slight smile before it fell, suddenly feeling light-headed and laying her head back down.
    "M-mama...?"
    "I-I don't feel so good..." The pregnant blonde closed her eyes for a moment but the world went dark, her body giving out and collapsing to the floor.
    "M-mom...! Oh my god...!" Jin rushed over and slid over next to her, his hands shaking. He struggled to unlock his phone and called 911, tears filling his eyes as the line rang.

~~~

Hartz paced anxiously in the family waiting room of the hospital, his eyes red after the tears finally stopped flowing. Stress clogged his mind and his breathing was shallow from the dark thoughts plaguing his poor mind. Jin was crying silently in one of the morbidly comfortable chairs, head buried into his hood and music playing through his headphones. Everything hurts for the family, the shocking news that Night was most definitely in labor and there were most certainly major complications with the pregnancy that caused it all. Phone calls were made to family after the nurse explained his wife was rushed into emergency surgery, meaning that all they could do was wait. And hope everything will be okay with both Night and their baby girl.

Phi walked quickly around the corner and rushed into the room, having rushed to the hospital after receiving his grieving brother's call. Hartz looked up and found his big brother, another round of tears filling his eyes as the two embraced.
    "I came straight here after you called. How is she doing?" The older twin asked as they hugged, patting his back gently.
    "S-she's still in surgery..." Hartz coughed, trying to straighten out his voice. "They say there was a major complication that sent her into labor early. I- W-we had no idea there was a problem, Phi..."
    "And there wouldn't have been a way for you to know... It's not your fault..." Red and blue eyes traveled over to Jin, his heart aching more and more as he pulled back from his brother. They stared at each other for a moment and Hartz sniffled, drying his eyes and smiling slightly.
    "Thanks for coming. This means a lot to us..." Hartz motioned over to his teenage son. Phi smiled slightly but soon frowned, watching the teen with concerned eyes.
    "I can only imagine how this is taking a toll on him. Can I get you both anything?"
    "I think the most we need right now is hope..."
    "Of course. How about we sit down and take a deep breath? I haven't seen you pace this much since your wedding."

The men laughed softly to lighten the mood and Hartz nodded slightly, walking over to where Jin was seated. The young father patted his son's head gently and sat down, the teen immediately leaning over and collapsing into his arms. His shoulders shuddered from the weight of his cries, tears pouring down his cheeks with no signs of stopping. Night means everything to the poor teen and the thought of possibly losing her broke his heart. It was his nightmare all over again.
    "I know buddy, I know..." The father whispered softly, wrapping his arm around him and holding him close. Phi sat in a chair adjacent to the two with a heavy sigh and closed his eyes for a moment, the three waiting for any news.

~~~

    "The surgery was a complete success, Mr. Dread." It was hours later when the surgeon came to give news on Night's condition. Hartz felt a massive weight lift off of his shoulders, another round of tears filling his two-colored eyes.
    "Oh thank God... A-and our daughter?" His heart raced asking that question, but he needed to know.
    "It was touch and go for a while, but we have her stable." The surgeon set a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Your daughter is critical, Mr. Dread. Unfortunately, we won't know if she'll even make it through the night, so please prepare yourself..."
    "Y-yes. Thank you, sir..." Hartz nodded, swiping his hand across his cheek to wipe a tear away. "Can... Can I see her? Please?"
    "Of course, right this way."

Phi took Jin to get something to eat in the cafeteria which meant Hartz was alone, he and the doctor traveling down the hall to the NICU. The father quickly sent a text to his brother telling him what's going on before he was stopped in front of a large window. Red and green eyes gazed upon what he could only describe as a bubble, a tiny baby girl hooked up to several machines and a ventilator. His hand covered his mouth to stifle a sob as his emotions took over. Everything hurt in his mind and his body and the tears flowed freely. His baby girl, mere hours old, was fighting for a life she had yet to live and it hurt.

It was unfair.

