6 years later
Megan's POV
I walked into my room of our new house of the Furher's mansion. The older and younger twins were all grown up doing their own thing. I was going to be graduating high school at the age 16 with my friend Rayne. We decided to take two years off before we went off to college in Central. I sat down in front of my computer and put on my headset. I clicked on the chat to see where Rayne was.
"Hey Rayne you there?" I said.
"Right here Meggie" Rayne said popping on a side window.
"Dude you died your hair!" I said looking at her now black hair.
"I know doesn't it look great?" Rayne said running her fingers through her hair.
"Yea it does" I said.
"Hey where's you cell phone? Ozzie and I have been trying to call you" Rayne said.
"My cell phone? Aww hell hold one minute" I said yanking my headset off of my head. I ran into RJ's room where he was sitting on the floor playing with his toys. "Where's my phone?" I said.
"I have no idea what you are talking about Megan" The now 8 year old RJ said.
"Yes you do your little troll now give me my phone" I said sticking out my hand.
"I don't see why you have that anyway it's just you and Ozzie telling each other how much you love each other" RJ said handing the phone back to me.
"Stay out of my stuff or I'm going to kick you in the face" I said.
"Mom! Megan's threatening me!" RJ said
"Megan stop being mean to your brother!" Mama said from downstairs.
"Mama's boy" I said before walking back into my room and putting headset on.
"Hey RJ have your phone?" Rayne said.
"Yea and it's so weird he use to be such a nice baby" I said shaking my head.
"So the olders coming in for that lunch thing tomorrow?" Rayne said.
"Yep and I am super excited! I can't wait to see all of the babies! Flannery had a girl, Aqua had a boy, and Kari had a boy. I can't wait!" I said. "And please make sure Ozzie gets here on time." I added.
"Don't worry I've got it. Hey I'll talk to you later okay?" Rayne said.
"Yea I'll talk tomorrow" I said. "Bye Ray-Ray"
"Bye Meggie" Rayne said before we ended our chat. I couldn't wait to see my sisters again!
Alex's POV
I turned on my heel again. "Do you have to follow me?"
"You are my muse." Megan answered. "And yes, I've got babysitter duties, meaning I have to take all the littler ones to the daycare center, so I need to get what I can, while I can."
Megan had started writing a series of crime novels known as the Anthony Bock series, based on me. She had access to all of my files & permission to follow me around, no matter how annoying. Not to mention, we still despise each other.
"Just pick up the kids & get out of my hair." I told her.
Megan picked up her speed so she could walk next to me. "Oh, come on, we could at least try to get along. For the older girls."
"Emphasis on 'try!'" I replied.
Megan scoffed & walked into the office we had been forced to share. "It's not that bad. I should go if I want to get the triplets & Jamie."
"Oh, I see. Thatch got sent to another crisis area." I guessed. Thatch was very well paid, but only because he worked with deadly diseases & extreme emergencies.
"Yeah." Megan nodded & stood up. "Oh, damn. I have to get Devon & Marc, too."
"Way to go, forget about your nieces & nephews." I commented.
Megan hit me in the back of the head, which really hurts. "Fuck off."
Kari's POV
"Morning, Aunt Kari." D.G. yelled, walking into the daycare with her little siblings & cousins.
"Morning guys." I called from the kitchen. "You wanna help me make enough blueberry muffins to hold a group of kids until lunch?"
Devon & Marc ran in almost immediately. "Oh, Aunt Kari, I wanna help." They turned to each other. "No, I'm helping her! No you're not."
"Am too!" Devon yelled in her brother's face.
"Are not!" Marc called back.
I looked up at D.G., who had hoisted herself up onto the counter. "Shouldn't you stop them? They are your little brother & sister."
"You're the adult." D.G. replied, smirking at the fighting kids. "Besides, I like watching them fight. It amuses me."
"You," I began, pointing at her, "are an evil little girl."
