Jean shook her head, as though to shake off a headache. "What's wrong, Jean?"

"I don't know. . .It seems kind of like I'm going into--"

"Labor. It feels like your water just broke, right?" Marie breezed through the room, heading for Celeste's bedroom. "We got to hurry up and get her back to de Palace befo' de kids pop right out."

Celeste came around the corner of the doorway and leaped out of Marie's way. "Where is everybody? Off your ass and on your feet, people. It's time to get this show on the road." Celeste threw back her head and screamed Logan's name, which brought everyone running. "Marie," she gasped, clutching her rounded stomach, "Could you do the honors? I'm not up to this. . .Owww!" She moaned and clutched Logan's hand, nearly crushing his wrist.

"Okay, everybody stay frosty and we'll get through this just fine," Logan said as they appeared in the spacious living quarters at the back of the Palace. The rooms beyond were home to Celeste's half-brothers and -sisters, several cousins, and dozens of elves, faeries, and witches-in-training. One room in particular had been set up for the birth, complete with the required hospital bed with stirrups, which Celeste had declared "some kind of Venezuelan deathtrap", when she had first seen it. The X-men were ushered into the room beyond, the designated "waiting room", when Celeste snapped back, "*We* will get through this?! What in the hell do you mean *we* will get through this, bud?! I'm the one trying to shove a pair of *your* huge children out of *my* body, here, bub!" She jerked away from him angrily and stomped into the delivery room, both arms wrapped around her bulging stomach. In the last month, Celeste had begun to show her pregnancy in earnest, going up four jeans sizes and bitching about it twenty-four hours a day. Logan blinked, shook his head, and ran in after her.

What followed next was a blur for everyone, especially for the expectant father. The Empirical doctor had arrived, declared it "a wondrous event," and ordered everyone to settle in to wait. Gambit paced, Scott was quiet, Beast compared the medical science of this realm to his own knowledge, the X-women banded together, sending each other little glances indecipherable to the men, and Professor Xavier was patient. Jean-Luc and Celeste's father arrived together and leaned against the wall stoically. There was an uncanny resemblance between the two, not exactly physical, but a manner, a charisma, a profile both of them possessed that was utterly compelling. There had been an exhausting fight between Celeste and his lordship when he had found out about the young LeBeau, but Celeste and her right hook had managed to calm him down and accept his grandson. Kieran and his wife arrived and had just thanked the Professor for helping their daughter get into an American boarding school when the screaming started, raising the hairs on the backs of everyone's necks.

"You son of a bitch! I hate you! This is all your fault! I'm never going to let you touch me again!" Celeste's grip tightened on Logan's hand, bringing him to his knees. "I hope you die for this! I'm going to kill you, Canadian!" She paused to chant several voodoo curses and French expletives. "I want you to get down on your knees and thank God it isn't *you* lyin' here wi--Oooooooowww! What the hell is that?!"

The doctor looked up from his position between Celeste's raised feet. "It is, I think, the worst of the contractions. You're dilated now. You may start pushing."

"I *may* start pushing?! Fuck natural child birth! I want drugs! Morphine, all the way, baby!" Contractions racked her body and she ground her teeth together, waiting for them to pass.

"There is no time for that now, Your Majesty. You must push."

"C'mon Callie, breathe," Logan put in weakly, trying unsuccessfully to get her to let go of his hand. Her face was pale and her breathing choppy. "C'mon, push Callie. I know you can do this."

"I know I can do this, I don't need you tellin' me I can, damn it!" She snarled. Logan glanced nervously at the doctor, crouched between Callie's legs like an umpire about to catch a strike. Callie lifted her shoulders off the bed, trying to sit up. Logan helped her, and Celeste started pushing.

Out in the waiting room, Gambit uncovered his ears and yelled above the screaming. "I had no idea so much noise could come out o' such a small woman. Is dis normal, Hank?"

"For her to be invoking Satan to come and kill all men for their crimes against women?" Celeste finished her prayer. "No. But if you mean the screaming in general, yes. Quite normal, I should think."

". . . All right, Your Majesty, there is one child," the doctor declared as she lifted the squirmy, newborn up so the mother could see. "Looks to be a good seven-pounder, too," the woman added cheerfully.

"Which one is it?" Celeste wheezed, feeling another contraction take hold as sweat dripped down her back.

"The girl."

"Oh, shit." Logan looked up, surprised. That was *one* expletive he'd never heard her use. "The girl is first, and she weighed seven pounds. . .but the boy always weighs more. . . ." She sucked in a deep, shuddering breath and opened her mouth for another full-bodied howl, already clenching her stomach muscles. She was going to get this kid out of her body if it killed her.

The group outside looked up in surprise when the screaming stopped. Several ponderous minutes passed before Logan shuffled out to stem their concern. "She broke my hand," he complained, flexing the injured member. His wrist was definitely cracked, and who knew how many fingers she'd crushed?

"Forget about that," Rogue ordered, "What about the kids? And Celeste?"

"Oh. Well, Celeste is fine. The kids are fine."

Beast chuckled knowingly and herded Logan into a chair. "I think our new father is in shock."

Celeste appeared soon after, skipping out into the room, looking bright and fresh, dressed in a pair of jeans that fit like a glove and a cut-off t-shirt. "Ain't life grand?" she asked, giving everyone congratulatory hugs and kisses. "I got my body back! My jeans fit, my ankles aren't swollen, and I'm no longer retaining water like a sea cow!" She sighed rapturously. "I love my life!"

"We had our doubts," Beast said wryly, "What with you screaming bloody murder at poor Logan."

Celeste huffed. "'Poor Logan'. Huh. He's the one responsible for knocking me up in the first place. Next time," she added, sauntering over to her husband to kick him in the shin, " *he* can have the kids while I sit beside him and instruct him to breathe. Breathe, for God's sake!"

Logan looked up at her, and his eyes focused. He grabbed her, pulling her down on his lap for a long, ardent kiss.

Celeste batted him away after a few (long) moments. "Down, tiger. That's what got me in trouble the first time, dontcha know."

Logan looked at his wife again, slowly returning her brilliant smile. She was right. There was no point in rushing these things. They had their whole lives ahead of them. Plenty of time for more kids.

#Before you even start thinkin' about knockin' me up *again*, love, you oughta pick a number. How many 'more kids' did you have in mind, hon?#

He grinned, showing big white teeth in a wolfish expression. #Dozens.#

#Well, then, I hope you're plannin' on havin' some of 'em yourself, because I don't think I'm up to doin' this that many times.#

#We'll see, darlin'.#

#Yeah,# she agreed #I guess we will.# They had happily-ever-after waiting for them. They really would have to wait and see.

Celeste laughed, the sound carefree and musical. She was happier than she had ever been, with a husband who loved her, three children, and a family. Two, in fact. In time, they would grow together, Callie thought, flicking a glance from Gambit to Jean-Luc to her father. She pulled Logan's head down, kissing him, inviting him to share her joy. It was a joy that could easily last the rest of their lives.