Little Suckers Bite Too (San Francisco Vampires #6) (Vampires of San Francisco series) (5 page)

He sends everything home unassembled until we know where to put it.

“I think that’s all the damage we can do for today,” Lilith says smiling and satisfied.

“Let’s get them home before we get dragged somewhere else, Aidan,” I say warily.

CHAPTER 7 . HANNAH

I hear a big clatter in the foyer downstairs and know that Aidan must be sending stuff back. I dread seeing what they bought for me. Clothes shouldn’t make a clatter. Anything is possible with Lily and Helena. Hopefully Aidan and Sebastian kept the insanity to a respectable level.

“Diel, what just landed in the foyer?” I ask the baby monitor. He has me under a blanket, ensconced on a huge chair with an ottoman, overlooking the lake. I have a great book to read and I have to admit I have been enjoying myself.

“You don’t want to know, babe,” his disembodied voice answers.

“Yes. Yes, I do. Please tell me it’s just clothes.”

“Well it looks as if they are setting up a nursery here for you. It’s actually considerate since we will have to stay here another week or so after, Beau is born.”

“Too Gone with the Wind for me but I like Holden,” I counter.

“That has possibilities. How about Lucas?”

“Not bad. Do you think we will ever name this baby?” I ask.

“Of course, he just may be six years old by the time we figure it out.” He laughs. I’m not laughing.

“OMG if we wait that long the poor child will have a complex,” I say and my head reels with problems. “We have to figure this out soon, Diel. I refuse to bring the baby home from the hospital without a name.”

“Babe, when we hold him we will know. Keegan will just have to wait until he’s born to know his name.”

“Umm, no on the Keegan. Where do you think we should set up the nursery?”

“I was thinking we could set it up in our bedroom. It’s large enough. We may have to move some furniture around.”

“What all is down there?” I ask, suddenly suspicious.

“Well, everyone just arrived.” I hear their voices. “I’ll let Aidan pop it all up and you can yell at them then.”

“Ugh!”

“Hannah, it’s all good. I got your back, girlfriend,” Lily yells in the back ground.

“Aidan, let’s get this over with,” I growl.

The next thing I know a huge pile of furniture, clothes and everything baby appears next to me. I let out a squeal of surprise. I don’t know why. I told Aidan to pop it up. I hear them laughing as they climb the stairs.

“Not cool, scaring the pregnant lady,” I yell. Aidan’s laughing as he enters the room.

“You told me to send it up,” he says, holding his hands up in protest.

“I know but not right next to me,” I whine.

“Let me show you everything,” Lily says excitedly. It’s like Christmas to her. “First off the boys bought some stuff for Diel. Boys, do you want to do the honors?” Lily looks at Aidan and Sebastian. Sebastian starts digging through the piles and pulls out some stylish paper bags with a logo of a store called “Mommies Rock.” I already like the name and am excited to see what they bought me from there.

“Diel, we didn’t want you to feel left out,” Sebastian says as he hands him two bags.

Diel opens them up and starts chuckling. He pulls out a t-shirt that says “The Man Behind the Bump” and I burst out laughing.

“That will just feed his ego. But I love it,” I tell the boys.

“The other bag has the best stuff,” Aidan says.

Diel pulls out beer. He looks confused. Then he pulls out snacks and a gift card that informs us it’s a new father’s survival pack. We start laughing then.

“Get to the rest…” Sebastian says anxiously.

Diel retrieves a cigar and a book that is a journal for a father to his children. Lily and Helena get misty.

“Aww, that is so perfect. Thank you, guys,” I say as I sniffle. Damn hormones.

Diel leans over and kisses me. He sits on the ottoman and starts looking through the book. Lily starts clapping to get our attention.

“Now, it’s our turn. Oh, the boys said you needed your own glider, Diel, so that’s why there are two. Where are you two going to set up the nursery?”

“In here. Depending on how much you’ve bought, we might have to move furniture out,” Diel says.

“You’ll definitely have to move furniture,” Lily says, assessing the room. “If we move that chair out of here and the other ottoman we should be fine.

