The Ink Family Legacy: Generation 4 Chapter 5 Part 2
Part Two! There were very few pictures from this part that weren't spoilers, ha ha~
Read Part One first, or you'll be quite confused!
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We interrupt your legacy viewing for a day in the life of Rhyme, child wonder!
"Daddy!"
"IIIIIIII'M....."
"HOME FROM SCHOOL~!"
"Welcome home, kiddo."
Rhyme always very enthusiastically greeted her family upon her homecoming, so the three adults just rotated who was near the door when the school bus pulled up.
"Dad, Dad, guess what? So I was at school today and telling this totally awesome story..."
"...and then this kids was all 'Wait, wouldn't a house with those weird eco-friendly windows sparkle in the sunlight?' And I was all 'Um, unless you live inside Edward Cullen, probably not.'"
"And then he was all 'Thank you for that disturbing imagery.' and I was all 'Yeah, you're right, that's kinda gross.' And then I totally forgot what story I was originally telling!"
"You know what I mean?"
"Er...sure."
Sometimes Jin wondered where Rhyme came up with these crazy stories. Maybe it was all those celery sticks she ate before bedtime or something.
"It's still homework time, though."
"Aw, Dad!"
With two doctors for parents, Rhyme always had someone on hand to help her! Their explanations sometimes made the problem more confusing, though.
"...so that's the word problem. I think it wants me to find the time the two trains meet, so-"
"Hmm. I think I have an algorithm for this."
"Um, Daddy, it's only third grade math-"
"But what if the trains are moving at variable velocities? Are they crossing time zones? What frame of reference are we using?"
"Now I don't get this problem at all!"
"Ah, this will only take a few hours to explain. It starts with integrating the acceleration function..."
Poor Rhyme. She could never tell if her parents were doing this on purpose or not.
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"Wow, look at all the stuff they have in this store, Jin!"
Clover and Jin both worked crazy shifts at the hospital, and between that and raising Rhyme they rarely had the time to plan their wedding. Add in the fact that the sun wasn't very kind to Jin and you got their only solution - browse shop windows at night when things were quiet.
"Look at the size of that cake! It would take us months to eat all that!" Clover enthused.
Jin sighed with an exasperated smile. "Sorry I couldn't bring you here when it's light out. I keep waiting for it to be cloudy, but no dice. I know that you probably wanted to go inside and be fussed over like a normal bride."
"Are you still on about that, Jin? I can still get all that by going with my mom. Plus, I love going out at night to look at these things! Doesn't it feel kind of exciting, like we're secretly plotting to elope or something, wistfully gazing into closed shops as we snatch away precious time together?"
"Only you would come up with that." Jin replied, cracking a smile.
Clover cradled his face in her hands. "You gotta stop this pessimism, Jin! You're the vampire ruler of a whole city and are marrying a gorgeous lady like yours truly - what's there to be sad about?"
"So humble of you."
"I try."
"Old habits die hard." he admitted.
"Hey, you got my hand in marriage - that's like a deal with the devil to change your life around." Clover replied with a grin.
"Ah, speaking of hands, give me your left one."
"Woah..." Clover whispered, seeing the ring he slipped onto her finger. "You really went through the trouble, huh? It looks awesomely antique."
"I figured you weren't the type for a modern ring, so I went through some of the older ones Anne gave me to sell. This one's Victorian, I think."
"That's surprisingly thoughtful of you!"
"Hey."
"Aw, don't worry Jin, I love it."
"Sure?"
"Jin, you know what your problem is? You worry too much. I think I can fix that, though."
He raised an eyebrow. "You think you can stop those kind of thoughts?"
Clover rolled her eyes and grabbed his collar, leading him to the nearest building.
"I think I can drive every single thought from your mind."
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It wasn't until early the next morning that Clover and Jin returned home, only to be greeted by a strange sight.
"What's Rhyme doing down here? She was asleep when we left..." Clover mused worriedly, checking her for a fever.
"Maybe she woke up and realized that we weren't home." Jin offered.
"Oh, poor thing. She must have been worried about us." Clover sighed.
"Want me to carry her up?"
"No, it's almost time for school. I'll sit with her until she wakes up - you mind making her breakfast today?"