"Don't flatter me." D.G. retorted.
Megan opened the door to the kitchen with Thatch's little siblings & Freddie's kid. "Morning, Kari. I brought you some little rascals."
Tailyn laughed. "Ha, the kids in that movie wish they were like us." She commented, tossing her blonde hair.
Tacey & Tadeu nodded in agreement. "We're so much better than those jokers."
"Megan, can you take them to the playground before they tear the kitchen down?" I wondered, pulling out some muffin pans. "So I can make breakfast for the rest of the kids scheduled to show up."
Megan picked Marc up. "Sure thing, come you little scamps." She replied, ruffling the 4-year-old's hair.
D.G. started getting pulled out of the kitchen by Devon. "Come on, Dory. Push me on the swing." She urged her sister.
D.G. turned her head to look at me. "I'll get you for this."
"Just try not to wake Johnny up." I told them. As soon as they left, the phone started ringing. "Playmates: Daycare Center. How can I help you?"
"Wow, don't you sound professional." Griffon joked. "Just calling to see that the little monsters got to your place safe & sound. Megan inherited your road rage."
"That is so not true." I said.
Griffon laughed. "Sure. Anyway, I'm in a bit of a situation."
"Is it a bad situation?" I asked.
"Who are you talking to?" A little voice asked. I looked down at Jamie, Freddie's daughter.
"Griffon, honey." I told her.
"They aren't going to end up like mommy & daddy, are they? Griffon & Thatch?" She wondered. Jessica & Freddie had gotten divorced when the girl was four, & Freddie had gotten custody.
"No, sweetie, they're not gonna end up like your mommy & daddy." I told her. "Go play with your cousins, okay?"
"Yeah." Jamie smiled & skipped outside, her brown curls bouncing wildly.
"She worried I was gonna call it off?" Griffon asked as soon as I told her she was gone. "Anyway, I got offered this really great job at a lab for the improvement of transportation. Only one problem. I might not take it."
I gasped. "What? How could you turn down something like that?"
"Because it's one of those jobs where you have to pay them before they even hire you, just so they'll look at your work. The total cost would be around ten grand." Griffon explained.
I heard the front door burst open & a stampede of little feet. "Yikes, the kids have arrived. I have to go!"
"Try not to wake the babies in the nursery." Griffon warned.
"That's what I hired Dana to do." I replied. "Bye G."
"See you at lunch today, Hikari-Graeae." Griffon said before the line went dead.
I took a deep breath. "Miss Kari!" I heard a bunch of little voices yell.
"Go on outside." I called back. "I'll be there soon."
Simon walked into the kitchen with Johnny just as I was taking a pan of muffins out of the oven. "Hey, Kari. Time for little kids to gush over the little man."
"They love that baby boy." I commented.
Simon looked at the muffins. "Mm, blueberry." He picked one up, dropping it almost immediately. "Hot!"
"Well, duh. I just took them out of the oven." I told him. "I'll save you one for after the kids finish throwing food at each other."
"Thank you." He said, walking out the door with the baby. "Love you!"
At the end of the day I walked into the nursery and my assistant Dana was rocking Marth and Aqua's Son River Joseph Mustang-Bennet. He has blonde hair like his mother and dark blue eyes like his father. He was the youngest out of all of our children so he was kinda spoiled especially by his mother.
"Hey you better gather up his stuff his mom's on his way to get him" I said sitting down in one of the chairs
"Okay then he's always so fussy at this time of the day" Dana said.
"It's because of his mom it's like he knows when she's coming so he has to be up when she comes" I said. "Aqua's got him on clock work" I said shaking my head.
"Amazing" Dana said shaking her head. "What about her?" Dana said looking over to Alex's and Flannery's daughter Soleil Lucille Mustang-Bennet. She had dark red hair just like her mother and father but hers was a dark shade and for some reason her eyes were amber but we found it comes from the twins' grandfather. She was a couple of months older than River and she slept like an angel.
