February 14, 2000 8:50 AM
Jack Mercer stood outside the nursery window looking in at theinfants inside the glass cribs, his eyes focused on two specific cribs, one holding a baby wrapped up in blue blankets with a blue hat, the other holding a baby wrapped in purple with a purple hat. Twins, he had twins, a little boy and a little girl, James Bobby Jeremiah and Juliette Evelyn Angel.
"Ma I wish you could see them, their perfect, well they're both a little small but that's it" Jack said into his phone smiling at the babies again.
"Oh Jackie, I'm so proud of you"Evelyn Mercer said on the other end. A doctor came towards Jack.
"Sorry Ma I gotta go I'll call you back later" Jack said before hanging up.
"Mr. Mercer" The doctor said holding out his hand Jack shook it quickly.
"Doc is there something wrong" Jack asked the doctor gave a smile.
"No nothing wrong I saw you standing here and was wondering if you would like to hold one of your children" The doctor asked Jack looked through the glass again before nodding.
"Yeah I'd like that" Jack said the doctor nodded and told a nearby nurse to go get one of the babies, the nurse complied and Jack watched her through the glass to retrieve the baby wrapped in purple and brought it back out handing it to Jack carefully.
"She's beautiful" The nurse said before going back to work the doctor too returned to what he was previously doing.
"The nurse is right; you are beautiful, with your stormy blue eyes and those little golden, caramel colored curls that covers your whole head" Jack said smiling at the baby.
"God you are so beautiful" Jack whispered the nurse came over and said something about needing to feed the baby and Jack reluctantly handed the baby over before deciding to go find his girlfriend, Jen, but stopped when he heard a voice shout at him from down the hall.
"Jack Mercer" A women with caramel colored curls said bending down to catch her breath before standing up straight and smiling at him.
"Gabby Ortiz" Jack replied the girl glared at him before smiling again.
"So how are they" Gabby asked green eyes twinkling with genuine curiosity, a look Jack rarely saw in his girlfriend's.
"Perfect, come look" Jack said and grabbed Gabby's wrist and dragged her to look in front of the nursery window Gabby peered in and looked at the many infants before looking back at Jack. Gabby had been one of the first decent people Jack had met when he had moved to New York, even though she too had been in the foster system and through just as much shit as he and his brothers but for her there was no Evelyn Mercer to save her, they had at one time had an 'on-again-off-again' relationship and when they been on 'off' Jack had met Jen, had a what he planned to be a one night stand but she had gotten pregnant so Jack stuck by her and Gabby understood why he was trying to make it work with Jen but Gabby and Jen didn't get along mainly because Gabby didn't trust Jen but she never said anything to Jack. Jen didn't like Gabby just because she used to have a thing with Jack but now they were just close friends.
"So which ones are yours" Gabby asked and Jack quietly pointed the two babies that shared a striking resemblance to not only each other but to Jack as well "Damn Jackie, they look like you" Gabby said, the two turned after hearing footsteps, looking around they saw a doctor walking towards them looking grim.
"What's wrong" Jack asked the doctor handed him a note and gave a sad smile.
"The mother told me to give you this before she signed herself out" The doctor said Jack looked wide eyed over at Gabby who shrugged just as confused before Jack looked back down and the note and began reading.
Jack,
I never wanted to be a mother so I guess I'm not going to be, I figured you would be fine with the twins and that Gabby would help but I can't do this, so I guess this is goodbye.
Jen
"So what happens now" Gabby asked looking at Jack, he looked back at her and shrugged.
"I guess I take them home and then I don't know" Jack said the doctor had already excused himself.
"I'm here for you Jack to help, Jen was a bitch anyway" Gabby said trying to reassure Jack, though she wasn't very good at it.
"Thank you so much I'll go see when I can take them home I already have everything set up" Jack said before quickly leaving Gabby standing there confused, sighing she turned back to look in the nursery.
A few days later and Jack and Gabby were back at his apartment putting finishing touches on the home nursery.
"Jack where do you want Juliette's blankets" Gabby asked as she finished folding the freshly washed baby blankets.
"Uh just put them over in her crib" Jack said pointing to the white crib that was placed against the wall opposite a dark mahogany one, Gabby nodded and laid out the purple blankets before going over and doing the same with blue ones, afterward she started putting away more baby clothes along with extra blankets.
Gabby looked around the room smiling at the way Jack had decorated it. One wall was painted light lavender and it had plastic flowers and butterflies hanging not only from the sealing but also on the walls and on the white crib. The opposite wall was painted baby blue with airplanes, cars, and sports trinkets hanging from the wall, sealing and crib. In the center of the room were various stuffed animals and baby toys that the twins wouldn't be able to play with for a few more months. Behind the toys was a simple changing table half white, half mahogany to match the twins' beds.