Jin nodded, kissed Clover on the cheek, and went off to the kitchen. Clover took a seat next to Rhyme and waited patiently.
She wondered what Rhyme had thought when she woke up and discovered that they were missing. Rhyme didn't usually show any indication that she was worried, but every now and then she would do things like check if their shoes were still home or if their lab coats were still on the hook - little reminders that her parents were still there.
The smell of food wafting in was quick to wake Rhyme, who was groggy and a little disoriented.
"Morning Rhyme. Sleep well?" Clover teased lightly.
"Mommy! Oh, you are home. I woke up for a glass of water and saw the car was gone, so I thought I'd stay up to welcome you home! But I, uh, fell asleep."
"It's okay to go back to bed at times like that, Rhyme." Clover said gently. "You know your daddy and I will always come back to you."
"You...you promise you guys won't leave me behind and elope to Europe or something?"
"Of course not! Where'd you get an idea like that?"
"Auntie Paige."
"Of course..." Clover sighed. "Always a kidder, that Paige..."
Rhyme got up and gave her mother a big hug. "Well, I'm glad you're home and not halfway to Europe, Mommy!"
"Love you too, Rhy." Clover chuckled.
"Let's all spend a lot more time together, okay?"
"Okay!"
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True to Clover's word, the family tried to spend more time together. Clover and Jin both stopped working overtime on the weekend, much to Rhyme's relief.
Jin and Rhyme would battle it out over chess...
...while Filly played silly farming sims and Clover read.
"Hey Clover, there's a doctor named Jin in this game!"
"Don't marry him then - he's sure to be terrible."
"Very funny, you two." Jin called.
Instead of replying with another joke, Clover felt a bit sick to her stomach. She stood up, but that only made it worse.
"Clover? Are you okay?" Filly called as Clover bolted for the bathroom.
"Errrrrrrghnotreallybleeeeeeergh..."
"Are you okay in here?" Jin asked as he stepped in. Clover was furiously brushing her teeth, scowling at the mirror.
"'m fine." she mumbled. "Probably my anti-rejection drugs acting up again."
"You still look a little pale." he said cautiously.
She put down her toothbrush and snapped, "I'm fi-"
"Oh god."
"Geez Clover, the sink?"
"Bleeeerghit'snotlikeI'mdoingthisonpurposeerrrrrgh...."
"...maybe I do need a little fresh air."
Jin walked forward and very carefully picked her up, hoping that she wouldn't throw up between here and the balcony...
"Better?"
"Much, thank you." Clover closed her eyes and leaned back, taking in the sun. "Jin, go inside, you'll fry. I'll just nap here for a bit..."
But sun or not, Jin wasn't about to leave Clover's side with her being sick. Clover may usually appear healthy, but he knew that the slightest thing going wrong with her borrowed heart could go really bad really quick.
About half an hour later, Rhyme wandered up to check on them. "Daddy? Are you and Mommy okay up here?"
"We're fine. Your mom was looking a little pale, so she decided to take a little nap." Jin replied.
"You look kinda pale too, Daddy."
Jin checked his arm, and sure enough he was starting to burn. "Rhyme, do you think you could stay with your mother while I go find some SPF 1000?"
"Sure Daddy!"
Clover awoke with a start a little later. "Rhyme? What time is it?"
"Um, a little after six, I think. Daddy went inside a while ago. He wanted to come back outside, but he ended up getting and ice pack and going to bed instead."
"You're not really, really sick, are you Mommy?" Rhyme asked. "Your heart doesn't hurt, does it?"
"No, I don't think that's it." Clover replied, thoughtful. "I think I need to borrow something from Grandma to be sure, though."
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"Okay." Clover said nervously. "So this test sits here for a minute, then I read my fate..."
"Calm down." Jin chuckled nervously. There was a bit of an edge to his voice too.
"Well, here it goes!"
Clover took a long minute to go over the result.
"Well?" Jin finally asked.
"Judging from this neon green smiley face..."
"...that's a positive! You've successfully got a bun in my oven." she joked.
Jin smiled genuinely and pulled her into a tight hug. "That's amazing, Clover." he said softly. "Hell, more than amazing, even though we didn't plan for it."
"The way we were going, I'm surprised this didn't happen sooner, actually."