Hartz leaned his forehead against the wall of glass for a moment and said a quick prayer under his breath, his eyes closed. He wasn't a religious man but gave it a shot, begging God to spare his family the heartbreak and let his daughter live.
    "I love you baby girl... Everything will be okay..." He mumbled after his prayer, straightening up and brushing his tears away again. He turned to the surgeon and took in a deep breath. "And my wife?"
    "Stable and resting, sir. She suffered a major tear in her uterus, which in turn caused her to go into labor early. We were able to repair it without the need of a hysterectomy, but we strongly advise against another pregnancy. It would be extremely high risk." He explained, leading him towards the elevator to take to the ICU. "Shall I send your family up to meet you?"
    "Please. They're worried sick about her, especially our son."
    "I'll have the nurse fetch them right away. Come, I'll take you to her room."
    "Thank you."

~~~

The family was reunited when the charge nurse brought Jin and Phi to Night's recovery room, the blonde awake and in tears the moment she saw her son. Jin rushed over to her and collapsed in her arms, sobbing into her chest.
    "O-oh, my baby boy..." Night sniffled, pressing kisses into his head and rubbing his back.
    "M-mommy..." The teen whimpered, looking up at her with heartbroken green eyes. The mother smiled sadly and dried his cheeks with her hands, kissing his forehead.
    "I'm okay honey, it's okay." She told him, running her hands through his hair.
    "B-but- You- B-baby sister-"
    "Jin, honey, shh... It's been a long day and you're exhausted. Relax..."

Jin whimpered and slowly nodded, crawling up into his mother's bed to lay with her. Hartz looked at his wife nervously and looked like he wanted to scold his son, but the look Night gave him made him bite his tongue. He needed his mama, who was she to keep him from crawling up and laying with her? She rubbed his back gently and sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. She was exhausted and sad, unsure of her daughter's exact condition. No one would tell her.
    "Baby, are you okay?" Hartz asked softly, watching emotional grey eyes open and look at him. Night smiled sadly and nodded, sniffling softly as she pet her son's head.
    "Yeah, I'll be okay... I just, everything was going so well with the pregnancy. I don't know what I did wrong..."
    "Night, it's not that you did something wrong. Fate is just cruel like that." Phi interjected, blue and red eyes soft.
    "I know... I-I guess my hormones are still not all there..." Night wiped her eyes and looked down, finding Jin fast asleep in her arms. She smiled slightly and looked back up, the smile slipping. "Is she... alive?"
    "Barely, but yes... They don't- They think she won't make it through the night..."
    "Did you see her?"

Hartz paused for a moment and sighed, tears filling his eyes again as he leaned forward.
    "She's beautiful, just like her mama... Her tiny hands, cute little face... She took my breath away..."
    "I hope I can see her too..."
    "All we can do is hope, my love. All we can do is hope..."

~~~

It was a long and grueling night for the Slydale-Dread family, full of tears and prayers for the new addition.

Where the doctors and nurses thought she wasn't going to make it, the new baby pulled through, shocking everyone. Night was discharged two days after her c-section but remained at the hospital with her daughter, providing skin-to-skin and feeding her when she needed to. Hartz tried his best to come by as much as he could with him still working and Jin had started school but two weeks later after his sister's birth. But I bet you're wondering, what did they name the sweet baby girl?
    "She's getting much bigger, honey. Look at her..." Night smiled, leaning down and pressing a sweet kiss to her sleeping daughter's head. "My sweet, little Serenity..."
    "Pretty soon she should be discharged. It would be so nice to have her home..." Hartz watched from the side with a small smile of his own.
    "She's getting to that target weight the doctor has been telling us about. I can't wait to have her home with us." The couple shared a sweet kiss together, Hartz pulling away and nuzzling her gently.

Jin came through the NICU door thirty minutes later with a defeated sigh, dropping his bag next to one of the chairs in the recovery room.
    "Hi baby boy, how was school?" Night asked with a smile, watching him sink in the chair he chose.
    "It was fine... We started a new unit in Trigonometry, learning more about the periodic tables in Chem, and we're reading a new book in English..." Jin answered, rubbing his eye tiredly. The teen still hadn't been sleeping well at night because of his nerves, stressing constantly about his sister. But she's getting better by the day, easing his racing mind partially.
    "Man, what a busy day for you hun. How was the bus ride here?"
    "Long... There was traffic, which made the ride longer... How much longer do I need to ride the bus here...? People keep staring at me..."
    "Hopefully not too much longer, baby. And don't you mind the other kids, it's none of their business."

Jin shrugged and nodded, running a hand through his hair. Personally, he could care less about the other kids. He just hated being stared at while he walked.
    "Yes, mama..." He said, opening his bag and getting out his homework. The sooner he gets it done, the sooner he could relax-
    "Jin, I have a question for you." His mama spoke up again, causing him to look over. Sometimes she made him nervous when she said that.
    "What's up...?"
    "How would you like to hold your baby sister?" Night smiled, tilting her head slightly with the question. Jin felt his heart stop for a second and his breath hitched, looking between his parents nervously.
    "R... Really...? I get to hold Serenity...?"
    "If you really want to, of course you can." Hartz told him, a smile of his own on his lips. The teen looked down at his hands and took in a breath, looking back up.
    "Can I...? Please...?"
    "Sure honey. Hartz, can you get the nurse please?"
    "Be right back."

Hartz stood and walked out of the room, on his way to get the nurse. Night smiled in satisfaction and looked back at her oldest, a twinkle in her eyes.
    "One thing you need to do, baby ghost." She told him, pointing at him. Jin looked at her, looking confused.
    "What...?"
    "You're gonna need to take your shirt off." Her smile was sneaky, making his heart jump again.

    "W-what...?"

NightBear15 signing off...