"Well the Pale Lotus should be closing soon so she should be on her way" I said looking at my watch. The Pale Lotus was the name of Flannery's dress shop she owned in Central in memory of her biological mother and her love of Lotuses.
"Hello all" Aqua said walking in with something with a white sheet over it in one hand and a baby carrier in the other hand.
"Hey Aqua" I said.
"Hello Kari" Aqua said leaning the object and the carrier against the wall. "How was my little prince?" Aqua said taking River away from Dana and kissing his cheek.
"Fine as always" I said with a shrug. "Are you on your way to Papa's house?"
"Yes after I put this in River's room" Aqua said removing the sheet to reveal a beautiful painting made of different shades of blue.
"Aqua that's great" I said.
"I know. I've been looking for this ever since I got pregnant. I've been trying to buy it from this guy in West City for the longest time" Aqua said while buckling River in. "Well I'll see you all later" Aqua said before walking out.
"Hi" Flannery said once she walked in with her carrier.
"Oh you're here early" I said standing up and walking over to Soleil's bed.
"Well I wanted to get to lunch early so I could help out Mom out" Flannery said. "Oh and here's my check for the month" Flannery said handing me a check for Soleil's stays.
"Oh thank you" I said putting the check in my back pocket. "Here you are" I said handing her the baby.
"Oh hello darling" Flannery said. "You're still coming to lunch right?"
"Yea once all of the kids go home and I clean up here" I said.
"Alright then I'll see you then" Flannery said before walking out.
After they left, the kids piled off the school buses & inside, still dripping wet from where they had been taken to the local pool. One of the kids rushed up to me & jumped into my arms. "Hey Levi, what's wrong?"
"He got sick at the pool & his dad couldn't come pick him up." Simon explained, ushering kids into the playroom to set up the tables & chairs. He looked around at the noisy kids. "Remember guys, the smaller kids are still having nap time, so you have to be quiet."
They all stopped what they were doing before going back to setting the lunch area up, this time very quietly. Dana stood up & took her son from me. "There there, mama's got ya!"
Simon went to the kitchen & came back with paper plates, plastic forks & spoons & Styrofoam cups. "Dana, can you, Jeremy, Misty, Nina & Tracey take care of things?"
"Of course." Dana replied. "You guys go ahead & head out."
Simon gave her a kiss on the cheek. "You're a life-saver, Dana."
I walked back to the playroom & whistled sharply. "Hey, all the kids I'm looking for & the volunteer, it's time to leave."
As the kids filed out the door, Simon counted them off. "Tay, Tad, Tace, Digit-"
"D.G." The girl corrected.
"Right. D.G., Marc, Dev, Jay, & Lil Johnny. All here!" Simon said, picking up the baby as he passed the crib.
Megan cleared her throat. "Simon!"
Simon chuckled, "Oh, come on. You know we wouldn't forget you, Meg!"
"Uh huh, sure." She replied, walking past him. "Forget it."
D.G.'s POV
I picked Devon up to help her into her car seat & fastened the buckle, then I did the same thing to Marc. Tay, Tad & Tacey were already in their seats in the van. It still boggled my mind that I was older than them by two days & yet they were my aunts & uncle.
"Everyone ready?" I asked.
Tad turned around in the middle row between his sisters. "Where's Jamie?"
"Oh, she's probably still inside." Tay stated, pulling a compact out of her purse.
"Go check, D.G. You're the only one who isn't buckled up." Tacey ordered.
"Fine." I sighed. I ran back inside & out to the playground, where Jamie was sitting up in the big pine tree in the back. "Hey, Jamie. It's time to go."
Jamie looked down & smiled. "I told you I could get outside without David noticing. If I come out here with a book, I won't have to put up with his crap."
"Way to go! Come on, though, we have to get to Nana & Papaw's house." I told her. She jumped down, landing on the picnic table, & skipped back inside humming a song.