"Of course, this gives me a million more things to worry about..." Jin sighed.
"You would." Clover chuckled. "But really, you shouldn't worry so-"
Clover turned faintly green and rushed to the nearest toilet.
"This is why I worry, you know." Jin said, leaning against the archway.
"Bleeeeerrrghshutupbleeeergh..."
But worries or not, Clover and Jin's first baby was on its way! Clover fully enjoyed every single second of her pregnancy.
Well...perhaps not every second. But most, I assure you.
"Clover, I'm begging you - just go and get a check up, please?"
This was Jin's latest endeavor - getting Clover to get some sort of medical assessment. The Ink family was never much into pregnancy advice unless absolutely necessary, so Clover was reluctant.
"There's just so many things that can happen in a pregnancy. I think it's better to know than to be in the dark, right? Especially with your heart, Clover."
"It really means that much to you?" Clover sighed, after weeks of pestering.
"Yes. I want you and the baby to be as safe as possible, you know that."
"Fine, fine. I'll go."
"Besides, it might be kinda fun to know if we're having a boy or a girl!"
"That's the spirit." Jin said with a relieved smile.
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"M-Mom?"
"Oh Clover, you're back! How was your appointment?"
"..."
"Clover dear? What happened?"
"I...I think it's bad, Mom."
"The tech took one look at my ultrasound and freaked out. She unplugged it before I could see anything and bolted out of the room. After a long time she came back with the doctor, and they said they would call me with further details."
Tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm scared for this baby, Mom."
Filly immediately pulled Clover into a hug. "Oh Clover...I know exactly, exactly how you feel."
"When I was pregnant with you, the doctors were terrible. At first they wouldn't tell me anything, always whispering and shuttling me back and forth between rooms and tests. Then they finally told me some of the most terrifying things I could imagine. At first they were absolutely sure I would miscarry you. Then they moved onto stillborn, then severe birth defects..."
"It took me a long time to come to terms with it, but I decided that even if you died the second they placed you into my arms, seeing you would be worth the pain. And once I decided that, there was no going back. And well, look at you now." Filly smiled.
"I have no doubt that you'll be strong enough to withstand anything that comes your way, Clover. You've always been a fighter."
"You...you really think so, Mom?"
"I know so."
"Plus, this kid is an Ink! And Inks survive."
"You'll be fine."
That was all Clover had to hear to steel her resolve. No matter what happened, she'd just have to play to win, right?
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"Doctor Ink?"
"Her fiance, actually. She's not available right now."
I'll just relay the news to you then. I'm sorry it can't be happier news...
...
"...you can't be serious."
"You have other options, of course, but that's the only one we can recommend at this time-"
"Shut it. If I want to talk to you again, I'll call. Don't hold your breath." Jin snapped, hanging up.
Okay, that was childish of him. He knew the guy was just doing his job. As a doctor, he had delivered so much bad news to so many people before.
He just never thought he'd have to give this kind of news to her.
"Oh Jin, there you are!"
"I've been reading this baby name book, and I can't decide if I want an old-fashioned name, to kinda follow along with my ring, get it? On the other hand, my grandpa Finn always said that giving a baby a strange name gave them an awesome icebreaker for the rest of their life..."
"...Jin? What's wrong?"
"Jin, you've got to talk to me hon. You're scaring me by just standing there."
"The doctor called."
"O-oh. And?"
"We're having multiples."
"Oh! That's kinda good news...but your expression hasn't changed...so I'm guessing there's something else." Clover trailed off.
"They don't think your heart can handle pumping that volume of blood. They want you to..."
He fell quiet for a long time.
"They want you to terminate the pregnancy, Clover."
"But...but my medications." Clover stuttered out, shocked. "I'm doing so well on them! And my heart is healthier than ever. Even with that?"
"They said there's a chance that this pregnancy will only weaken your heart, not destroy it. But they don't like those odds." Jin replied, grinding his teeth in anger.
He sighed and looked away. "I should've seen this coming. With your heart and your family's tendency for multiples..."
"Jin. Look at me."
"We'll get through this just fine, you hear? You, me, and however many adorable vampire babies I've got stored in here." she said with a soft smile.
"I knew that you wouldn't consider letting them go in a million years." Jin admitted. "And I really want to see them. But are you really ready for this risk, Clover?"
