Young Guardian Trilogy by Lady Adellandra Dratianos (the lemonade war series .TXT) 📖

“I’ll make it up to you some other time, I promise.”
He grinned, kissing my cheek. “Promises, promises.”
I grinned, letting him lead me back to Fourth Floor to my nice warm bed.

* * * * *

When I woke up a few hours later, the phone was ringing. I looked at the clock beside me, squinting to see the time.
“Seven o’clock already?” I whispered to myself. I answered the phone after putting my glasses back on my face. “Ariana speaking.” I yawned.
“Have a good nap?” Dana Swanson’s voice was cheerful.
What did she have to be cheerful about?
“Yeah, yeah.” I yawned again. “Got the results yet?”
“I said I’d call you when they came in, didn’t I?”
“I guess so.” I mumbled. “What did they say?”
“Can’t tell you over the phone.”
“That bad, huh?”
“No, not at all. I just can’t wait to see the look on your face when I do tell you.”
“What?” I was getting impatient.
“Come back to the clinic and find out.” With that, she hung up.
I sighed. Might as well get Derrick. He’d want to know, too.
As I washed up from my nap, I heard the door buzz open.
The only ones with access to Fourth Floor were the five of us: Derrick, Shane, Luna, Shannon, and I. There was a special code-card and a five-digit number you had to punch to open the door.
It had to be Derrick. Luna and Shane were already packing to go back home, and Shannon, I knew, was trying to spend some time with her ‘new’ twin sister, Julia.
“Derrick?” I asked aloud.
I walked out of the bathroom to meet the concerned brown eyes of my new husband.
“You’re supposed to be on bed rest, remember?” He scolded me.
“Relax, Love.” I told him. “I just woke up. Dana called.”
Derrick’s face turned from concerned to anxious. “So, what did she say?”
“To head back to the clinic for the results.” I replied. “Where are the kids?”
“Exploring the campus grounds.” Derrick told me. “I thought it would be okay. After all, we were always okay.”
We were always okay when we went ‘exploring’ the System. Thing was, he had no right to do that without notifying me first.
“Let me guess. By the look on your face, it wasn’t okay.” Derrick supplied.
“You didn’t even let me know what you’d done.” I scolded him. “Kelly does happen to be my own daughter, you know.”
“I’m sorry, Ariana.” Derrick said, kissing my lips. “Let’s not fight right now, okay?”
I sighed. “Whatever.” I mumbled feeling duped. “Let’s go.”
He followed me to the clinic. Oddly enough, I felt fine now. My stomach had settled.
I barged in the clinic. “Okay, Dana Swanson.” I commanded, nearly getting in her face. For some reason, I was frustrated. “Out with it. What did the results say?”
Despite my outburst, she smiled. “You might want to sit down for this.”
Both of us complied.
I hated being held in suspense.
“Turned out, my hunch was right.” Dana told us. “Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Reading. You’re pregnant.”
I stared at her, not knowing what to say. “I’m what?”
Derrick was incredulous. “Pregnant.” He whooped for joy, jumping out of his chair. “Yes! I’m gonna be a daddy!”
I didn’t know what to say. Pregnant? Now? Right after being married to him for only two months? I didn’t believe it.
“I don’t believe it.” I whispered, thinking of my last pregnancy with Kelly.
This time, the baby would be in better hands. They’d know their parents from the get-go.
I wasn’t about to put them, or even Kelly, through the same sordid childhood I’d had growing up.
“Believe it.” Dana assured me. “You know what the funny thing is?”
We stared at her. “What?”
“Lu’s pregnant, too.” Dana grinned. “What’s more amazing, or maybe just coincidence, is the fact you’re in identical stages. That means you’ll probably have your babies on, or close to, the same day.”
My head pounded.
“You haven’t told anyone yet, have you?” I asked her. “Mainly Shannon and the others.”
“Nope.” Dana replied. “I left all that up to you.”
“This is great – perfect!” Derrick cried, picking me up and twirling me around before kissing me. “I’m so happy right now, you wouldn’t believe.”
I grinned. “So am I.” I hugged him, and then hugged Dana. “Thanks for telling us in person.”
“Not a problem.” She replied. “I’m gonna refer you to a specialist friend of Daddy’s in Hill View, Dr. Robinson.”
“Is he middle-aged, with graying hair, balding in some spots?” Derrick asked her.
“Yeah, I believe so.” Dana replied. “I haven’t seen him since Mom died when I was six. I don’t know what he looks like, now.”
“Doesn’t matter.” I told her, turning to him. “So, why did you ask?”
“Dr. Robinson is the very man that treated my mother. He later became a friend of the family.” Derrick explained. He grinned. “He is so nice, and fun. I can’t wait to see him again.”
“I’ll bet.” Dana teased. “No offense, you guys, but scoot. I’ve got work to do.”
“Gotcha.” We chorused.
It was hard to believe – me, a mother for the second time in my life.

