Bundles of Joy

Jim slowly regained consciousness and found himself in a private room feeling like he had been in a bar fight. He groaned then relaxed when Spock appeared beside him and placed a hand to his cheek.  Jim closed his eyes for a moment and took in the warmth Spock was sending him through their bond.

He opened his eyes and smiled up at Spock. “The girls?”

“Beautiful,” Spock smiled back. “I noticed they had your eyes before they were put into the incubator.”

“Incubator?”

“They need to be monitored and made sure there are no complications. One is on a respirator but Leonard believes they will be off of it soon.”

“Respirator?”

“It is common for a baby born early. They all are well.”

“I want to see them.”

“They cannot be moved at the moment.”

Jim tried sitting up. “Then move me to them. I need to see our girls.”

Spock smiled. “Let me check with Leonard. Do not move.”

Jim nodded and watched Spock leave the room. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his bonds with the babies. He snapped his eyes open when he counted one more bond than there should be.

Spock came back into the room with Bones and a wheelchair. “Spock, there’s something…”

“You will see, t’hy’la,” Spock cut him off before carefully helping him out of the bed and into the wheelchair.  Bones unhooked his IVs and walked with the couple into another room.

Jim’s eyes widened at seeing three incubators in the rooms with nurses attending to them.

Spock wheeled Jim to the first. “Jim this is Amanda.”

Jim looked into the incubator and smiled at the small bundle. Her eyes were open and looking back at him. Tears welled up as Jim put his hand into the hole and gently touched her cheek. He then touched a pointy ear. She had a small amount of black hair on her little head.

“Hey, cutie,” Jim greeted her before removing his hand.

“Amanda is five pounds five ounces,” Spock told him.

Spock wheeled Jim to the next one and Jim did the same. Reaching into the incubator and touching his daughter.

“Riley,” Jim said softly. He touched her ears and noticed her black hair as well, identical to her sister.

“Five pounds, two ounces,” Spock said.

When Spock rolled him to the third Jim looked up to him and Bones.

“I may have miscounted on all those sonograms,” Bones admitted.

Jim blinked then looked into the third incubator and seeing a smaller baby inside on a respirator.

“Jim, we have another son,” Spock told him, kissing the top of Jim’s head. 

“Three pounds six ounces,” Bones said. “His sisters were big and getting more nutrients so I think that’s why we missed him.”

“Oh baby,” Jim said softly, touching the incubator as this one didn’t have a hole for him to reach into on his side. “How could we miss you?”

“He’ll need to be on the respirator for a little while so his little lungs can start working better on their own,” Bones told him. “None of them are having any other problems but they will need to be in here for a few weeks to get their weights up before you can take them to your quarters.”

Jim nodded, not looking away from his little boy. He was bald and his eyes were closed. He’s so tiny, Spock.

He will get bigger with time, Spock replied.

“He needs a name,” Jim said, looking up to Spock and seeing Bones had walked away to talk with some nurses.

“David was a name on your list when we were expecting the twins,” Spock offered.

Jim smiled. “David.  David Leonard.”

Spock smiled back. “Perfect.”

“What are ya’ll smiling about?” Bones asked, walking back over to his friends.

“We’ve named out son,” Jim told him. “David Leonard.”

Bones looked taken back then nodded and sniffled. “Okay. Good name. Strong name.”

“Don’t cry because then you’ll make me cry,” Jim said.

“Not going to cry,” Bones said before sniffling again and turning away. “I just need to go…check on stuff.” Bones then quickly walked away.

Jim lightly sobbed. “He’s crying.”

“Jim,” Spock sighed.

Jim looked around at his three new babies and cried more. “We have five kids.”

Spock nodded. “I know.”

Soren and Xander looked into the incubators and smiled at their new siblings. While they only wanted one sibling they were happy to have three now.

“We can boss them around,” Xander said.

Soren nodded.

“Not for a long time,” Jim told them from where he stood nearby.

“Why are they so small?” Soren asked.

“Triplets come earlier than twins,” Spock replied. “They will get bigger soon enough.”

Soren nodded then went over to David’s incubator. “He’s really really small.”

Jim slowly walked over to Soren. He placed a hand on the incubator. “David was a surprise. He was hiding behind Amanda and Riley so he didn’t get as much nutrients as them. He’ll catch up.”

“Actually,” Bones said from the sidelines. “I think he may have been…made a little while after the twins.”

