Out of the Darkness - A KathNiel Story

Chapter 48

Kath shushed Kaia as she worked to get her dressed the next morning. "I know, peanut, it sucks being all cold but we'll have you swaddled up again soon." Kath cooed, leaning over her and kissing her cheek and she laughed when that seemed to shock Kaia out of crying. "See? Mommy's here, gorgeous girl... and look at that! You're all dressed and ready to come home!" Kath cooed, lifting her up from the bed and she turned her head when there was a knock on the door, expecting it to be DJ but she smiled widely when she saw Doctor Brookes let himself in.

"Hey! My wife is a midwife and told me you're here." He said with a grin and Kath laughed breathlessly.

"You can hold her if you want." Kath offered, letting him take the baby and she smiled as Doctor Brookes doted over the newborn, Kaia wide awake but content.

"The first baby named after me and it's not even my own kid!" Doctor Brookes playfully said, bouncing Kaia gently. She was smaller than his own children were when they were born, it had been a long time since he held a baby. "The labor sounded rough, how are you feeling?" He asked, looking over at Kath.

"Sore and tired, but she's perfect," Kath said, smiling as DJ let himself into the room holding the car seat. He'd been gone for just over an hour to pick up his car from the mechanic, they'd been waiting for him to come back so that they could go home.

"Oh, hey!" DJ greeted, going to shake the doctor's hand but he stopped himself since the doctor was holding his daughter. He grinned at the sight of Kaia, all dressed and ready to be discharged.

"How's it going, Dad?" Doctor Brookes said teasingly and DJ chuckled, setting the car seat down on the bed and he pecked Kath's lips.

"It's pretty good so far - very little sleep so far," DJ said, watching as the doctor handed Kaia back to Kath as she started to whine, but she settled when she recognized her Mom's touch.

"You won't sleep properly for the rest of your lives - even when she's all grown up and has a family of her own." Doctor Brookes warned and Kath laughed with DJ.

"I don't wanna think that far ahead yet, I just wanna get her home and take it from there," DJ said and Kath smiled, leaning her head against DJ's shoulder as she rocked Kaia, keeping the newborn settled and comforted.

"I'll let you guys go right ahead and do that, then." Doctor Brookes said, smiling down at Kaia. "Congratulations, she's beautiful and I'm honored that you named her after me." He said.

"Thank you, for everything." Kath breathed and Doctor Brookes just smiled at them before walking out of the room, shutting the door behind him and DJ turned to Kath, pecking her lips.

"You ready to bring her home?" DJ asked with a grin that Kath soon matched, nodding her head.

"The sooner we can get out of here, the better. I don't want to have to undress her again when she undoubtedly poops again." Kath said, making DJ laugh and he got up from the bed, helping Kath to lie Kaia in the car seat, strapping her in and Kath tucked a blanket around her so that she wouldn't get cold outside. The baby girl whined at the new feeling and the loss of contact with her parents, but she calmed to only whimpering as Kath caressed her cheek.

"Already a Mommy's Girl... but there's time for her to become Daddy's little princess," DJ said and Kath laughed.

"She's not even a day old! This time yesterday, she was inside of me and now she's here, let her get used to the world outside of me first." Kath teased and DJ chuckled, kissing her softly and he kissed Kaia's head.

"You're lucky you're cute so Daddy can forgive you," DJ said playfully, laughing when Kath jokingly pushed him but he soon helped her up from the bed, letting her take the duffel bag and he took the car seat, the two of them heading out of the hospital with their daughter for the first time.

DJ took the drive home slowly, nervous to be driving with his entire family in the backseat but he couldn't wipe the smile from his face as he heard Kath quietly singing to Kaia to settle her to sleep. The lullaby along with the feeling of the drive worked to lull the tiny girl to sleep, but Kath looked up as DJ turned into their neighborhood and they both grinned when they saw the outside of their house decorated to welcome home the baby girl.

"You want me to bring her inside?" DJ asked, but Kath shook her head as she got out of the car and she brought the car seat with her.

"I've got her." She said, both of them smiling at each other and sharing a kiss as DJ went to get the duffel bag out of the trunk, but before Kath could say anything her eyes landed on something.

Her world came crashing down around her.

Her biological parents were standing in front of her.

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