He knew that she made her decision a long time ago.
Very hesitantly, Jin put a hand to Clover's belly. Clover was surprised - this was the first time he had put aside his worries and attended to the babies.
"So...old fashioned names, huh?"
"And strange ones. Did the doctor say boys or girls?"
"I kinda hung up on him." Jin laughed weakly.
"That means you'll have to listen for yourself then, Dr. Laser Eyes." Clover decided, sticking out her belly more.
"I feel a little silly."
"Why? I'm sure that these kids are happy to know their daddy's listening to them. I can sense their emotions, you know."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah really."
"For example, every time you come near them and interact with them, I get this huge surge of warm feelings. And love, definitely love. I'm convinced that they're vampire babies, already showing their powers."
Jin smiled up at her. "I don't think that they need any special powers to show their love. If they're anything like their mother, they'll just radiate it naturally."
Clover grinned widely at him, and for a brief minute, Jin felt like it would be okay. He would have to learn to take things as they came as easily as she did.
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"Hey Rhyme, can I talk to you for a bit?"
"Sure Daddy! Let me just put away my blocks here..." Rhyme said cheerfully.
"...so basically you want me to keep an eye on Mommy and make sure she doesn't work too hard?" Rhyme summed up after Jin told her a heavily edited version of the situation.
"I know it's a lot to ask of you Rhyme. You're such a responsible kid, so I'm going to trust you with this, okay?" Jin said softly, almost pleading.
"You can always count on me, Daddy! I'll be the most dependable daughter ever, and then be even more dependable of a big sister!"
"Thanks, kiddo. That means a lot to me."
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"So then Mommy was all like 'WE'RE ALL OUT OF ICE CREAM!' and Daddy was all 'Uh oh, another hormonal rampage.' and then Mommy was like 'You think this is a rampage?! I'LL SHOW YOU A RAMPAGE.' And then Grandma suggested I come here!"
"Wow, Aunt Clover sounds as scary as my mom when she was pregnant! My mom mostly just swore in French all the time."
Where was Rhyme? Why, at Ethan's house with her best friend Levi, of course!
Levi had just started second grade while Rhyme started fourth, but they remained good friends as always. Clover always said that Levi was growing up to look just like Ethan, but Rhyme didn't quite see it yet.
"Oh, but guess what, Rhyme!" Levi suddenly said.
"What?"
"Well, guess who went to the doctor and found out he was almost as tall as you?"
"Really?! You're kidding. No way are you that close to my height, Lee!"
"It's true! By the time I'm ten, I'll certainly surpass you! C'est le destin!"
"Psh, whatever you say, Lee. Random French or not, I'm going to hit puberty before you and be taller than you until you're fifteen!" Rhyme taunted.
"No way! You're lying!" Levi whined.
"She's probably right on that one." called Ethan who was nonchalantly sipping his coffee on the couch.
"Papa, you're supposed to agree with me!"
But arguments and debates aside, these two were still best friends.
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Clover felt like the months simply crawled by during her pregnancy. Sure, every day she stayed pregnant was better for the babies, but she was ballooning up like crazy and wasn't allowed to go anywhere. She felt like it was her childhood all over again!
"At least with Jin here you can stay home." Filly said lightly. "I had to spent your entire pregnancy as an inpatient, only coming home once a month or so. You don't want that, do you?"
"I know, I know. But I'm still bored out of my mind."
"Think of it as the calm before the storm. Those kids are going to throw the house into chaos."
"Maybe I'll have an easy labor?" Clover said wistfully.
"Not as my kid, you won't." Ophelia laughed.
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"I want a little sister." Rhyme declared one day.
"You've got a fifty fifty chance." Clover replied with a grin. "On the other hand, I could have all boys."
"Eww! I get enough of boys with Levi. I want a sister."
"You know Mommy, I heard that organic watermelons are great for pregnancies." Rhyme said hopefully.
"Ooh, are apples too? 'Cause I've been eating both a lot."
"It doesn't work if you eat both!"
Yes, Clover was enjoying her pregnancy despite all the drama swirling about.
The calm before the storm.
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So many pictures, so little time...
To actually see the result of Clover's pregnancy, press three.