*not my image but SUPER cute*
A series of mini shots depicting the next few years of their lives.
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https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0ypdkGuQnq83SSSw5JmJzU?si=af2635c2ba504507
Empathy, Hall Of Fame, Stupid Heart.
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Kailua sighed softly as she caressed her bump. "I'm gonna get cha, guys!" Her mate of six years shouted from behind. Her daughters, Luna and Alira, squealed and toddled off as fast as their chubby legs would let them. She giggled. The baby moved around inside as she rubbed it soothingly.

She sang an old lullaby softly, gazing out at the sunset. "I remember when you sang that to me," She turned with a smile, holding out her arms. Lo'ak gently placed Alira on her lap, minding her large bump. "It's one of my favourite songs," She wrapped her arms around her daughter, rocking slightly. "Aren't all songs your favourite?" He asked teasingly. Kailua rolled her eyes. "Yes, but ultimate favourites..."

Alira began sucking her thumb, as she did when she was tired. "What's your other favourite one then?" He asked, rubbing Luna's back in circles. Kailua smiled softly. "The one my mama used to sing when I was a baby,"

"Yeah? How does that go?" Lo'ak asked. "I'll sing it for the girls tonight. After dinner and a wash though, because they're sweaty girls, aren't you babies?" She grinned as she stood up, groaning softly. "Careful," Lo'ak warned, grabbing her elbow. She grinned. "Worried I'll break?" She teased. "I'm being serious," She met his eyes. "Don't worry, yawne! I'm pregnant, not dying," She kissed his cheek. "Besides, I've already done it once. I know what I'm doing,"

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Lo'ak smiled as Kailua sang the twins to sleep. "Oh the waves roll low, and the waves roll high and so it goes... under the bright blue... endless sky... waves try to measure... the days that we treasure... wave hello, and wave goodbye," She hobbled out not too long after, grinning. "They go down easy?" He asked, sipping his drink. Kailua nodded as she eased herself into a chair. He reached over and grabbed her hand, rubbing the back with his thumb. "Before the song even finished," She smiled.

She grabbed his hand and moved it to her lower belly with a wide grin. He grinned widely as well when his baby moved quickly under his hand. "She likes you," Kailua smiled. "And Luna. She always moves when Luna speaks to her,"

Lo'ak looked up with a smirk. "She? We're having another girl are we?" He teased. Kailua flushed brightly. "Well... she moves the same way the girls did... and she's laying where they did... and intuition," She smiled. "Besides, my aunt had eight daughters, so I wouldn't doubt it too much,"

"We're not having eight children, let me make that much clear," He said seriously. Kailua laughed. "Why? Don't you want another six babies running around?" She laughed. Lo'ak shook his head. "No. Two is enough... maybe four," Kailua's eyes widened. "Four? Are you laughing? Who's giving birth to these four children of yours, huh?" Lo'ak laughed. "You were all set for eight a minute ago!" He laughed louder when Kailua burst into laughter.

Lo'ak sighed softly as the soft forest breeze hit his face. "How is your mom? We haven't spoken to her in a while. Does she even know we're having another baby?" He watched Kailua slump forward slightly, resting her hands on her knees. "No... none of them do... we really should go before baby's born. Otherwise, we'll be another six months," He hummed. "Well, how about I go to my parents right now, and tell them we're going back. We can have a goodbye party and leave in a few days?" He asked, rubbing her thumb. She smiled. "I'd love that,"

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"Kailua!" Reya gasped. She ran over, bringing her up in a large embrace. "Hey, Reya!" Kailua giggled. "Did you bring the girls?" Ao'nung asked by her side. Kailua grinned. "Come on through, kiddos," She called. The twins ran from behind her hut, crashing into their aunt and uncle. "Hey, Luny!" Reya gasped, grabbing her niece's hands, and spinning her around in a circle. Her six-year-old niece squealed loudly. "I didn't realise how blue her skin was!" Rotxo said, appearing from behind Ao'nung. Kailua smiled in hello. "It's bluer than ours!" Kailua laughed. "She's sure not got mine or Lo'ak's,"

Rotxo blinked. "Oh, hi, Lo'ak! I forgot you were there," He laughed. Lo'ak snorted. "It's fine," She faced her baby sister, smiling widely. "How's life been?" She winked. "Any nieces or nephews yet?" She nodded to her sister. Tsireya rolled her eyes. "You know Neteyam and I haven't mated yet." Kailua tutted. "Girl, you don't even live with him," Tsireya rubbed her neck. Kailua wrapped an arm around her shoulders, giving a quick squeeze. "You need to come to a compromise on this, Reya. It's not really fair to live apart from each other like this," She whispered. "I know... I can't ask him to leave his home again though. Especially with him being Olo'eyktankarem..." Kailua smiled. "If I know Neteyam as well as I think I do, then he'd move the sky for you. Try asking. You might not be disappointed,"

Leaving her sister's thinking face, she turned to her older brother. "Hello little sister," He greeted. "Hi shitstain," She grinned. Ao'nung punched her shoulder. "No sky people words," He grinned. Kailua just smirked. Ao'nung frowned at Kailua's smirk. "What? What's the smirk for?" She asked, narrowing her eyes. Kailua's smirk widened. "Have you noticed anything different about me?" She asked. Ao'nung quickly looked her up and down. "Um... no. I mean, your hair is a bit longer, but I've not seen you since the twins were four,"

Kailua bit her lip. Ao'nung passed Luna over to Tsireya, whose grabby hands were getting on his last nerve. "What is it? You know I'm not great at guessing," He snapped. Kailua laughed. "Try looking down," Ao'nung rolled his eyes but looked down at Kailua's pregnant body.

