"Aw, he's so beautiful, Liam," I whisper, looking down at the tiny baby laying in my arms. He looks exactly like Liam, just in baby form. Dark wispy hair covers his head, and whenever his eyes are open, it is easy to see that they are the same shade of blue as the omega's. The only trace of his other parent is his nose, tiny and button shaped, but obviously not Liam's.

"Thanks. I never knew something so cute could come out of me," he says, patting the empty section of mattress next to him. Slowly, I walk over to him, a little hop in my step to keep Matty from crying.

Matty's eyes are half open, looking like he is about to fall asleep, his tiny fingers wrapped around one of my own. Sitting down next to Liam, I lean back against the headboard, my right side pressed against him. Together, we stare silently at the small bundle half asleep in my arms.

My heart twinges every time I see Matty, and the feeling I get while holding him is hard to explain. It is as if my heart is aching and mending at the same time. With every kiss I press on his soft baby skin and with every cry I help to soothe, my heart hurts less. This tiny boy is helping me get over the loss of my own baby better than anything or anyone else could.

"He likes you," Liam says, reaching out a finger and tracing it down the baby's face.

"He likes everyone." I deadpan, looking over at Liam so that he can see my raised eyebrow. Liam lets out a quiet laugh when he sees my expression, shaking his head before leaning back against the headboard and pulling the blankets up over his shoulders.

"True," he says, closing his eyes and relaxing back into the pillows stacked behind him. "But he seems to have formed a special liking for you. He never cries when you hold him, just like he is with me."

Humming to myself, I snuggle Matty closer into my chest, smiling when he lets out a soft breath, eyes finally closing in exhaustion. It must be hard being a baby, what with all the eating, pooping, and growing that he does.

"Yeah, maybe you're right," I whisper to myself, but I guess not quietly enough.

Liam bumps his shoulder with mine. "Of course I'm right."

Once our laughter dies off, we sit on the soft bed in comfortable silence, Liam drifting off to sleep, and me cuddling Matty to my chest. Laughter from downstairs drifts up into the room. It sounds like Elliot and the girls are playing together, not a care in the world. A deep and familiar voice says something to them, and they calm down a little bit, the laughter more subdued than before. I guess Tate must have told them they were being too loud. The quietness will not last for too long before the little ones start up again.

"Taylor?" Liam says, drawing my attention away from everything that is happening downstairs.

"Hm?"

"You would have been a great father, and if someday you decide to try again, I know that you will be the most perfect parent to your baby."

My breath catches in my throat, and looking over at Liam, I see that his eyes are open, the honesty and earnestness shining through the exhaustion. Turning away from him, I look back down at Matty's sleeping form.

Swallowing, I try to hold back the tears that had come out of nowhere. But, when I absorb the words that he said and feel the weight of Matty in my arms, I realize that my heart does not hurt as much as it used to. Before, if Liam would have said that, I probably would have fallen into an anxiety attack, triggered by the image of my lost baby. Now, though, I feel different.

"Please don't cry, Taylor. I didn't mean to upset you," Liam says, hand reaching up to wipe away a tear that I had not realized had fallen.

"No, I'm not upset," I tell him, looking over to meet his eyes. "I just realized something."

"What is that?"

"I think... I'm healing." I shift Matty so that he is lying across my chest, freeing my arms. Liam reaches over to grab my now empty hand. "It doesn't hurt as much as before, and I am just now realizing that my heart is starting to mend."

"That's good. I'm so happy for you, Taylor. I couldn't stand to see you upset before." Liam squeezes my hand, pulling me down so that I am laying down on the bed. He joins me, sliding down from his reclined position so that his head is on the pillow.

"Yeah. I can't decide whether or not I feel happy or guilty," I tell him once we are both lying on the bed, the blanket covering both of us, but not going over the baby's head.

"Don't feel guilty that you're healing. You should never feel bad about that. You've been suffering for almost a year. You deserve to get better."

"You really think so?" I question, relaxing back into the mattress.

"I know so." He gives my hand one last squeeze before squirming around, trying to get comfortable. "Now, let's get some sleep. That little boy is exhausting."

I give him a smile before turning my eyes to the ceiling. No matter how comfortable the bed or how reassuring the weight of Matty on my chest is, I cannot seem to fall asleep. Liam drifts off in a matter of minutes, joining his son in the land of slumber.

Sighing, I decide that I can be more productive than lying here. Matty squirms on my chest when I try to scoot him off, but I just place a kiss on his scrunched forehead and do not climb off the bed until he is fast asleep again. With one last look at the sleeping family, I quietly close the door and go down the stairs, joining the others and leaving Liam and baby to rest.

*****

"Hey! What did I tell you guys about the yelling? We have to be quiet, remember? Liam and Matty are sleeping," I say to the little ones as they streak through the kitchen for the fifth time in the last ten minutes.

"Sowwy, Tate," Elliot says from the living room, his voice only marginally quieter than before.

