What's the Bestest Love?

by kathey'ssis

The moment finally arrives when the very possesive Jessica first meets the Stoker's newborn twins. Will she be willing to share Her Aura with two more? Can she understand the love Laura has for the babies. Should read 'After the Honeymoon' first.

"What's the Bestest Love?"

This is the follow up that just had to be written. It's just one more chapter in the lives of Mike and Laura Stoker. If you've not read the series that starts with 'From Where Peace Comes', Out of the Blue, and After the Honeymoon' you should think about it. At least the last one should be read before because to truly appreciate this story you have to understand the relationship between Mike's wife, Laura, and one very possessive little girl named Jessica.

Hank pulled his truck over in front of the home of his engineer Mike Stoker and got out. The day before in the middle of his last shift, the engine crew had been wrestling with a drug overdose victim, holding him down while the paramedics tried to evaluate and apply restraints. In the process Mike managed to get a pencil stabbed into his outer thigh and then broken off leaving a one inch piece embedded in his leg. It was simple surgery to remove the foreign object and Mike was expected to be able to return to work soon only missing one shift but Hank still wanted to stop by and check on his friend. That and Hank knew Mike and Laura were expecting company so he wanted to make sure they didn't need any help sprucing up the yard for the cookout that evening.

Before Hank finished his stroll up the sidewalk Laura was opening the front door to greet him.

"How is he this morning?" Hank asked as he accepted a friendly hug from his Engineer's wife.

"He was hurting pretty bad once the numbing wore off, but I gave him something for the pain and an ice pack. That seemed to take care of it. He's still asleep, and the pain meds should have worn off hours ago." Laura reported and then the cry from the nursery turned her head down the hall.

"I bet that woke him up," Laura smiled and motioned for Hank to follow her in the house, as Laura tried to beat her husband to the three month old twins giving their lungs a work out.

Hank followed to the nursery to see Mike moving rather slowly across the hall. He was wearing his pajama bottoms and a t-shirt with a robe draped around his shoulders and hanging loose.

Laura smiled and gave her husband a kiss then slipped past him to get to the babies and Hank took a hold of Mike's arm and aided him in behind his wife. Mike didn't really need any help he was just stiff but Hank gave it to him anyway and Mike just gave him a friendly smile and accepted the help.

Laura went to the crib farthest from the door, "well good morning there little man," Laura cooed as she reached in to pick up the infant that was now calming down at the sight of his mother, "you must be a hungry boy."

The second twin was also calming down at the sight of his father as Mike reached in and rubbed the boy's tummy as he talked, "how is my little Gregory this morning?"

Hank smiled at the interactions going on before him and remembered a time when Mike was worried sick about how to tell the twins apart once they were born. Now it was quite apparent his engineer had mastered that skill.

Both parents quickly checked for needed diaper changes then scooped the respective infants into their arms.

"I bet uncle Hank here would love to have a little conversation with you while daddy goes to fix your ba ba," Mike informed his tiny son before carefully shifting him over to Hank's very willing hands. Hank was quick to notice that Mike was still very timid in the handling of his offspring and smiled as Mike made sure he was supporting the small head properly before he fully relinquished his hold.

"Now what is it that young mister Gregory would like to talk about this morning?" Hank chatted with the wide eyed infant in his arms as he followed the two parents, one limping, into the living room where Laura made herself comfortable in a padded chair and the child she was carrying disappeared under a receiving blanket draped over her shoulder.

Hank found an end to the sofa and sat with the second twin in his arms, he knew the routine buy now. Since the twins had shared an umbilical cord they were born quite small so feeding time went as follows, Laura would nurse one twin until he had gotten as much as he could from one side and then he was handed over to Mike who would coax him to eat all that he could from a bottle of special formula while Laura fed the other twin from the other side.

It wasn't long before Mike was easing his stiff body to the sofa next to Hank shaking the contents of two small baby bottles to mix them. The two men talked to the infant on Hank's lap on the subjects of smiles, yawns, stretches and growing 'so big' until Hank noticed out of the corner of his eye that the second twin was emerging from under the blanket.