"She's the weirdest out of all of us." I said to myself. "And that's saying something when you consider everyone in my family."
Lucky for me, I was given a cell phone to talk to papa when he was away, which was ringing. "Hey, baby girl."
"Hey, papa. How's it going north of Central?" I asked. He had gotten sent there to assist in the medical problems involving a train wreck & lots of passengers being put in the ICU.
"Great, actually. Almost everyone has been stabilized. I'll be home by tomorrow." He answered.
"Aw, you're gonna miss the family lunch. Everyone'll be there but you." I whined.
"Come on, you know if I had a choice, I would be right there beside you, but these people need help. Like I said, I'll be home tomorrow to tuck you in to bed & pick you up from school & everything else a good dad is supposed to do." He assured me.
I laughed. "If you wanna be a good dad, bring us some presents."
"I'll see what I can do." He replied. "Best wishes, Dorothy. Love you."
"Love you, too, papa. Bye." I told him, hanging up. He was gone a lot, but it was only for a few days at a time & he still loved us, so I didn't worry about him abandoning us like Jessica did to Freddie & Jamie. He loved us &, most importantly, mama.
Riza's POV
I was setting up our family lunch in the backyard. I had cooked a big meal for everyone. I was going back to the kitchen to get more food when I heard a voice.
"Hello? Is anyone home?" The familiar voice said.
"I'm back here" I said. Then Thatch walked in with a bowl of food. "Oh hello Thatcher" I said taking bowl from him. I thought you weren't suppose to be home until tomorrow" I said placing the bowl from him.
"Well we were able to work through the night and we finished early this morning. I caught the express train to Central City and thought I'd surprise the wife and kids" Thatch said with a shrug.
"Well they're going to be very surprised everyone's missed you. Especially Griffon and Dorothy" I said straightening the table cloth.
"Yea I've missed them too. D.G.'s been calling me everyday" Thatch said. "So what's the name of Aqua's baby I've been hearing so much about?" Thatch said.
"Oh you mean River" I said.
"River huh?" Thatch said. Thatch was on an emergency call when Aqua gave birth to River.
"Yes Aqua spent a lot of time near the water when she was pregnant so she named him River and she gave him Marth's middle name" I explained.
"Oh so his name is River Joseph Mustang-Bennet?" Thatch said.
"Yep" I said. "He's quite cute and Aqua spoils him rotten" I said shaking my head.
"That doesn't surprise me she always wanted her first child to be a boy" Thatch said.
"Yea" I said.
"Papa!" I heard a voice say. We both turned around and saw Griffon and her kids.
"Thatch your home early!" Griffon said running up to Thatch and giving him a hug.
"Yea I wanted to get home and see you all" Thatch said.
"I knew you wouldn't miss the family lunch" Dorothy said hugging Thatch's legs.
"Course not" Thatch said rubbing Dorothy's head.
"Hey people" Aqua said walking in with a baby carrier.
"Hi Aquanette" I said as she kissed my cheek.
"Hi Mommy I brought your favorite grandson" Aqua said holding up the carrier.
"Um Aqua how do you not know Marc isn't Mama's favorite grandson?" Griffon said putting her hands on her hips.
"Griffon please cut River some slack he's just a baby" Aqua said taking River out of the carrier. "River meet your Uncle Thatch" Aqua said handing the baby to Thatch.
"Hey there little man" Thatch said. "He looks just like you Aq"
"Thanks us blondes will go far" Aqua said flipping her blonde ponytail.
"So where's Marth?" Griffon asked.
"Oh he's on the way he had an emergency call that he had to take care of" Aqua said.
"RJ!" We heard Megan scream. "Give me back my PDA!" Megan said.
"No! I'm playing with it!" RJ said before we heard frantic footsteps.
"It's not a toy!" Megan said.
"It is now!" RJ said.
"Ma are they still fighting?" Aqua said.
"I'm afraid so" I said shaking my head.