Rolling my eyes, I turn back to the task in front of me: cooking dinner. Erik and Ethan are on guard duty, walking the new perimeter that we set when we first found the place. The beta siblings are off in the woods, hunting for some more food. Luckily, this place seemed to be stocked to the brims with food and other necessary supplies, but we did not want to rely too heavily on it. That's why we have all been taking turns exploring the woods surrounding this place, trying to look for any edible plants and game.

"Hey, lovely," a warm and familiar voice says from behind me. Turning, I see Taylor leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed and a tired smile on his face. He looks exhausted, but it does not detract from his beauty.

With a quiet laugh, a set down the towel I had been holding and walk over to the omega. His arms find their way around my waist as soon as I am close enough for him to touch. Without hesitation, he places a soft kiss on my lips before laying his head on my chest, not saying anything else.

"Is everything alright?" I ask, rubbing circles into his tense back. Not bothering to pull away from me, Taylor nods his head while squeezing me a little tighter.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just missed you is all," he tells me, finally lifting his head from my chest in order to look up at me. His lips turn up at the sides, the tired smile returning and reaching his eyes. Somehow, he seems different than the last time I saw him, which was only a couple of hours ago, but the change is there. He looks lighter now as if a heaviness has been lifted away.

"You were only upstairs with Liam for a couple of hours, lovely. It hasn't been long enough for you to miss me," I say, finding myself smiling at his newfound lightness.

"I start to miss you as soon as you're out of my sight, Tate, and don't tell me you don't feel the same." He lifts a dark brow at me as if daring me to disagree with what he said.

"Very true," I tell him, giving him another kiss before detangling myself from his arms and walking back over to the cutting board sitting on the counter. Taylor follows behind me, his footsteps soft. Looking over my shoulder, I see him leaning against the island in the middle of the kitchen, his eyes looking distant. "You sure you're okay?"

It takes a few seconds for him to realize that I am talking to him, his eyes slowly losing that faraway look in them. "Hm? Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about something Liam said."

"Care to share?" I ask, carefully chopping the carrots Micah and Allie had found this morning.

"Ah, not right now." Arms wrap around my waist, and Taylor rubs his face along my back as if seeking reassurance for something. His stubble tickles my back, but I don't mind, even though the fabric will most likely get faded from the constant back and forth motion.

"Later?" I ask, scraping the chopped carrots into the waiting pot of boiling water.

Taylor hums in confirmation, the vibrations rumbling against my back. With a soft kiss to my shoulder, he pulls away and walks in the direction of the no longer quiet children. Really, I am surprised that Liam and the baby are sleeping through all the noise coming from his sisters and my brother.

My mind wanders to the look on Taylor's face that he was wearing when he came into the kitchen. Ever since the baby was born, he has been acting differently. Not in a bad way. In fact, he seems happier. Every time he holds Matty, his smile grows, and he no longer looks pained whenever he lays eyes on Liam. It is like the baby is helping him to not be so sad anymore, to not focus on what he has lost. If that is the case, then I am happier than ever that there is another person added to our pack.

Sizzling coming from the stove snaps me from my wandering thoughts. Looking over at the stove, I see my pot of soup threatening to boil over, a few drops spilling over the sides. Quickly, I turn the heat down, stirring it a couple of times before adding some pasta that I had found in the pantry. Looking at the clock hanging on the wall, I note the time that dinner will be ready and go to join the others in the living room.

"Tate!" Elliot yells, running over and attaching himself to my legs. With him still holding on, I hobble over to the others, joining in on the fun of playing army with stuffed elephants and bears. It is a good way to spend the night, dinner cooking and not having to worry about a surprise attack.

But the fact that Taylor wants to talk to me about something is nagging at me. I just cannot seem to shake the feeling that it is something serious. The way he was drifting earlier while thinking about it tells me that it is something he is seriously contemplating.

Taylor must see me worrying, because the next thing I know, his hand is pressing on top of mine. Looking over at him, I see a reassuring smile on his face, and it helps my tense body to relax slightly. The moment is broken by a stuffed bear smacking me in the face, sending everyone except for me into a fit of giggles. It is hard to be distracted while in a room with toddlers.

Dinner and clean up pass quickly. Liam comes down from his room to join us, passing a wide awake Matty over to Taylor while he eats his own bowl of stew. My eyes keep finding their way over to Taylor and his smiling face, his eyes barely wandering from the baby in his arms. The lightness is obvious when he holds Matty, his whole being seeming to light up from the presence of the baby.

He and Liam talk for a while after dinner while sitting in the living room, watching as the little ones play for only a little while longer before they have to go to bed. The twins help me with the dishes while Jesse and Alexis go on guard duty, Ethan splashing water on all of us while Erik sends him death glares.

"I swear to god, Ethan, if you splash me with water one more time, you are going to wake up tomorrow lying in a deep hole in the woods," Erik says, the threat obvious in his eyes. Ethan laughs it off while Liam yells something at Erik, but the splashing calms down significantly.

