"One last push, V!" Peter told her.

She did push, with all her might and delivered her baby into the world.  Peter held the delicate little flower in his arm.  His heart ached to see such a beautiful creature.

"What is it?" she asked.

"A girl, V, she looks just like you," he beamed.   

Peter gently laid the baby in her mother's arms.  Venus looked at the tiny baby in complete disbelief as tears ran down her face. 

"You did it, V," Mars smiled as he leaned over and handed her their son.  She couldn't believe she was actually holding her children.  It seemed so surreal.

"They're beautiful, V," Mars whispered to her."

"What are you going to name them?" Peter asked.

Venus looked up at him in surprise.   She hadn't even thought about giving them names.

"I...I don't know," she said gazing back down at the sleeping babies, "I've never been able to name them before."

"The Cube would have named them after some kind of planet or star," Mars said, "I guess we could pick a name like that."

"No," Venus firmly replied, "we aren't going to do anything that The Cube would have done."

"It's the only names we know, V," Mars pointed out.

Venus looked into her daughter's face.  She looked like an angel,  or at least what Venus would expect an angel to look like. 

The only real angel Venus ever knew was gone and she wished she could have been here to help bring the two babies into the world.   She sacrificed herself to save them, and she would never get to see their faces.

"Pepa," Venus whispered, "I want her name to be Pepa."

Mars quickly glanced at Peter who's was wiping the mist from his eyes before anyone could notice the tears that were threatening to form.

"Well," Mars said,  "that's one down."

Venus looked over at her sleeping son and smiled.   There was no doubt that he was his father's son.  He had his dad's nose, and thick dark hair covered his and his sister's head.  She wished that they would both open their eyes, just long enough for her to see the color of their eyes.   She secretly hoped that they were both blue, like Mars's.

Venus's eyes were so wanted by buyers in The Cube that she hated them.   Her violet eyes were a curse to her and she hoped that it didn't pass down onto her children.

Venus tried to think of a name for her son.  She had named her daughter after one of her saviors so it only seemed fitting to name her son after the other savior.   The one that has always been there for her since she left The Cube.

"I want to name him Peter. "

Peter's eyes shot up from the babies up to Venus.  He never expected his name to come flying out of her mouth as an option for a baby name, and apparently, neither did Mars.

Mars stared at her flabbergasted, before he boisterously argued,  "Like hell you are!"

Peter wasn't surprised by Mars's disapproval of the name.   He let it be known that he didn't like him.

Venus turned on him with a vicious glare, "It's my son, I can name him whatever I want!"

"Over my dead body, are you naming him after...," he looked at Peter with a sneer, "Him!"

"I think," Peter jumped in, trying to defuse the situation, "that you both should calm down.  He doesn't need a name tonight.  You're both tired, and everyone needs to rest, especially Venus and the babies."

"I think you need to butt out," Mars growled.

"Get out," Venus seemingly joined in.

"You heard her," Mars smirked, "get out."

"I was talking to you, Mars," she told him, "I want you here but not if you're going to act like this."

"What, a caring father?" he asked.

"No...an asshole."

"These are my kids too, V,  I should get a say in what I do and don't want them named.  I'm not asking you to name our daughter Bridget."

Venus couldn't think of any good reason to name their precious angel after such a vile human being, but she did get his point.

"Fine," she agreed, "you get a say.  Now please, leave so that I can rest.  Peter's right, I'm exhausted and sore."

Mars looked from her to Peter and back again.  He was waiting for her request for Peter to leave as well, but when it didn't come he huffed and left the tent.

"I'm honored, V, I really am, but we both know how Mars feels about me."

Venus looked back down at the babies, "It just seemed fitting.  You both saved us and neither of them would be in my arms right now if it wasn't for you and your sister."

"Just having you here and letting me help you bring them into the world is enough," he said.

Venus sighed, "I don't want to go to sleep with giving him a name.  It might sound silly but it just makes it seem more like he's really mine."

"He is really yours," Peter assured her, "with a name or not.  Right now, he needs his mom well rested."

"How did your parents pick your name," she asked.

He smiled at her stubbornness, "Uh, it's my dad's middle name."

"What's a middle name?" she asked as she wrinkled up her nose in curiosity.

Peter chuckled, "It's a second name.  Usually, your parents give you a first name, middle name, and then your surname."

"Surname?"

He chuckled, "It's a name passed down from generation to generation.  It distinguishes families you could say.  Mine is  Kelvin, I have no idea where it comes from but everyone in my family has the same surname."

"And what your middle name for?" 

"I honestly don't know, but I know mine came in handy whenever my mom was mad.  She'd always yell out my first and middle name when I was in trouble."

"What is your middle name?"

"Oh, it's really embarrassing," he blushed, but Venus stared at him until he relented.

"Alright," he sighed, Valentine."

"Valentine," she slowly repeated.

Hearing the name come from her lips made the name he dreaded to hear somehow beautiful.

"Why is that an embarrassing name?" she asked.

"It's a holiday.  When my parents 'bought me' it was Valentine's day gift for each other."

Venus looked down at the babies again and whispered softly, "Valentine."

 She looked back at Peter with a smirk on her face, "Do you think Mars would like the name Valentine?"

Peter gave her a reproving look, "I think you should steer clear of any names connected to me."

"Mars doesn't know it's has anything to do with you," she shrugged.

"V," he warned.

She sighed and gently laid the babies down next to her as she rested her head down on her pillow.

"Do you think they should have middle names?" she asked him.

"I think that's completely up to you," Peter told her.

She traced the bridge of each of their noses, "I don't have a last name to give them.  The Cube only issued one name and a number.  I really don't want them to be called Pepa and Valentine  Zero-eight-one-nine-twenty-fifty-one."

"That is a mouthful," Peter agreed, "and not Valentine.  Not only is it a horrible name, but if Mars finds out that it's my middle name he's going to have a fit!"

"Then don't tell him," she smiled.

A/N:

First and for most!  If any of my readers are named Valentine.  I DO NOT think it's a horrible name.  I actually think it's quite beautiful and you were named after a great man.  Anyway, thank you so much for reading.  The Breeders has hit 40,000 reads!!!  This completely blows my mind.  

Do you guys want to hear a little confession?  All the way up to writing this chapter I had planned on Venus having identical twin boys.  I thought it would be more fitting for the plot line and literally as I was typing out the first part of this chapter somehow a baby girl was born.  I don't why, but it just didn't feel right.  It shouldn't affect the plot line so no worries and hopefully that didn't ruin the magic for you.  I wish as the writer I could say that each detail is perfectly planned out, but sometimes I just have to roll with it.

Again, thank you for reading and for all your kind words.  I find it incredible that so many of you are enjoying this story!  Honestly, I sit at my computer in just utter shock.

At some point, I'm going to have to edit this monster, but for now, I'm just plotting along.  I know that the grammar, spelling, and typos are a hot mess and the fact that you put up with it says a lot, so thank you.  

What are you all thinking so far?  I know Mars is being an a-hole...again.  But remember, he's like seventeen, and hasn't really dealt with life overall. He was used to eating, sleeping, hanging out in the yard, and repeating. (with the exception the torturous breeding tanks) Being outside The Cube is a little overwhelming.  Hang in there with him.

Lots of Love,

Reading Mermaid 08