EPILOGUE TWO

BELLA

Nico comes running into the living room where I sit reading a book, and starts waving his hands in the air.

“It’s time. We have to go. She’s getting ready to push.”

I giggle at the way he’s panicking, and wonder what he’ll be like when the time comes for our baby to be born.

Athena has been in labor for three days, so this isn’t exactly a surprise. We knew at some point she would progress and give birth.

“Nico.”

He stops and stares at me as I shake my head.

“It’s going to be okay.”

Grabbing my hand, he pulls me off the couch and races to the door.

“I know it is. It’s just excitement. I’m going to be a fucking uncle, and I can’t wait to teach the baby everything I know.”

I laugh as he opens the door to the car and buckles me in. Ever since he found out I was pregnant, his possessive mode has increased ten-fold, and he insists on doing everything for me. He cooks every meal, as if I might die a brutal death from using the dangerous stove.

“How’s Bones?” I ask as he begins to drive away from our house.

He chuckles as he makes a turn.

“A goddamn mess. It’s been no picnic for Athena, obviously, but watching her in pain for three days has been difficult. You know how he is when it comes to her.”

I giggle.

“As bad as you are with me.”

He glances over at me with a smirk on his face.

“That’s not entirely true. I like causing you pain, living dead girl. I just won’t allow anyone else to hurt you. ”

Taking my hand in his, he pulls it to his mouth, and kisses the back.

“Mine to hurt. Mine to protect.”

I glance at him with a serious expression.

“What’s the rule, Nico?”

He chuckles low, and it only increases my need for him.

“If I make it wet, I make it come.”

“Exactly.”

As he pulls into the hospital parking lot, he groans softly.

“And I will, but first, I want to see the little Bonetti.”

I whine, “Then stop turning me on.”

With a smirk, he says, “I can’t help it, baby. It’s a gift.”

As frustrating as his cocky comment is, he’s right, it is. How I was his first, I’ll never know, because this man is a walking aphrodisiac.

Like always, after he parks, he gets out and walks around and opens my door, before unbuckling my seatbelt.

He helps me out of the car, and stares at me while placing his hand on my face.

“I’m so glad you’re here with me for this. You’re making a great moment perfect.”

“Nico,” I gasp, and he places his arm around my back, pulls me against his chest, and growls in my ear.

“Would you behave? I can smell your arousal, and it’s driving me fucking crazy.”

Athena told me that I would want it all the time, around my fourth or fifth month of pregnancy, but I’m not there yet, and still I want him constantly. As far as behaving myself, when Nico is around, I have zero control over my arousal, so either he needs to do something about it, or deal with it.

He pulls me in close to his side as we walk into the hospital.

“Try not to attract attention. I promised Bones I wouldn’t do anything stupid today. ”

His phone starts chiming with an alert, so he looks down as we step into the elevator, and with a big goofy grin, he says, “Little Bonetti is here.”

“Boy or a girl?” I ask as the door slides closed.

He shrugs. “I don’t know. Kage sent me a text, but didn’t say.”

Once the doors re-open, he takes my hand and we walk to Athena’s room. Walking in, I see something I never would’ve imagined. We are quiet, so we don’t interrupt the moment between father and son.

Bones stares down at his newborn son, judging by the blue blanket, and I’ve never seen his face like this. Not stern, loving, yet so emotional.

“Atlas Bonetti, you have done the impossible. You made me a father. Something I never aspired to be, but now that you’re here, it’s everything I want. I’m in trouble though, son. I can already tell you’re just like your mother and you, too, are going to change everything for me. I love you, son,” Bones says to his little boy, as Athena looks on with tears streaming down her face. He looks over to Nico and says, “Come here. I’ll introduce you to your nephew.”

I go over to Athena and sit by her on the bed, and ask her how she’s feeling.

She smiles softly.

“I’m so in love.”

Nodding to Nico, she says, “Look.”

Turning my head, I gaze at him holding his brand new nephew, as he talks to him in a quiet voice, and the baby has his hand wrapped around his finger.

“Hi. I’m your Uncle Reaper. One day it’ll make sense, I promise. And just so you know, you have two other uncles, but I’m going to be your favorite.”

The other two walk into the room and Psycho snorts loudly.

“Not a fucking chance.”

Athena scowls at them both .

“Watch your language around him.”

When they nod instead of telling her off, I can’t help but giggle, because I’m pretty sure if it were anybody else they would have.

She takes my hand in hers, and beams with pure happiness.

“You’re next. Are you excited?”

“Yes,” I say, but then admit, “And terrified.”

I never had a great example of how to mother. My mom never had that bond with me that you hear almost every mom go on about. I think I was an inconvenience more than anything, yet also her way out of her own abusive upbringing. I was useful to her until I wasn’t. And now I’m going to have a family of my own, and I’m terrified to make the same mistakes, but somehow I know we’ll be better parents than mine were. Nico and I are not perfect people, in fact, we do things that most people in society would call heinous. Yet we both also have so much love for each other, and I know that will continue with our child.

Nico comes over with baby Atlas and asks, “Do you want to hold him?”

I glance over at Bones, who is standing in his normal stance, feet slightly spread and arms crossed, watching like a bomb is going to go off at any moment, and he’ll have to rescue his wife and child. He’s intense.

I shake my head no.

“It’s okay. You hold him for me.”

Nico arches a brow at me.

“Why don’t you want to hold him?” he asks in a low voice.

I speak low back.

“Let’s not make a big deal out of this, Nico. I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable.”

He looks at Athena with a hurt expression.

“Can she not hold him?”

She laughs softly. “It’s not me she’s concerned about.”

He looks at his brother. “Bones? ”

Bones nods. “Go ahead. Hold your nephew.”

I gasp, and as Nico places Atlas into my arms, my entire world shifts, because I feel something I’ve never felt before. Acceptance . By my family. We aren’t all born into families that love us, and accept us for the weird people we are. Maybe we don’t need to be, if we find the ones that take us with all our flaws.

Looking down at baby Atlas sleeping in my arms, I feel a sense of peace, of belonging, and somehow I know, I’m finally home.