"You okay, Tate?" Erik questions once we are done with the dishes, a worried look on his face. Liam and Taylor walk through the room with the little ones clad in pajamas following behind.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I say, eyes following Taylor, watching as he pats a sleeping Matty laying across his chest.

"Pretty cute, hm?" Erik says, and looking over, I see that his eyes are fixed in the same direction as mine.

Not able to tell who he is talking about, I just nod my head. The truth is, both Taylor and Matty are adorable, so I am telling the truth. Erik claps a hand on my back before following the trail of people up the stairs, Ethan not too far behind.

"You coming?" Taylor asks, standing at the bottom of the stairs after everyone has already gone up. Matty makes a sound of protest once Taylor stops patting his back, and with a smile, Taylor starts back up the gentle pats.

"Yeah, in a little bit."

"Sleep with me tonight?" he asks, brown eyes questioning.

"Of course, lovely," I say, smiling widely while shaking my head.

"You know, you should just move into my room. You're there all the time anyways and that would be one extra room for everyone else." With that, he turns around and walks up the stairs, not waiting for my response.

I stand there in shock for a couple of minutes, the opening of the front door snapping me out of my thoughts. Looking over, I see Alexis and Jesse walking in, the exhaustion they are feeling clear on their face.

"Where are Erik and Ethan?" Alexis asks, slumping down onto the couch in the living room, her brother doing the same to the armchair.

"They just went upstairs with everyone else, why?"

"Nothing too serious, don't get your panties in a twist," she says, a teasing look on her face. "We just need to talk to them about some shit, and it is their turn to go on guard duty."

"If I am out there for any longer, I might just collapse from exhaustion," Jesse mumbles form his position in the armchair.

"Ah, okay. Well, I'm going to head up to bed. The twins should be down soon. I think they were just saying goodnight to Liam and Matty, anyway."

"G'night," they both chorus.

Throwing a wave over my shoulder, I climb up the stairs and walk over to the door belonging to Taylor's room.

"Taylor, you up?" I ask, quietly knocking on the door. My dark curls once again fall on my face, and I brush them away, irritated by the way they always seem to be in my way. I think it is time for them to be cut, but every time I get close to chopping them off, Taylor gives me his puppy dog eyes and begs me not to.

"Tate?" I hear Taylor's voice asks. A smile spreads across my face as I hear him say my name. It always causes my heart to leap whenever he says it.

"Yeah."

"You can come in, you know. You don't have to lurk out there like a creeper," Taylor says, humor in his voice.

With a fond shake of my head, I turn the knob and step into the minimally lit room. The only light in the room is creeping in from the edges of the curtains covering the windows. Taylor lifts his head out form under the pile of blankets on his bed, looking over at me. His hand pats on the empty space of the bed right next to him, motioning for me to join him.

Quickly, I cross the room and slip under the covers next to him, allowing myself to be cocooned in the many layers of blankets. Taylor lays facing me, a smile on his face as he leans across the small amount of space between us to place a kiss on my lips.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"I missed you so much when you were taken," I whisper, reaching a hand up to brush it through his brown locks. Neither of us has talked about when he was being held captive by the alphas, not wanting to think of those times. "I was so worried."

"I know, lovely. I missed you, too," Taylor says, cuddling into me.

Our faces are only a few centimeters apart, allowing me to rub my nose against his. He scrunches his nose, placing another kiss on my lips before relaxing into the bed. We lay in silence for a little while, basking in each others presence.

"Tate?" Taylor whispers, his brown eyes flicking up to my blue ones.

"Hm?"

"I think I want a baby." That snaps me out of the sleepy daze. Blinking a few times, I look over at the wolf in front of me. By the look on his face, I can tell that he is serious.

"A baby?" I ask with a shaky voice. Very intelligently, I ask, "Why?"

"When I first found out about Liam being pregnant, it brought back those awful flashbacks of, you know," his voice breaks at the end. I place a kiss on the tip of his nose and wrap my arm around him, pulling him closer to me. "But ever since Matty was born, it has been on the forefront of my mind. I want a baby of my own. I want to try again."

"B-but with who?" I ask, genuinely confused. We have been close lately, but I cannot give him a baby. We would have to be mates.

"You, lovely," Taylor says with a fond roll of his eyes. "Who else?"

"B-but I thought only mates could have children together," I stammer.

"That's an old myth. It was told to try and keep teenagers from having sex. In the older generations, pack elders seemed to believe that this lie would keep teenagers from having sex. The whole 'only having sex to procreate' mantra. It didn't work too well, but somehow the myth still survived."

"But I thought you said that the moon alignment or whatever allowed the Warriors to force Omegas to have children?"

Taylor stiffens a little at the mention of the Warriors but relaxes once I start to rub his side with my thumb. "It's a myth, remember? All of the Warriors were pretty old, part of the generation who were taught that lie. They completely believed it, and I wasn't going to tell them differently."

I nod my head in understanding.

"So, do you want to have a baby?" Taylor asks, a smile spreading across his face. "With me?"