"Alright I think everything is ready, how about we go get the twins now" Gabby said turning to Jack, he glanced over at her from where he was adjusting a rocking chair that sat in the middle of the room.
"Uh I was wondering since Jen left and all and well we were kinda together if you wouldn't mind if the twins wanted to call you mommy, just so that they won't be confused when their older" Jack said, Gabby looked shocked for a moment before slowly nodding.
"Sure if your positive that's what you want" Gabby said, Jack smirked at her before snaking his arms around her waist and drawing her to him.
"Well since you're going to be here a lot you might as well move in and I only have two bedrooms and I don't think the twins would like it if you shared a crib with them and the couch is way too small so it looks like you're going to be rooming with me" Jack said his lips dangerously close to Gabby's, she giggled nervously giving him a small smile.
"Yeah I guess it does look that way but by doing this our relationship has to be either serious or nonexistent because I'm not setting these kids up to disappear like my parents did to me I'm either your girlfriend and their mother or I'm just Gabby, a best friend of Daddy's" Gabby said looking at Jack with her green orbs filled with a sudden darkness that Jack rarely saw but broke his heart when he did.
"I don't want you to be my girlfriend" Jack said he watched the way Gabby's eyes darkened more before capturing her lips with her he pulled away slowly "I want you to be mine, not just a girlfriend, I want to marry you one day" Gabby's eyes filled with tears that Jack knew she would probably never allow to fall Jack pulled something out of his pocket and held it out to Gabby, a red velvet box sat in her hand, slowly she flipped it open and a single tear escaped her eye, Jack wiped it away as Gabby stared at the single diamond, on a simple silver band. Jack took it from the box and slipped onto her left hand.
"Jack" Gabby whispered her eyes meeting his again.
"I bought it yesterday I was walking to the hospital to see the twins while you were working at the bar and I don't know I just bought it, I decided I wanted you to be mine and nobody else's" Jack said Gabby laughed nervously before throwing her arms around Jack's neck grinning Jack spun her around before setting her down and kissing her softly.
"I'm going to go call my Ma" Jack said he had talked to his mother last night, telling her about how Jen left and how Gabby had stepped in already filling the mother role and how he wanted to make her his, his mother had encouraged him and now he wanted to tell her how everything went.
"I thought I was the one who was supposed to call their mother but okay I'm going to go call Jessica and Brian and then we need to go pick up the twins" Gabby said, Jessica and Brian were a pair of friends of Jack and Gabby's that also worked at the same bar as Gabby, Brian was in Jack's band while Gabby and Jessica booked gigs for them. After calling everyone important, well the ones they could get a hold of (Jack hadn't been able to get a hold of his brothers Bobby or Angel and Gabby couldn't get a hold of Brian), the two made arrangements to get a hold of Brian and the rest of their male friends to help move Gabby into Jack's apartment not that she had a lot of things. Gabby had been in the foster system since she was three and didn't get out until she was eighteen, never having a permanent home had made it so that she didn't have much of anything really and it had only been a year since she had got out of the system and she got more bad than good in almost every place she went. They left for the hospital to pick up the twins.
Gabby held Juliette while Jack held James and signed all the necessary paperwork, the day after the twins were born Jack received a letter with documents in it that Jen had signed to give all her rights to the twins away. As they were leaving the hospital Jack turned to Gabby as the two buckled the twins' car seats into Gabby's car.
"Hey Gabs, uh since Jen signed away her rights do you think you would mind signing to legally be their mother" Jack asked Gabby looked at him her heart almost stopping.
"Jack are you sure, all of this is moving really fast" Gabby asked looking at the sleeping twins.
"Yes I'm sure, plus I'm a Mercer anything could happen and I don't want them thrown into the system because of a technicality" Jack said, Gabby knew Jack was in the system and Jack knew Gabby was in the system but neither really knew why or what happened to the other it was one of the things they didn't talk about Jen didn't even know either of them were in the system, not many people did.
"Alright we'll handle it tomorrow though and when is your mother coming" Gabby asked, when Jack had spoken to his mother earlier in the day he had asked her to come up and meet the twins.
"Uh in a few days" Jack answered as Gabby got in the driver's seat and started the car Jack got in the passenger seat and immediately began trying to find a rock and roll station to listen to; Gabby rolled her eyes before looking back to the road.
"Will she like me" Gabby asked suddenly Jack looked over at her and saw the darkness in her eyes were back Jack reached over and took her hand.
"No" He said and Gabby stiffened "She'll love you" Jack said but the darkness only grew in Gabby's eyes.
"I know that look Gabby, and don't you dare think like that, my mom brought all of my brothers from the broken shells we used to be and I'll be damned if she isn't able to do the same with you" Jack said Gabby glanced at him and he could still see the lingering darkness but her eyes were slowly turning back to the emerald color instead of the forest one they had previously been. Jack had learned early on that the only way to tell Gabby's emotions was her eyes; she had been hardened from the system to the point where her emotions didn't exist, until Jack came around and broke every damn one of her walls within minutes of their first meeting.
