Olivia had never felt this proud of her younger brother. She would never have imagined that her own brother could become such a powerful Being.
Even now, she wasn't entirely sure how powerful Alexander truly was. With just a touch of his, he was able to bring her body back to its prime state, almost as if she hadn't just given birth.
Naturally, the healers did their job splendidly, but Olivia could tell Alex's actions were miraculous. With Alexander's actions, she could go home right at this moment, and there would be no issues whatsoever.
Olivia's eyes were filled with warmth as she looked at her brother, who turned his attention to their parents with the baby in their arms. "Go on, I'm sure your nephew wants to meet his uncle," Olivia said with a beaming smile.
"Mm."
Alexander nodded and approached his parents, coming to a stop right before his mother and father. He looked at his nephew and couldn't help but smile at the little boy who had his eyes closed, fast asleep after having his first meal in life.
"Here," Sarah gently passed her grandchild to Alex, her actions slow and careful, as she instructed him on how to carry the little one. "Make sure to support his head…"
"Thanks, Mom." Alex chuckled as he finally had his nephew in his arms. The baby stirred for a moment and then opened his eyes.
"You woke him…" Sarah sucked in a breath, afraid Alex might have disturbed the baby's nap.
"Relax, Mom," Alex assured his mom as he stepped away from Sarah, who intended to take the child back. "My nephew isn't a crybaby… He's only curious about his uncle. Isn't that right…?"
To the surprise of everyone, the baby boy made many cooing sounds in response, as if replying to Alex, his innocent eyes taking in the features of his Uncle. "Hehe, don't worry. You'll be fine… This universe has a lot to offer. You'll get used to this."
"..."
Everyone stared at Alex and then at each other, unsure if they heard right. Alexander's interaction with the baby felt like they understood each other.
"Alexander…?" Olivia called to him, prompting Alex to turn his gaze over. "You're not conversing with him, are you? He was just born."
"Oh, I can understand his intent," Alex replied, as if he had said nothing out of the ordinary. "There's no living being's intent I can't understand." Of course, that excluded void creatures.
"Seriously?" Sarah muttered in shock, slowly approaching her son. She looked at the baby in Alex's hand and then at Alex himself. "Since…"
Sarah quickly caught herself, the question dying in her throat. For a moment, she had forgotten who her son was. Looking back at the baby boy who was looking at her and Alex in tandem, Sarah asked,
"What is he feeling right now?"
"Mostly confusion…" Alex replied with a smile. "Everything looks weird and frightening to him. The only reason he isn't crying right now is because I'm continuously reassuring him in a way he can understand."
"Amazing…" Olivia muttered, quickly stepping out of bed to take a look. Shawn was not far behind, standing by Olivia's side.
The baby boy's attention shifted once more, now focusing on the faces of his parents. A second later, he closed his eyes and went back to napping.
"He's tired now…" Alex interpreted. "This much is all he can process now…"
"You're something else, Alexander," Olivia muttered as she gently caressed the cheek of her baby. After a moment, she looked at Alex and said, "Raising him with you around would be a huge advantage to us."
"Why do that when I can make you guys understand his intent?" Alex replied as if he found their suggestion strange.
"Y-you can do that?" Shawn's eyes widened in shock. He looked at his son and then at Alex, still unable to grasp how that was possible.
"It's already done," Alex smirked at their shocked expressions. Stepping away from the shocked parents and grandparents, Alex looked over to his friends and gestured for them to come closer.
"Come meet my nephew."
Julia and Ross stepped closer and came to stand beside Alexander, finally getting the chance to see the newborn member of the family.
"He's so cute…" Julia couldn't help but let out a light squeal, Ross nodding in agreement. "What's his name?"
At this question, Alex turned to the parents.
"Oh, sorry for the delay." Shawn cleared his throat and then looked at his wife, his right hand coming to rest over her shoulders. "After taking many things into consideration, Olivia and I decided to make your name his middle name…"
Shawn looked at Alex, the respect in his eyes evident for all to see. To the side, Sarah and William exchanged an affectionate glance, already aware of what the children had planned.
The baby's name had been in discussion for a while now. Naturally, Alexander's name was always going to be part of the baby's name as both parents wanted to honour the man who brought peace and stability to their universe.
It was from this line of thought that the baby's first name was chosen.
"Our son's name is Axel… Axel Alexander Trevor, in honour of the current times and the person who made it possible." Shawn explained.
"Axel…" Alex muttered under his breath, and then looked at the baby in his arms. 'I brought peace to our universe, huh…' A subtle sigh escaped his lips, a sigh no one noticed.
"It's a beautiful name for a beautiful boy," Julia added, caressing the baby's cheek. "Hehe, he looks so peaceful in his nap. A suitable name, indeed."
"Yeah…" Alex agreed.
'I'm glad you're here, Axel…' A profound feeling emerged from the core of his being as he made a silent vow to himself. 'Time may be trickling away, but I make this promise to you and everyone here: no harm will come to our home.' No matter what, he was going to make it a reality.
"Axel Alexander Trevor…" Alex said a moment later, his expression as serene as ever. "Welcome to the family."