A Bounty Hunter's Bundle

The Twins

Valkyrie did not wake Lincoln, did not wake his sleeping mate for two days. Carlos said he'd be fine and monitored the Bounty Hunter, so the warrior just left him alone. On the third day, Lincoln groaned and his eyes fluttered open. He moaned in pain, and shifted uncomfortably.

"What....?" he choked out, his voice rough and forced, "what happened."

Valkyrie sat beside his mate at once a comforting hand on his shoulder, he smiled at Lincoln, "You had the dumplings remember?"

Lincoln gave a shaky nod and put a hand to his forehead. He had been having fevers on and off, and Carlo gave him medicine in case he had an infection. "C-c-can I see them?"

Valkyrie kissed his mates cheek, and got up at once, to get them. To his dismay Lincoln had passed out though when he got back. The warrior frowned with sadness and rocked the twins--one in each arm. "Don't take it personally," Carlo stated hobbling over to feel Lincoln's forehead, "You are lucky he even survived. He can't help it right now. His body isn't functioning properly."

Valkyrie nodded, tucked the twins against Lincoln's stomach and then lay facing his mate, stroking his fuzzy hair, that had grown very long. "I want him to wake up. I want him to see our children, to see what he created, what we created," Valkyrie murmured. Carlo nodded.

"I know, but there is nothing I can do. You're going to have to help me give him fluids soon, and help me get him to go to the bathroom."

Valkyrie shrugged, and then nodded off in the bright sunlight that streamed through the windows after watching the twins for a long while. Clarabell's hair--his colored hair--sparkling in the light beautifully. Lilly who may not have had beautiful hair, sure looked like Lincoln except for her eyes. She had softer features than him, but still had his eyebrows and nose and overall complexion.

******

Valkyrie awoke, when he heard soft sniffles, he blinked open his eyes, forced back a sneeze and met Lincoln's friendly brown ones glistening with tears, "Awww, Lincoln, does it hurt...?" The warrior questioned with compassion stroking the side of his mate's face.

Lincoln nodded, "I can't even move." Tears streamed down his face, "I can't even move to hold them...to see them...."

The warrior at once helped his mate see the twins by moving them, and then called  Carlo over, who helped Lincoln drink a brew with herbs to help the pain in it. "How long have I been out?" Lincoln groaned as Valkyrie shifted him to a sitting position, then put the twins in his arms and cradled them all.

"Day three," Valkyrie responded kissing his mate's cheek then reaching off the bed to grab their puppy Valor.

"They...they are so small...." Lincoln whimpered, tearing up after studying their twins again. "So precious."

Valkyrie laid his head on Lincoln's shoulder, and reached up to wipe away his mate's tears with his thumb. "They are, do you remember their names?"

"Clarabell, and Lilith," Lincoln cooed kissing them each on the nose and then forehead. "Oh I can't wait till they get older. I can't wait till I get better. I can't wait to dress them, and feed them, and watch them grow up."

"About time boy," Carlo laughed, "You are only a century and some old! Goddammit been waiting forever for my grandchildren!"

Lincoln winced, "Please, can we not talk about this now, I don't have my memory, I just have a black out. All I want to know is Valkyrie's real age."

"Five years older than you, one hundred and fifteen, you are one hundred and ten Lincoln."

"I still think, I'm twenty five....I can only remember twenty five years."

"Because of Katarin my boy, and did he ever screw you over...."

"Please, stop!" Lincoln spit, and Valkyrie stopped at once and gave a sharp protective glare to Carlo.

"Leave him be, he isn't ready to talk," Valkyrie snarled viciously, crooning over his mate. Lincoln rolled his eyes and groaned.

"I want to read them a book Valkyrie...." The warrior at once was on his feet.

"What do you want, Link?"

"Something, anything, that isn't scary, or mean or vulgar." Valkyrie snorted.

"I hear there is something like the Five Tiny Tigers....It's new..." he searched the bookshelf carefully before grinning and triumphantly pulling a book down.

"Get me some milk to...I want to feed them." Valkyrie did his command at once again. Before snuggling beside his mate and taking Lilith to help feed.

"You guys are gonna need more cloths soon. Silly Valkyrie the cloths are to big right now. You need do get smaller outfits. Get some gentle baby soap for them to, and the diapers are a tad big too."

"I will head out later...."

"But Valk..." Lincoln whimpered, "Don't leave me."

"Maybe we will go later, and I can carry you," Valkyrie responded earning a snort from Carlo.

"One, same sexes are now outlawed and two, I'm not baby sitting because Lincoln no doubt will not let me, and three, Lincoln isn't going to make it. He needs strict bed rest and even he knows it."

"Maybe another day," The Bounty Hunter wheezed, opening the brand new book. Valkyrie snuggled the dumplings sitting upright between them, and let Lincoln use his chest as a pillow, as they both put one arm around the twins and met their hands in the middle. Lincoln smiled up at Valkyrie.

"Take over...if I can't." The warrior nodded so his smaller, almost motherly now, mate began reading. His voice soft and scratchy. Valkyrie grinned. Gosh had Lincoln changed so much. He went from headstrong, independent, killer to soft, overly caring,  motherly, parent. Valkyrie didn't mind what his mate was. Lincoln was his, he understood the smaller man perfectly, and now they were a completed family.