He blinked.
PREGNANT body.

Ao'nung grinned. Tsireya squealed. "You're pregnant again?" She asked, grabbing her hands. Kailua laughed. "Yeah, I'm due in three months," She smiled. "Oh, why didn't you tell us?! When did you find out!" She asked. "Only a few months ago. We tried to wait as long as we could so Jake and Neytiri could spend as much time with the girls as they could. Then I was too sick to fly anywhere, so we had to wait until it passed." Ao'nung frowned. "Why were you sick? Was everything okay?" He asked. Kailua nodded. "Yeah, it was that stupid sickness I had with the twins. That hyperemesis gravidarum thing," Tsireya shuddered. "Glad I don't have to worry about that," She said. Kailua snorted. "I wouldn't be so sure, dear sister. Norm said it's a high chance to be genetic. That's what Mama had when she was pregnant with Aroh. Chances are you'll get it too," She grinned.

Tsireya groaned loudly.

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Lo'ak paced anxiously. Kailua grimaced from their bed. "Lo'ak, would you relax! It's fine! I'm not even in real labour yet!" She groaned. Lo'ak eyed her nervously. "Yeah, but you nearly died last time. I thought we were going to lose you," He said quietly. Kailua sighed. "But you didn't. I'm a fighter, and so is the baby. We're going to be fine." She smiled. "Plus, you forget I had to give birth to the twins without even knowing I was having twins... so..." She chuckled.

Lo'ak sat next to her and grasped her hand. "Promise me you'll be ok." He stared into her eyes. She smiled. "I promise,"

Four more hours passed before Kailua decided she was in "real" labour. Her mother brought the healer in and kicked him out. "You need to be there for your other two kids, leave her to us," Ronal chastised. He paced anxiously in their hut instead. "Is mommy going to be ok?" He heard Alira ask Luna quietly. "Sure she will," Luna answered back. "Mom's tough. She's not gonna die," Despite Luna only being seven, Lo'ak felt oddly reassured by her words.

"Daddy?" Alira asked. He hummed. "Is Lunie right? Is mommy going to be ok?" Lo'ak nodded. "Of course, she will be," He smiled. "Then why can't we be in there with her?" She asked. Lo'ak sighed and sat next to her. "Because mommy needs the healer to help. The hut isn't that big, can you imagine if we're all in there?" He tickled her stomach. "There'd be no room for the baby!" Alira giggled.

A few hours later, long after the sun had settled and the moon was at its peak, Lo'ak was called into the healing hut. "She needs you," Ronal said roughly. Lo'ak immediately rushed in, standing by Kailua's side within an instant. "I can't do it, I can't do it, I can't do it," She cried. Her hair was plastered to her forehead, with a damp cloth on it. "Yes, you can. You can, yawne. You've done it before, you can do it again," He brought her hand forth and kissed her knuckles. "The girls wanna know if they've got a brother or sister," He said. Kailua grunted loudly. "Yeah? Are they ok?" She threw her head into the pillow harshly with a puff. "They're fine. I think Nung's watching them... so they're definitely up to no good,"

Kailua chuckled slightly before groaning in pain. "Oh, it hurts." She whispered. Lo'ak glanced over to the healer and Ronal. "Keep talking. It will distract from the pain. Yawne, I can see the head. You are so close," She said. Lo'ak nodded. "Luna wants another sister, but Alira wants a brother," He continued. Kailua tipped her head to meet his eyes. "Yeah?" She asked. "Yeah. Alira is sick of Luna stealing her stuff she said," Kailua chuckled. "Reya used to steal mine,"

Ronal cleared her throat. "On five, you have to push, Kailua. It's no longer time to be gentle. Your baby will die if it is stuck there any longer, you understand?" Lo'ak grabbed her hand tightly. "Biggest push. Ready?"

Twenty minutes later, Lo'ak handed the baby over to Alira's waiting arms as she leaned against her mother. "He's beautiful," She whispered. No'eng fussed a little but Lo'ak dived in with a slight nudge to Alira's elbow. She lifted it and he stopped. Lo'ak gazed into his wife's eyes. "I'm so proud of you," He whispered. She sighed softly with a small smile.