* * * * *

Derrick took good care of me during my pregnancy. Soon, I was as big as a blimp – at least, that’s what I thought about myself. I could feel the baby kicking around inside, smiling every time it tickled me.
My loving husband wouldn’t let me do any heavy lifting. In fact, once he’d moved in to my parent’s house back in Hill View, neither Derrick nor Shane let Luna nor I do anything at all. I was lucky to have Aimee and Aaron around for company when the guys were out job-hunting, or whatever they were doing during the day.
Aimee took care of Kelly with me, offering to let my daughter spend the nights next door with her step-adopted brother. Aaron couldn’t have been happier. I guess he was finally accepting the fact Derrick and I were for real, and he quit daydreaming about me all the time. I could tell he enjoyed being a father to Kelly, finally.
The months flew, and like clockwork, every new day brought new things to do. Just to get out of the house, I went to the library and signed up for a class at Hill View University through the Internet. My major: teaching and education. My minor: human psychology. I was lucky the classes didn’t really begin until after the summer was over.
By then, only seven months of my no-powers sentence was over. I guess I shouldn’t call it a sentence, but testing. I was nearly nine-months pregnant, and big as a horse.
Mother and Father helped a lot with the arrangements for the second wedding ceremony, held for us in front of the Reading’s, Derrick’s family. Thing was, my Magic had to be kept a super-secret from all of his family.
I was helping Mother with the laundry when I felt something hard hitting my side.
It hurt, and I went down, almost crying out in pain.
“Ariana, just relax.” Mother instructed, helping me into the other room, where I could sit down. “Take deep breaths. I want you to tell me when you have the pains.”
Whatever it was hit me again, and my hand went to my stomach. “Ow!” I looked at her with a pained expression, crying sarcastically, “Does that count?”
Mother understood, and I told her every time I felt a pain.
Anna came into the room with a wet washcloth, drying my already-wet face. The pain was so bad I could hardly walk.
“Anna, call Dr. Robinson. Tell him to meet us at Philbrooke Memorial.” Mother cried. “Hurry, I think this baby is ready to be born.”
“What?” I screamed, a pain hitting me again. I’d never felt like this with Kelly.
Both Derrick and Kelly ran in the room from outside, wondering.
“What’s wrong with Momma, Gramma Sue?”
“Your brother or sister is on their way.” Mother told her. “Derrick, do as I told you to do.”
He nodded, but I had no idea what they had between them. He took Kelly and left again.
We heard a scream, with both Claudia and Christopher bounding down the stairs, nearly yelling in my ears.
“Luna’s having contractions, Mother.” Christopher announced. “I suggest we hurry.”
“No suggestions needed, but noted, Christopher Matthew.” Mother was on the ball. She was in a hurry. “Go across the street and get Shane. I believe it’s time for both my twin daughters to give birth.”
Dana was right. We were going to have our babies on the same day.
“Gotcha.” Claudia took off, slamming the door behind her.
Everything started to happen at once. Before I knew it, Luna and I were in the same delivery room, huffing and puffing, and pushing, and screaming for our babies to come. Our faithful husbands were beside us, egging us on. Derrick held my hand and Shane held Luna’s.
Luna turned to me. “This is it – our vision is coming true.”
At first, I didn’t understand. Then, once remembering the Dream Realm’s Mystic Palace and Enchantra’s showing us on the Mystic Challenge, I nodded. The Challenge for us was yet to come. I took my twin’s hand, not able to say a word.
I was already too tired.
I pushed anyway, and heard a pair of babies cry within an hour of hard labor.
“You both have bouncing baby boys!” Dr Robinson announced, handing us our boys.
“Look – they’re identical.” Luna announced, crying. Shane looked so proud.
Both baby boys were taken away by attending nurses, to be cleaned after the cords were cut.
I wanted to faint, sleepy, but found I wasn’t finished, yet.
“Wait, I think we have another one coming.” Dr Robinson replied, tending to me.
I began to push once again, on cue.
Six minutes later, I had my second son.
When all three babies were bundled in blankets, the nurses handed us our newborns. It took two nurses for the job, as one handed my twins to me and another handed Luna’s son to her.
“They’re all identical.” Shane whistled. “Imagine that.”
“Imagine that.” Luna sneaked a look at me. I smiled.
I looked into each of my sons’ pairs of eyes. They were silver-blue, I noticed. The baby that had been born first was quiet. The second cooed, wiggling around in my arms. I laughed.
“Well, you can’t say he doesn’t have spirit.” Derrick laughed, kissing me, then his sons.
“What are you going to name the babies?” Dr Robinson asked.
I looked at my first son’s face. It reminded me of Derrick, so serious and fair. “Andrew James,” I looked to his twin. Mischievous and fun, like both of us. I thought of my lost adopted brother, Mark, and the uncle Derrick had lost some time ago. The perfect name came to mind. “And his twin, Mark-Antony.”
Derrick beamed, taking Mark-Antony from my arms. “Hey, buddy. Did you hear that? It’s quite an honor to be named after two uncles.”
I smiled. Derrick was so proud of his newborn twin sons already. I could tell he would be the perfect father, and step-father to Kelly.
I looked to Luna, who was staring into her son’s eyes. “I’ll name him Caleb Ryan.”
Motherhood had just begun for us, and so had all the adventures that came with it.
“Can we bring the family in here?” I asked.
“Are you sure you’re up to it?” Derrick asked, handing little Mark-Antony to a nurse.
“I am if you are.” I replied. Looking to Luna, she nodded.
“I want them to meet their nephews.” She replied with a tired grin.
I could feel