It was Hank who rose from the sofa to take the infant in his arms to his mother and return with his now half fed twin handing him to his father to finish filling him up. Before the bottle was offered there was a smile given to little Michael Carl before he was rested against Mike's shoulder for a gentle patting on his back until the appropriate burp escaped. Mike then rest the infant across a pillow on his lap to make sure his head remained at the right angle to prevent ear infections and as he offered the bottle of formula while Hank reached down and picked up Mike's foot and slid an ottoman under it to elevate his injured leg.

Soon young Gregory Jaron was placed in Mike's arms as Laura picked up little Mike for his final burping of breakfast. She was sitting the tiny boy on her lap and bouncing him slightly when his attention turned to the sound of a car door shutting in front of the house.

Laura glanced at the clock on the wall then sighed and turned to Mike. "That must be them."

Mike slowly but determinedly got up and handed the second twin to Laura. "I'll go help them in."

"That's like the gimp leading the gimp isn't it?" Laura smirked as she cradled both her sons in her lap with a worried expression.

"I'll help them too," Hank offered and the two men moved toward the door.

The new arrivals were the Garcia family, the father, Carlos had been a foster son in Laura's home when he aged out of the system but he had remained a part of their family, even more so after Laura's father was killed in a hunting accident and then her brother finally succeeded in killing himself out of guilt for what he had done to their father.

Hank and Mike opened the door to watch as one 11 year old boy, Robert, and his adoptive mother were helping Carl ease his full leg cast out of the Taxi while two little girls ages six and almost four each held a crutch for their father.

Hank hurried toward the man and offered a strong hand to pull against as Carlos rose to stand on his good leg and then accept the crutches. He then joined Mike in gathering the luggage as the cab driver was paid and group moved as one to the house. This was the first time the Garcia family had seen the babies and they were all, well most of them, very eager to see the tiny boys they had heard so much about over the phone and received photos of.

"Oh, look at those little cuties," Malinda gushed

Carlos managed to hobble over to Laura and kiss her on the forehead with tears in his eyes. "They're beautiful Laura," He managed before he was unceremoniously pushed into a nearby recliner and his leg elevated.

"They look like little monkeys," Robert dared to mention as little Jasmine just silently moved in and gently touched a little hand and then another.

"Where did them come from?"

There it was, the response they had all been apprehensive about since this visit was first planned. Standing across the room with her hands on her hips and a stethoscope around her neck stood almost four year old Jessica. The same Jessica who always referred to her aunt as 'MY Aura.' When asked, who said she was her Laura, she would simply say, 'cuz I say so.' Little Jessica had even locked Laura and those helping her in a room the day of the wedding and then swallowed the key before standing in front of the door to declare. "She's my Aura and I not letting you give her way."

Yes this was the very moment all of the adults, in the room, had been dreading and mentally preparing for. It was clear that even though this young girl could now pronounce her L's she was still very possessive.

"Jessie, remember we talked about it, these are the babies that grew inside Laura's tummy and now their outside." Malinda started to explain.

"But why doesn't she gibe them away and then go to the airport and get bigger ones who can play and do things by them ownself?" Jessica's next question was no real surprise.

All of the Garcia children were adopted and although Jessica was the youngest of the three, she had been the first one adopted. Robert and Jasmine were adopted later after an earthquake destroyed their orphanage in China and since they first met their new family members at the airport Jessica still thought that was where all adopted children came from. Since Laura had brought Robert and Jasmine to the country, along with several other children over her years as an international disaster worker, Jessica was very sure her aunt could get more anytime she wanted.

"I love these little babies," Laura repeated her rehearsed speech, "I felt them inside of me while they were growing and I love them very much, I'm going to keep them and love them and watch them grow up to be bigger kids who can play and do things by themselves."

Every grown adult in that room caught the catch in Laura's voice as she spoke to the young girl and Mike was the one to step forward and offer a bit of a distraction. "Hey what about me, don't I get a hug, or do I need to put a binky in my mouth to get noticed around here?"