"That's so odd they use to get along so well when they were younger" Griffon said.
"It's just a little sibling rivalry now help me get all of this stuff out onto the table before your father gets home from work" I said.
"Yes ma'am" All of them said except for River of course.
Ozzie's POV
I was late, again…Yikes. After a lecture from Megan, everything was fine & we had started talking about my niece, Jules. "Aw, how sweet." Griffon said, looking down at the photo. "Little Juliet is the cutest."
"Aside from Marc?" I guessed, although I already knew the answer.
Griffon put her hands on her hips. "Of course, other than Marc. No one beats Marc in that category."
"Says you." Devon remarked, pinching her snickering brother.
"Hey." Marc yelped, reaching over to pinch her back.
Griffon picked Marc up & Thatch grabbed Devon. "Excuse us." They said, walking inside.
D.G. smirked & Jamie giggled. "They're gonna get it." D.G. sang.
"Aren't you guys best friends?" I asked.
"Ha, no way. I'm just stuck having to take care of them since I'm the oldest." D.G. replied. She pointed to the tagalong McAlisters. "Those freaks are my friends."
"Hey!" The triplets yelled.
The next day at school, Megan, along with the rest of her friends, were running toward me & grabbing my arms, crouching behind my back. "Anything I should know about?" I asked, turning my head to look at them.
"Two words: Isaac Briers." Frida said in a frightened tone.
"Oh, God! What's your brother doing this time?" I wondered.
Rayne stood up a little straighter. "He & his perverted, rapist friends won't leave us alone."
I turned to face the girls. "And you're hiding behind me because…"
"Because we can't beat them. You're the only one stronger than them in the whole school." Anya explained. "Besides, Isaac forced a lip lock with your woman."
I looked down at Megan, who was wiping her mouth with the sleeve of her layered tee & looked ready to disinfect her mouth with the miniature bottle of hand sanitizer dangling from her keychain. "Ugh! That son of a bitch!" She growled.
Isaac & his friends came up to us. "Where are our lovely girls?" Xander purred, looking past me at Rayne.
"Back off." I ordered, pushing him back. "These girls obviously aren't interested."
Isaac stepped up to Megan, despite my efforts to stop him. "Come on, you know we'd treat you like princesses. We love you."
The girls started sneezing. Willow wiped her nose. "Sorry, we're allergic to bullshit."
Davis looked red as a beet from anger. "You, little skank, don't talk to men that way." He spat.
Isaac laughed at Willow's reaction to the remark. "Weak little street walkers."
I had heard enough. I walked up to Isaac & punched him in the face. "That's for badmouthing these lovely young ladies." Then, I drove my knee in between his legs & watched him fall to the ground. "And that, dear man-whore, is for forcing one on my girlfriend."
The girls giggled, watching as the future druggies scattered from the scene light cockroaches in light & Isaac went fetal due to the pain in his most sensitive area. "Serves you right." Megan hissed.
I took her hand & guided the group away from the scene & walked each of them to their classes, just to be safe. "Let me know if anything like that happens again." I told Anya before taking Megan to her class.
"Thanks, will do." She called, opening the door to her class.
"Once again, the brave knight saves the lovely damsels from the traitorous grasp of the evil prince." Megan announced. She giggled & grabbed my hand. "You're the best Ozzie!"
"Yeah, I'll be sure to remember that when I get called to the principal's office again." I sighed. "That boy's gonna end up getting me expelled."
"Not if I tell my side of the story." Meg retorted, shuddering. "I want to wash my mouth with acid or bleach or detergent."
"That'll kill you." I informed her.
Megan stuck her tongue out at me & laughed. "Ya think?"
Megan's POV
Ozzie really was my hero even if he did get suspended. Later that night I was getting ready for a party because my father had to attend another Furher's meeting. I was putting on my earrings when my cell phone went off.
"Hello?" I said answering my phone.
"Hey Meg it's Aqua" Aqua said.
