Lacey's Luhpynes(59)

"Sounds good and yeah, I remember Mom saying something to that effect.  She also offered to stay over to lend you a hand tomorrow with Grumbly  there so you could have a bit of extra rest." Dropping a kiss to her  lips he drew back a bit and then passed her the present he had in his  hand. It was gaily wrapped with a bright bow on the top, about the size  of his fist.

She grinned and took the gift. "You brought me prezzies?" She settled on  the bed at Ansell's side and smiled. "And I would love to have your  mum's company. Especially since I seem to just drop right off to sleep  if I get too comfy, too warm, too full, well you get the picture." She  looked at the gift and then him. "What's this?" She toyed with the  wrappings of the gift instead of opening it.

Zhubin settled on the bed and shrugged, grinning. "It is a present, for  you," he told her with a chuckle. "You'll have to open it to see just  what it is, won't you?" Laughing softly, he leaned in and said something  to Ansell very softly, too soft for her to hear. But Ansell grinned and  laughed before groaning, pressing a hand to his shoulder.                       
       
           



       

"Oh you are bad. Both of you, so bad," she teased her men, mostly  because she could. She slowly unwrapped the gift, baring the box and  then smiling. "You had someone else wrap this didn't you?" While Zhubin  might be amazing at most things, giftwrapping was not his forte, at all.

"Uh, yeah." He nodded. "Give me a weapon and I'll strip it and  reassemble it better than new. But a bunch of super-thin paper that has  to mold to the shape of something else, not in this lifetime. I had one  of the assistants at the office wrap it up for me."

"Well its beautif … " Her voice trailed off as she opened the top of the  box. Inside she saw a small teddy bear, a little handcrafted bear that  you could tell was obviously created with love, time and care. Lifting  it from the box she looked to Zhubin and had tears in her eyes. "Our  baby's first teddy bear," she whispered softly. "I love it."

"The first of many, I'm very sure." He grinned at her. Leaning over he  pressed a kiss to her lips. "I'm glad you like it though, I was a little  worried about getting it done up. So, what are the grand plans for this  evening?"

"I love it," Lacey whispered to him and then threw herself into his  arms. She hugged him tightly, her cheek pressed into the curve of his  neck and breathed him in. "Thank you. So much." She knew that it was  such a small thing, but it meant the world to her because it was their  child's first possession. Even though their child wasn't there, it had  its first gift that was just for their son. She loved it.

His hands adjusted her in his lap and he let out a relieved breath as  Ansell snickered. "You are very welcome and I'm glad you love it."  Pressing a kiss to her cheek, he squeezed her gently and held her as she  hung onto him.

She looked at Ansell and smiled. "Look, Junior has his very first gift."  She hesitated and then frowned. "It will survive a Luhpyne baby,  right?" She had no idea what to expect, but from what Gennetta had told  her they loved to chew. Everything. Anything. And claw. Oh boy, she was  so over her head!

"This, maybe not right away. I'd wait until he's a little older," he  said softly with a grin. "We've already ordered a lot of toys and items  that he'll be able to get his mitts on early in his life. Things he can  chew on and try to shred without there actually being any damage to the  toys."

"I kinda figured that you guys would know just what to do for the little  guy. I just really hope that he doesn't see his mommy as a chew toy,"  she grumbled and rubbed her belly. "He's certainly active." She had the  kicking under her hand to prove it. "Anyone wanna feel?"

"Oh, I can feel it," Zhubin said with a laugh. "He's trying to kick in  my ribs from what it feels like." He grinned down at her. "Wiggle over  closer to Ansell though, and let him get a feel of our little scrapper."

She did just that. Moving closer to Ansell she wrapped her arm around  his middle and hugged him with her head on his shoulder. "See, he's  gonna be a bruiser when he grows up." She felt the child kicking and  rolling and giggled because part of it actually tickled.

"He'll be as big as his daddy, at least." Ansell grinned at her.  Pressing a kiss to her hair he gave her a one-arm squeeze. He chuckled  after a particularly hard kick to his side. "He's definitely got some  major power behind those kicks of his."

"You're telling me. Try sleeping with this kid constantly kicking. Why  do you think I take so many catnaps? It's because I sleep when he does."  Which was sad, but true. Already she was adjusting to be able to ensure  that she slept with her child so that she would be there for him when  he was awake.

"Well, if it works for you then that's all that matters," he said.  Hugging her closer, he chuckled again and shook his head. "That is  bloody amazing," he murmured. A moment later he rested his cheek to her  hair and just held her as Junior kicked out at him.

"It is, isn't it? To know that he's doing so well." Lacey felt the heat  of Zhubin at her back, Ansell at her front and suddenly felt her  exhaustion weighing on her. She yawned and rubbed her cheek to Ansell's  chest and closed her eyes. Even with her son kicking her she was sound  asleep in a matter of moments.





THE END