Feeling like he was interfering in family time Hank excused himself saying he'd be back later with his family and let himself out. The last words he remembered hearing as he closed the door behind him, "I think it's Uncle Mike's turn to hold the babies."

Hank chuckled softly and shook his head but he also understood that this situation was a strain for all involved.

-0-

Later that afternoon Hank returned with his family in tow and was quick to notice that both Mike and Carlos had spent too much time on their feet and were both obviously hurting.

Hank's practiced nose let him know that the charcoals were appropriately heating up so he moved to find a way to get both injured men off their feet as the wives fussed with the food for the gathering. Johnny, Marco and Chet arrived together and carried the drinks to the back yard and entered through the back door.

The men were moving down the steps behind a slow Carlos on crutches when the DeSoto family arrived at the door and young Jasmine seeing her friend rushed to give Jenny a hug and knocked one of her father's crutches out from under him as she hurried past.

Johnny was able to move fast and a tray of hamburger patties was moved to one hand as the other reached forward to take hold of Carlos's arm and hold him up. He then quickly handed the platter to Chet and moved to pull Carlos's arm around his shoulder as Marco followed suit and stepped under the other arm pulling the crutch out.

"I bet there's a good story to tell, as to why you're in this predicament," Johnny talked as he waited for Carlos to be ready to make his next move.

"Actually no," Carlos talked as he grimaced through the pain, "I was carrying some fire safety presentation materials to the truck of a lady who was going to do something for some kind of a youth group, and I was putting it in the back of her camper shell when one of the kids she left in the cab of the truck knocked the truck out of gear and it rolled back and pinned me against a barricade."

Hank smiled, as his men then carried their brother in firefighting, even if he was from a different state, the rest of the way down the steps as young Jasmine stood crying and holding the crutch she had knocked out from under her father. Carlos was then aided to a nearby lounge where Laura appeared with pillows to elevate the leg, as well has her medical bag so she could check his vitals. All seemed well but a pain pill was needed and given.

The party then commenced as the five other firemen took turns at the grill to get Mike off his feet and Laura took frequent breaks to check on her sons. It was noticed, by Hank at least, that young Jessica noticed all the time, 'her Laura', spent with those babies and Hank noticed she was starting to look just a little green around the edges.

The children were given permission to climb the ladders, still tied to the trunk of the tree, but only as far as the lowest deck to the tree house and they all did and were entertaining each other quite nicely as Johnny, Chet and Marco took turns being up there with them and watching them. Everyone had fun and of course the babies were the center of attention, this being the first time most of those attending had seen them up close since the babies were so small at birth and needed to be protected for a while.

After the food had been nearly consumed the pain pills took full effect on Carlos and he was heard snoring on the lounge. Mike was also dozing but not nearly as sound as his brother-in-law. The women were in the house dealing with the next feeding of the twins while the rest of the children were playing in the tree house.

"Jessica, you're not supposed to go up there," Robert was heard yelling and the attention of everyone on the ground turned to the branches of the tree.

Jessica was climbing up the ladders tied to the trunk and was just passing the third level of the tree house on her way to what Mike and Laura called the penthouse. The place Laura always went when she needed time to think and deal with the emotional trauma often resulting from her work.

Mike made the first move to climb up after the little girl but Hank stopped him. "I'll do it; you take care of that leg."

By now Carlos was awake and aware of what was going on as he leaned on one elbow looking up into the branches of the tree seeing his youngest child making her upward climb.

"Jessica stay where you are someone is coming up to get you," Carlos called up to his daughter but she didn't act as if she heard him.

Hank climbed the ladders so fast you would have thought there was a fire at the top of them and Johnny was right behind him. Every fireman should have a back up just in case and even Cap would need a spotter when he carried the little girl back down.

When Hank was able to see over the upper most deck he found Jessica sitting on the deck with her arms and legs wrapped around an upright growing limb that Mike had used to nail the hand railing to.