Spock arched a brow.

“Sure his size could be due to his hiding but his lung development shows he’s a few weeks behind the girls.”

“What’s he talking about?” Xander questioned.

Jim smiled at his sons. “Grown up stuff.”

“Fascinating,” Spock muttered.

“Yeah, fascinating alright,” Bones agreed.

“Anyway,” Soren said. “Can we tell Nana and everyone the good news?”

“Maybe we would wait and surprise…”

“No!” everyone in the room interrupted Jim.

Jim pouted. “Nobody around here is fun.”

Amanda sat in between Sarek and Selik as they waited for the video call to connect. Pike was logged into the video call; they could see him in the little square at the bottom of the screen. She grabbed Sarek’s hand as the twins’ face came on screen.

“Hi, Nana!” they exclaimed.

“Hi, my boys,” Amanda replied.

“Hi, grandpa! Hi, Selik!”

Sarek and Selik waved at the boys.

“Hi, PawPaw!” they then greeted Chris.

“Hey, boys. How are you?”

“We’re good,” Xander replied.

“Daddy had the babies,” Soren said.

Amanda let out a happy noise.

“Hey, don’t tell all the details,” Jim’s voice said before appearing on screen. “Hey.”

“Jim, you should be resting,” Selik said.

“The babies were born yesterday. I’ve been sleeping and resting,” Jim assured them.

“Its okay, Jim,” Amanda assured Jim. “The girls came early, you all needed time to yourself and to rest.”

Jim smiled. “Ready to meet them?”

“We are,” Sarek said for everyone.

The video wobbled a bit as it moved.

“Where’s Spock?” Amanda asked.

“Here mother,” Spock spoke, the video turning to show that Spock is the one holding the camera. He nodded to his family on screen then turned the video back around to show Jim and the twins standing by an incubator.

“Baby A, is Amanda Christine,” Jim told him as the video moved to show the baby in the incubator more clearly. Amanda was awake and looking back at the camera.

Amanda put a hand to her chest and tried not to cry. “Oh look at those big blue eyes.”

“She’s beautiful, Jim,” Chris said, a little teary eyed himself.

Jim smiled and nodded then walked around to the second incubator. The video followed and zoomed in on the baby inside.

“Baby B is Riley Nyota,” Spock said.

Riley was awake but soon scrunched up her face and started mewling a bit.

“Beautiful like her sister,” Selik spoke as Jim put his hands into the openings and comforted Riley.

“Daddy we got to show them the other…” Xander tried but quieted when Spock shushed him.

“Other what?” Amanda asked.

Jim nodded to the camera and Spock walked away.

Amanda, Sarek, Selik, and Pike watched with confusion as the video went to a third incubator.

“Spock?” Sarek questioned.

“Another surprise,” Spock’s voice said.

“Daddy had three babies!” Xander exclaimed.

The grandparents and Selik’s eyes widened.

“Triplets?” Amanda questioned.

Soren nodded.

The camera zoomed in on the littlest baby in the incubator, still hooked up to a respirator.

“This is David Leonard,” Spock told them. “Either he was hiding behind his sisters or was conceived a few weeks after the girls. He is two pounds smaller and his lungs need some help.”

“We’ll be taking him off it soon,” Bones spoke up. “His lungs and his breathing are looking good.”

Amanda sniffled. “He’s beautiful. What color are his eyes?”

Jim appeared on screen. “Blue, like the girls. He’s bald though.”

“Congratulations,” Sarek said. “Five beautiful children.”

Jim smiled. “Yeah, five. Spock’s getting a vasectomy.”

“What?” Spock’s questioned as Amanda chuckled.

One Month Later

Jim smiled as he swaddled David up then carried him out of medbay. The girls had been able to leave two weeks prior, but David still needed a little more time. Now all three had gained enough weight and were on track to hit their future developmental milestones.

Jim smiled at a passing crewmember as he entered the turbolift and headed for his quarters.

“You’re so quiet,” Jim cooed at his youngest.

David blinked up at him then offered a small smile. Jim chuckled. David had blue eyes like his sisters but was showing signs of being blonde like his brothers.

Jim exited the turbolift and went to his quarters. The doors opened for him and he nodded to Spock who was standing in the middle of the living room with a baby in each arm.

“Finally have all three home,” Jim said.

“Indeed,” Spock replied, lightly bouncing the girls.