“Done,” Aidan says.

“Where did you put them, Aidan? I need to know so I can put them back,” Diel asks.

“In the empty bedroom.”

“Thanks, that’s perfect.”

“Aidan would you assemble everything? Please,” Lily asks sweetly. Aidan smirks at her and waves his hand.

There is a beautiful white round crib and netting falling from the ceiling. A dressing table, dresser, swing and bouncer. The bedding is bright and bold like a baby needs for stimulation but still looks delicate in the crib.

Helena starts to pull out blankets, burpers, including some black ones for Diel. They have everything I will need including some things I hadn’t thought of. Tons of layettes and fun clothing for our bambino.

“Now for the mamma,” Lily says. She starts getting bags and pulling them up to me. Seven total. Oh Goddess. She kneels next to me to go through them.

There are yoga pants, sweaters, soft shirts and long skirts that look so comfortable. Everything is built for comfort. Along with sleepwear and lingerie. Nursing bras too! I’m crying again.

“Everything is so perfect. Thank you. Fucking hormones.”

“Oh, I got something for that. It’s supposed to be for fathers but I think Han will use it more.” Lily finds a glass jar with a lid on it. There’s a slit in the lid and on the side it says “Potty Mouth.” Diel starts laughing hard. He almost falls off the stool.

“Hannah will have that filled before the baby comes. What do you say, babe, a quarter for every curse word?” he asks me.

“Fine, but you’ll be sorry. I have a new mission in life,” I say.

“No fair cursing in foreign languages either,” Sebastian says. “And yes, I will endeavor to curtail my swearing as well. We will have a little one with big ears.”

“Hey, don’t talk about my son having big ears. I know what you meant, but still. You’ll jinx him,” I say.

“I agree, no jinxing the baby,” Lily says and elbows Sebastian. He rubs his chest as if he is mortally wounded. “Have you decided on a name yet?”

“No, we are still trying new ones. Diel thinks once we hold him, we’ll just know.”

“We’ll get there,” Diel says as he pats my knee.

I double over and groan. Everyone panics, including me. Another contraction, shit. I take some deep breaths and Diel is down on his knees next to me. He starts whispering to me to breathe and hold on. He punches a key on his phone. He’s put our doctor on speed dial.

“Ahh,” I cry out. “Another one,” I whisper trying to catch my breath.

“Fuck, that’s too close together,” Diel says panicking.

“Relax, Diel,” Helena says moving over to me. “Let me feel her stomach. I’ve been delivering babies for a thousand years.” Diel gets out of her way and I plead with her with my eyes.

“The baby is low. You need to keep breathing slowly. Everyone leave, please. Let’s try to get these under control. I think you’ve had enough excitement for one day,” Helena says gently. Everyone scatters and I can hear Diel on the phone with Dr. Hildebrand.

“See you soon,” Diel says.

“Do we have to go?” I say through clenched teeth as another contraction rips through me.

“Yes, he wants us to meet him at the hospital. I’m not having Aidan take us because I don’t know what that will do to you. From now on we drive. Come on, I’ll carry you, sweetheart,” Diel says. “Helena, will you go in the car with us? The others can go to the hospital with Aidan.”

“Of course,” she says.

All the things that can go wrong wind through my mind. I’m trying to calm down but I’m not able to.

“It’s too soon, Diel. It’s too soon,” I say as he scoops me up.

“Shh… it is what it is, sweetheart. It will be okay. Our baby just wants to come early. He’s impatient like his mom and stubborn like his dad.”

I half giggle, half sob. I am so scared for my baby boy. Diel is racing down the stairs with me and yells at Aidan to take everyone to the hospital, we’ll meet them there. Before I know it I am buckled into the back seat of the SUV and Helena is sitting beside me, holding my hand.

“Just hold on, Hannah. We’ll be there soon.”

True to his word, Diel breaks every speed law and space continuum to get us there in fifteen minutes. I have contractions and Helena helps me breathe through them.