"Hi there," Hank called out as he climbed high enough to get on the deck, he didn't want to frighten the little girl and cause her to fall. "This is a really high place you climbed to."

"My Laura comes up here when her needs to think about stuff. I wanted to see if it works." Jessica responded to Hank. She did know him at least a little; he was the one that told her she was going to have to share her Laura.

"So you must have some serious thinking to do huh," Hank talked as if he were talking to a jumper on a roof top as he moved to sit on the deck and slid closer to the young girl.

"Yeah, I really don't understand sumpin," Jessica responded keeping her hold on the upright limb.

Hank looked down to see that John had held up on the deck below and motioned for him to stay there. He then listened while John relayed down that it was going to be a few minutes.

"We have a Laura moment going on up here. Our little Jessica is having a thinking moment." John called down and Hank smirked at his words.

"It also helps to talk to someone about what you don't understand, if you tell me what's bothering you I just might be able to help you see things a little clearer," Hank turned his full attention back to the little girl suspecting what it was that was bothering her.

"I just don't understand this thing called lub." Jessica responded to the invitation to talk. "My Mommy and Daddy tell me lots of times that my Tummy mommy lubed me so much that she gave me away and that they lub me whole bunches. Now they tell me that My Laura is going to keep her babies because she lubs them too much to gib them away. All that sounds like . . . . it don't make sense to me." Jessica then looked at Hank with troubles eyes, "Wasn't I cute enough to be really lubed when I was a baby? It can't be because I had poopy diapers because those babies have lots of them and they are really stinky ones too.

"Which one of us is lubed the mostest?" Jessica asked of the fire captain who was one of the very few people who had been told the full story about Jessica's adoption. Others had guessed but Hank was one of a very few who had been trusted with all of the details.

Just what was he going to say to the young girl Hank didn't really know but he knew in order to get her down out of that tree he was going to have to tell her something that she could understand.

Johnny remained on the deck below, out of sight and keeping silent but able to hear everything that was being said. He was really glad it was his captain who was going to have to answer the young girl's question but his mind was still racing to come up with something to say even though he knew he wouldn't have to say a word.

"I don't think either one of you is loved more than the other." Hank started to talk as he took hold of the hand rail anchored at the height of his forehead and let his elbows hang down. "There were a lot of differences in the circumstances of when you were born than when Mike and Laura's two boys were born."

"You mean because there are two of them and there was only one of me?" Jessica questioned.

"No, that's not the differences I was talking about." Hank paused to think his next words through carefully. He knew this little girl suspected who her tummy mommy was and that the adults in her life had chosen not to confirm her suspicions until she was a little older. Hank didn't want to go against their wishes as he tried to convince this little girl that she was truly loved.

"When you were born, your tummy mommy didn't have a daddy for you to help her take care of you while you were growing up. She also didn't have a really good job to make sure you would have all the food and clothes you would need. Or a good house in a good neighborhood for you to grow up and be safe in. You're tummy mommy knew that Carlos and Malinda did have all those things to give to you and that they could give you more love together than your tummy mommy could give you all by herself.

"I'm sure you were a very cute baby and I know that it was really hard for your tummy mommy to give you away but she knew your life would be better if you lived with your Mommy and Daddy. She also knew you would make your Mommy and Daddy really happy when they held you and loved you.

"Now Laura and Mike are together and they help each other take care of the babies so they can give them everything your mommy and daddy give you and they can be happy loving the little babies as they grow." Hank paused a moment to let the little girl think about what he had said and when she didn't say anything he asked. "Does that help you understand a little better?"

"Why do Mommies and Daddies want to habe kids?" Leave it to Jessica to ask a question like that. "Mrs. Adams says that babies just happen but my Mommy's tummy is broke and my Daddy's baby makers got killed when he was in the Naby but they still wanted kids so they got me and Robert and Jasmine. How come?"

"Well, the way I see it, having children is an extension of the love a mommy and daddy feel for each other."

"What does that mean?" Jessica turned to the wise captain and closed one eye as she squinted with the other in his direction, "What's extenson?"