“Where are the twins?”

“Nyota took them to the rec room to give us a moment to relax with the triplets.’

“Still can’t believe we have triplets,” Jim sighed as he placed David in his bouncer.

“I am still wrapping my head around having them as well.  It is quite pleasant to have five children when I never thought I would even have one.”

Jim turned to Spock and smiled. “Funny how life works out sometimes.”

Spock nodded then handed Riley over to Jim. Jim made a silly face at his daughter before placing her down in a rocker. She fussed at him for a moment before settling down when Jim turned on the light movements.

Spock sat down with Amanda and cuddled her. “We will be arriving at New Vulcan in one point four weeks.”

“That’s good. I know your mom has been dying to see her grandbabies.”

“And us,” Spock added.

Jim chuckled. “Of course. Us too.” He looked to Amanda and got a little smile form her before sniffing the air. He made a face and turn towards David and Riley.

“Which one did it?” Jim asked, looking back to Spock but finding the Vulcan already off the couch and taking Amanda into the nursery. “Hey! We’re in this together.” Jim groaned then went to the two babies on the floor in their respected bouncer and rocker. Jim sniffed one then the other before grabbing up David.

“The littlest but the stinkiest,” Jim chuckled.

When he took David into the room and kicked Spock lightly as he passed him. “Next diaper is yours.”

“Of course,” Spock agreed, taking Amanda back into the living room.

While Jim was changing David, Spock came back into the room with Riley and placed her on the second changing table.

“Karma, Spock,” Jim laughed.

“Indeed.”

Soren stared at the sleeping babies and smiled.

“They are cute,” Xander commented from where he sat next to his brother.

“Yes,” Soren agreed. “We will get to play with them when they are older.”

Xander nodded. “They are too little now.”

The twins held their breath as Riley and Amanda woke up and stared at them.

“What do we do?” Xander whispered.

“How about you read them a story,” Jim said softly.

The twins turned and saw Jim kneeling down behind them holding a book.

“They will not understand,” Soren said.

“Perhaps, but they will enjoy hearing your voices.”

Xander and Soren exchanged a look before Xander took the book and opened it. Jim smiled as he stood up and sat next to Spock on the couch. Spock wrapped an arm around Jim, pulling him close.

David woke up as Soren and Xander started taking turns reading the picture book to their new siblings.

Jim leaned against Spock.

We make cute kids, Jim said.

Spock kissed the side of Jim’s head. We do. Perhaps we could…

Baby shop is closed, Spock. Mine and yours.

I will go through another Pon Farr in six years.

Jim looked to Spock and smiled. “And I’m sure you and your hand will have a fun time during it.”

Spock looked back at Jim then started laughing.

“Dad,” Xander whined. “Shush.”

“We are reading,” Soren told him.

“My apologies,” Spock said. “Please continue.”

Jim kissed Spock’s cheek. Yeah, Spock, be quiet.

Spock turned away from Jim and grabbed a small box from nearby. Jim looked at him quizzically as Spock handed him the box.

“What’s this?”

“A gift,” Spock said. “Open it.”

Jim opened the top of the box and sucked in a breath. He gently took out a heart shaped pendant. “Spock.”

“I thought have two pendents would be too much. If you press the right half of the heart you will hear the twins’ heartbeats. If you press the left half, you will hear the triplets’.”

Jim’s eyes prickled with tears as he looked to Spock. “I love it.”

“I am glad. I did tell you I would replace the one from before. I apologize that it has taken so long.”

Jim smiled then placed a hand on Spock’s cheek. “Why do you have to be so amazing?”

Spock leaned into the touch. “You are my t’hy’la. I must pamper and provide for you and our children.”

Jim chuckled. “Like when you hunted a wild turkey for me?”

“it was logical. I would do it again if that is what you wish.”

“Maybe for Thanksgiving.”

“Excuse me,” Soren said.

Jim and Spock looked to their sons and found the twins giving them the stink eye.

“You have to be quiet so we can read to Amanda, Riley, and David,” Xander told them.

Jim put his pendent on and gave the boys an apologetic look.

“We will be quiet,” Spock said.

The twins nodded and went back to reading again.

Love you, Spock.

Taluhk nash-veh k'dular.

Several Months Later

“Dammit, Spock!” Bones fussed when he found a live turkey hanging out in the ship’s mess hall.