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THREE YEARS LATER. KAILUA IS 27, SHANG IS 27, THE TWINS ARE 10 & NO'ENG IS 3

Kailua groaned loudly as she rolled over. "It's your turn," She grumbled. Her mate of ten years grumbled back. "I did them last time," Kailua kicked his leg. "Ow, fine," He staggered out of bed and towards the baby's crying forms. "Dad! Stop them crying please!" Luna moaned, poking her head out of her room. Lo'ak raised his head to glare. "I'm trying," He grumbled. Luna mumbled and retreated in. Lo'ak walked to his second set of twin bassinets and leaned over. "Now why're you two crying, hmm? Mom only just fed you an hour ago! You don't need changing either," He spoke. The eldest of the two, Amitsa, continued to fuss loudly. Her twin sister, Ro'até, stopped and eyed her father with curious eyes. He picked them both up. Ro'até continued to eye him suspiciously, while Amitsa quietened down slightly.

"She's hungry," A voice spoke from the doorway. Lo'ak chuckled at his sleep-deprived wife. "How'd you guess it was Amitsa?" She rolled her eyes seized the baby and latched him on. The house fell quiet.

"Mommy?" The parents turned to the door. "Hey, guys, what're you doing up?" Kailua asked her younger children. "Ro sounded sad," Her three-year-old said. Kailua raised an eyebrow at her ten-year-old. She shrugged. "He dragged me here," Kailua snorted at the honesty. "No'eng te Suli Lo'ak'itan! You should be fast asleep," She chastised. Kailua turned to her ten-year-old. "And you, Alira, should not be encouraging this!" She lectured. Alira rolled her eyes. "Come on No'eng, Ro'até's fine, see?" Seeing his baby sister was okay, No'eng allowed Alira to lead him to bed.

Kailua burped Amitsa over her shoulder. She rocked absentmindedly as she spoke to Lo'ak. "Who knew ten years ago, we'd be here, mated with five children?" She asked with a smile. Lo'ak chuckled. "Nobody. Especially us,"

She laughed.

Bonus | The Sully's
Kailua & Lo'ak are 28, the twins are 11, No'eng is 8, and the other twins are 1

"Father!" Lo'ak called. "Grandad!" Luna shouted, running. Alira and No'eng followed. Kailua laughed. "Son! Little monsters!" Jake called back. The children laughed as they tackled their grandfather. "Kailua?" She grinned. "Hello Neytiri," She greeted. She slid off of Luna's Ikran, readjusting Ro'até in her grip. Lo'ak followed suit with Amitsa. "How are you both?" She asked. Kailua followed her to a seat. She put Ro'até down on the ground. "Go on, go play with grandad," She nudged her one-year-old's shoulder, prompting her to toddle off, shrieking with laughter. "We're good. Ro's just learnt to walk, as you can see." She chuckled. She turned her head over to Neteyam, who was playfully arguing with Amitsa as she babbled atop Lo'ak's shoulders. "And Amitsa's just found her voice," She sighed.

She sat in silence with her mother-in-law, Lo'ak had called it. "You've done good, Kailua," She placed her aged hand on Kailua's soft one. "I think you're the only one who brought my little boy back from that dark place,"

~

Dinner approached, and with that, bedtime. Luna told Ro'até her story, as was her latest obsession, while Kailua rocked Amitsa to sleep and Lo'ak dealt with No'eng and Alira. When all of the children were asleep, minus Luna, who wanted to read in Kiri's hut, she relaxed with some fruit juice by the private fire. Jake cleared his throat. "Kailua... Lo'ak... I have something to ask you..." The couple frowned. "What is it, father?" Lo'ak asked. Jake wrang his hands. "If I am right, when she is of age, will Luna become Tsahik?" Kailua exchanged a confused look with her husband. "No, Reya's kids will... but why do you ask?" She asked. Jake sighed. "Oh. Um. I was wondering... if I could declare Luna or Alira as Tsahik of the Omatikaya clan..." Kailua blinked. "It's just... Neteyam is moving to Tsireya to the Metkayina clan, Kiri doesn't want to, and can't be, Tsahik. And Tuk will be Olo'eyktan when it's time,"

Kailua looked at her mate, who shrugged slightly. "I understand if you do not want this, and I will find a workaround.. but they're family, and they have a right," Jake continued. Kailua gestured with her eyes. Lo'ak nodded slightly. "Sure, Dad."

Jake blinked. "Sure? What do you mean?" Kailua laughed softly. "Of course, you can ask the girls. If they want it, I'll put them under training with Tsireya for a while. Then I'll bring them here for a few months at a time," She smiled. Lo'ak laughed. "I'd like to see Luna heal people. She's not exactly the most patient of people... is she yawne?" She giggled. "Sure, but Alira freaks out over blood. Perhaps they can help one another,"

The small company laughed. "I shall get that sorted in the morrow," Kailua leant her head on her husband's shoulder. "It's a perfect thing, dad. Thank you,"

Also, an alternate ending is on the way soon! I couldn't leave this book without my usual dramatics now could I?!