"Extension?" the wise captain was quick to see his error, "That's a big word that means to make bigger."

"Is you tellin me that habing kids makes their lub bigger?" It was clear by the tone in her voice and the look on her face that those thoughts were not totally believable to her little mind.

"Not just their love but also their happiness. You have to agree don't you that your Mom and Dad are happy when you and your brother and sister are around and they're doing things with you."

"That pends if we's fighting or not."

"Yeah, I guess it does at that," Hank smiled at the young girl.

There was silence for a little while as Hank watched the little girl's mind churn over what he had told her.

"So this lub thing is kind'a comppickated isn't it?"

"That it is," Hank had to agree, "It's even harder for an old guy like me to find the right words to tell someone about it."

There was another moment of silence before Hank noticed Jessica's Daddy hobbling around on his crutches trying to get where he could see his daughter and make sure she was all right.

"I think your Daddy is worried about you, whada' ya' say we get you down there so he can see you?"

After looking down at her worried Daddy, Jessica agreed to climb down and let go of her hold on the limb before climbing to her feet on the deck. Hank climbed back onto the ladder as John took up a safety position below him. Hank then reached out to take Jessica in his arms before climbing the rest of the way down.

Jessica just looked at the hands beckoning her to them, "I getted up here by my ownself, I's can get down by my ownself."

Hank just sighed, there was no way he could climb down safely with the child if she was going to fight him it was going to be best to place her in front of him and let her climb down on her own. He also realized that she came by her attitude honestly; she was just like her tummy mommy. Just like her.

-0-

When Mike saw Jessica climbing to the penthouse level of the tree house he knew she was copying her Laura. He knew she was going up there to think and his gut told him what she wanted to think about. When he heard Johnny call down that Jessica was having a thinking moment he hurried into the nursery where his wife and several of the women of the party were fussing over the babies.

The nursery also had half of a set of two-way baby monitors the other half being placed in the penthouse level of the tree house.

Everyone in the room heard every word spoken and Mike stood behind his wife and rubbed her shoulders as her tears flowed down her cheeks.

-0-

Later, after most of the guests had left, Hank and his wife were helping to entertain the Garcia's and clean up. They had all realized that Mike and Laura needed some alone time and coaxed them to let them take care of the babies for a while. Malinda and Maggie were just finishing up the dishes while Hank and Carlos compared life on a fire float to that in a land station.

They were interrupted by the sound of a chair being dragged across a wood floor and that meant the nursery.

Quietly four adults moved to the doorway where they could see but did their best to stay out of sight as they watched little Jessica pull the chair over to the crib where both babies were entertaining each other. Once the chair was next to the crib Jessica climbed up and looked over the rails in silence for a moment.

"I want you to know sumpin," the young girl started talking to the two infants, "My tummy mommy lubed me too. I eben think she lubbed me more than you because I know I's as cute as you is and she lubbed me enough to gib me away so I could hab better stuff. My real Mommy and Daddy lub me too so that means I get more lub than you do, so there."

In the hall way four adults were clamping their hands over their mouths to stifle the laughter that they all wanted to burst out with as they listened more.

"Now you better be nice to my Laura, cause she's special, She helps lots of people when they is hurt or their house falls down and sometimes she eben get's hurt doin it. So you better give her hugs all the time cuz she servs them. When I'm around I get to give her hugs first. Uncle Mike promised me I could when they got married and when I's talkin on the phone you better not disturb her cuz Uncle Mike promised I could do that too. But when I's not here it's your job to make her happy cuz her should always be happy. Uncle Mike too sometimes."

-0-

While the hall was filled with silently giggling adults Mike and Laura clung to each other in the penthouse section of the tree house. Mike held Laura tight as she cried into his shoulder. The transmitter on their two-way radio turned off so that no one could hear them.

"She knows doesn't she?" Laura mumbled into Mike's shoulder.

"Yeah, I think so," Mike responded as he held her tight and rocked back and forth with her in his arms. "But she also knows that she's loved."