Dr. Hildebrand waits in the lobby sending us straight to labor and delivery. I sob as we pass our friends in the waiting room. Lily is crying too and Sebastian is holding her.

“It is going to be okay, it is going to be okay,” I say like a mantra as I rub my huge belly. I feel a kick back and I’m relieved to know the baby is still moving around. Maybe we can stop this.

“It is going to be okay,” Diel says, rubbing my shoulders as we come to a halt in a private room. There’s a large bed, laminate wood floors, a wide screen TV and various electronics. A mini fridge finishes it out for luxury. The room looks out over the city and is decorated in a nauseating yellow but that’s its only fault. Right now I’m just trying to cope.

I squeeze Deil’s hand.

“Hannah, we will be admitting you. You will be given medicine through an IV to stop the contractions. You’ll also be given a blood transfusion. Being dehydrated can cause preterm labor so we want to cover all the bases. Do you have any questions?” Dr. Hildebrand asks me. He says everything so fast that I have to concentrate on him. I’m not prepared for the contraction. I squeeze Diel’s hand, hard. Good thing he is a Demon and can handle it.

“Easy, Han. Try to let it roll off you…” Diel stupidly says.

“I’ll let it roll off you, asshat. Damn! Diel, it hurts.” Diel winces as I squeeze his hand again.

When the contraction passes they move me to the bed and a team of Demons descends on me to hook me up to everything. I’m stripped and put into a gown, I have a belt and monitor attached to my stomach and my legs are up in stirrups so Dr. Hildebrand can check me again.

“Dilated to three centimeters. I want that IV in stat. We are stopping this labor.” I see why Dr. Hildebrand is the best. No one argues with him and he is completely calm in this crazy situation.

“Dr. Hildebrand, what happens if we can’t stop it?” I ask.

“We have a NICU on site so the baby would be transferred there immediately. Do you have a pediatrician picked out yet?” he asks.

“Yes,” Diel answers for us as another contraction hits me. “Dr. Green.”

“I’ve worked with him before. He’s excellent. Good. If we have to do a c-section we’ll have a good team assembled.”

The nurse starts administrating the medicine via a syringe into my IV.

“This is Indomethacin, Hannah. We will also be giving you Antenatal corticosteroids to help the baby’s lungs develop faster in case we can’t stop labor. As I explained, their lungs are typically the last things to develop.”

“How long does it take for that medicine to work?” I ask.

“We want to give it forty-eight hours,” he says.

I start to panic, hyperventilating, which is an achievement when you don’t have to breathe. Diel gets in my face and starts talking to me but I can’t make out what he is saying. I’m too unfocused.

“Back up, Diel. Give her some room,” I hear Dr. Hildebrand say and I hear Diel’s answering growl. That brings me back to the present and I am soon calming Diel down.

“Diel, d-don’t,” I try to say loudly but it comes out in a whisper. Diel still hears me and settles right down to focus on me.

“Babe, if you’re going to breathe, breathe slowly and focus on me. I’ll help you through it.”

“Okay,” I mumble, trying to calm down so all the medicines can work.

He starts to rub my arms and then they put my feet on the bed so he can rub them. Someone gives him some lavender lotion and the scent is soothing. I’m calming down and relaxing. The contractions are coming less frequently. Dr. Hildebrand comes back to check on me. He reads the little report paper that comes out of one of the machines.

“Looks good. The medications are working. Your contractions are slowing down,” he says and gives me a reassuring pat. “I want to keep you in the hospital overnight and monitor you. If they stop completely in the next couple of hours we may be able to let you go home tomorrow.”

“That would be excellent,” I say. I hate hospitals and don’t want to stay longer than I have to.

“Thank you, Dr. Hildebrand, sorry about growling at you,” Diel says sheepishly.

“I’ve seen so much worse, your Grace,” Dr. Hildebrand says. Diel chuckles.

“I’m sure you have. Can some of our family come in now?” Diel asks.

“One at a time and only if Hannah can stay calm. No one is to upset her.”