"Oh hey Aq what's up?" I said.
"Hey I need a favor" Aqua said.
"Sure what is it?" I said.
"I need you to watch River tonight and Flannery needs you to watch Soleil" Aqua said.
"What? No why?" I said.
"Because we are going to Daddy's dinner party and I don't want the baby there and neither does Flannery" Aqua said.
"How is it that I'm 16 now and you're still going out more than I am? I was going to go out tonight" I said.
"I don't Meg but I really need a babysitter pretty please?" Aqua said.
"I'm expecting to be paid Aqua" I said. I know it was wrong to get money from my sister but she ruined my night.
"You will so will you do it?" Aqua said.
"I suppose because they are my niece and nephew" I said with a shrug.
"Thank you so much Meggie" Aqua said. "We'll be over in about 10 minutes" Aqua said before hanging up. I hung up and immidently dialed Rayne and three ways Ozzie.
"Hello" They said at the same time.
"Hey Rayne, Ozzie it's Meg look there's been a change in plans" I said.
"What happened?" Ozzie said.
"I have to watch River and Soleil tonight so I can't go" I said.
"Aww man" Rayne said.
"But hey if you guys stay with me I'll make sure I'll share some of my baby sitting money with you guys" I said.
"Sorry Meggie as much as I love money I need this party so I can find a boyfriend remember?" Rayne said.
"Oh right that's the whole reason we were going to this party. Rayne you're excused Ozzie what about you? Will you stay with me?" I asked.
"I'll stay with you Meg and you won't have to split your money with me" Ozzie said.
"Aww thank you Ozzie. Rayne I'll talk to you later" I said.
"Bye Megan" Rayne said before hanging up. A few moments later Ozzie arrived after Mama, Papa, and RJ left.
"Hey Meg the babies get here yet?" Ozzie said giving me a hug.
"No not yet they should be here soon. Thank you for staying with me Ozzie" I said giving him a small kiss.
"Course I can't have you here all alone" Ozzie said.
"My hero" I said giving him a hug.
"Hey Meg, hey Ozzie" Flannery said as she and Aqua walked in with their baby carriers and baby bags.
"Hey guys" I said.
"Okay then. They're already pretty tired so they should be going to sleep soon. Make sure they don't stay up like last time" Aqua said.
"That wasn't completely my fault once one of them gets going the other one has to stay up" I said with a shrug. "Sound familiar?" I said.
"…No" Flannery said.
"Not really" Aqua said. "But we'll be back at 11 bye darlings" Aqua said before she and Flannery walked out.
"They may be 24 now but they're still the same old Flannery and Aquanette" I said shaking my head.
In the morning, I walked down the stairs & pulled out a bowl, some milk, & some blackberries. Normally, they were expensive this time of year, but, since I got ninety percent of whatever the Anthony Bock Series made, I could have my own swimming pool filled with cash, but I spent it on organic berries & the rest was put into a college fund. I had also paid for earth friendly items & stuff to pamper myself every now & then.
RJ was downstairs next, probably because he wet the bed again & needed me to wash his sheets before mama & papa found out. "Hi, Meggie." He called cheerfully. Yep, he needs fresh sheets. "Get you get me some cereal?"
"Wouldn't you rather wait until mama is up to make you a real breakfast?" I asked in reply.
"No, I want cereal." He grumbled.
I finished pouring the milk into my bowl of berries & got the cereal down from the top shelf of the pantry & a bowl. "Here, you little runt. And no, I won't wash your sheets again. Go sleep in my room if you need dry sheets. It's a snow day, right?"
"Yeah, so?" RJ replied.
I ruffled his hair. "You're really stupid. If you don't have to go to school, you can sleep in."
RJ's eyes widened. "Really?" I nodded. "Cool."
He ran back upstairs & I felt the sudden urge to face palm. "That kid's got to have some sort of mental disease." Well, at least we got along part of the time.