"I love you" Gabby whispered Jack's head snapped towards her in shock, one reason they had never been fully official was because they were both afraid to fall for the other and Jack never expected to hear say anything close to 'I love you', carefully he reached over and took her hand.
"I love you too" Jack said kissing her knuckles, the emerald color slowly began coming back to her eyes, the conversation stopped then. They arrived at Jack's apartment and began to unload the twins; both carried a car seat up the many stairs of Jack's apartment building.
"Alright, so what do we do now" Gabby asked as they set the car seats down in the living room, Jack looked at her and shrugged.
"Uh I don't know, put them in their cribs, the hospital said they won't need to eat until later today" Jack said before kneeling down and unbuckling one of the twins, Gabby followed suit and lifted the purple clad baby out of the darker purple car seat. Jack and Gabby took the babies into the nursery and laid the twins in their separate beds gently before turning the baby monitor on and leaving the room. They collapsed on the couch and Gabby snuggled up into Jack's side as he wrapped his arm around her and took her hand before flicking the TV on, he put on some horror film before relaxing back into the couch still holding Gabby. After a while Jack looked down to find Gabby fast asleep, he smiled and let himself drift off to sleep.
A shrill cry awoke them quickly followed by another, Gabby and Jack jumped up ready to hit someone and then laughed when they realized it was the babies.
"And it begins" Gabby said laughing as they walked down the hall.
(Two days later)
Gabby was half asleep on the couch, hair in a messy ponytail and a pair of simple black plastic frame glasses resting on her nose, with Juliette sleeping soundly in her arms, James was sleeping in a bouncer on the floor, when a knock on the door startled both Gabby and Juliette out of their peaceful slumber, Juliette started fussing as Gabby stood up to go answer the door.
"Hush baby" Gabby soothed quietly before opening the door. An older woman stood there with graying blonde hair and a peaceful expression. Gabby looked shocked for a minute.
"Um can I help you Miss" Gabby asked shifting the now sleeping Juliette to her hip, the woman smiled happily.
"Oh dear, you must be Gabby, Jackie has told me so much about you, I'm Evelyn Mercer, Jack's mother" Evelyn said holding her hand out, Gabby shook it hesitantly before realization dawned on her.
"Oh right, um please come in, it's a little messy, Jack's at work right now, so it's just me and the twins" Gabby said stepping aside to let Evelyn in.
"Oh that's alright dear, and who is this little one here" Evelyn asked looking at the pink clad baby in Gabby's arms.
"This is Juliette Evelyn Angel, Jack wanted to name the twins after his family, um you can hold her if you want I have to make her and James a bottle anyway" Gabby said carefully handing the baby to Evelyn, Gabby went into the kitchen with Evelyn following talking quietly to the now awake baby.
"So dear how are you and Jackie doing, everything going smoothly with the twins" Evelyn asked as Gabby finished the bottle and shook it before handing it Evelyn, who began feeding Juliette.
"Um yeah we're doing good I guess, Jack hasn't heard anything from Jen since he got the papers signing her rights away" Gabby said walking to the living room and getting James before coming back.
"Jack said you and Jen didn't get along" Evelyn said.
"Yeah we didn't, she thought I was sneaking around with Jack when they were together, which we weren't but she wouldn't listen to anyone but herself we tended to get into screaming matches" Gabby said rolling her eyes as she began feeding James.
"Well then, I'm glad you are going to be my daughter and not her then" Evelyn said Gabby looked surprised for a moment before she heard the door open.
"Gabs I'm home" Jack called, Evelyn and Gabby could hear him drop his jacket off on the coat rack.
"In the kitchen" Gabby called back before she started laughing.
What's so funny" Jack asked appearing in the doorway his eyes skipping over his mother and meeting Gabby's emerald ones.
"You realize we just sounding like a crappy old sitcom" Gabby said Jack started laughing as well.
"Next time I'll be sure to add 'honey'" Jack said Gabby shook her head and Jack looked over and saw his mother sitting at the table.
"Ma, what are you doing here I thought you weren't coming until tomorrow" Jack asked bending down to hug his mother.
"Oh I caught an earlier flight and decided to surprise you" Evelyn said smiling and hugging Jack back, Gabby decided this woman smiled a lot and she liked that. Gabby glanced at the clock on the microwave and sighed.
"Babe, I have to get ready for work, can you finish feeding James" Gabby asked looking at Jack, though she was already passing him the green clad baby.
"Alright I got him, go get ready" Jack said, Gabby smiled at Evelyn before disappearing down the hallway and into her and Jack's room.
"So, do you like her" Jack asked his mother hopefully.
"Jackie, I love her, she seems just right for you" Evelyn said smiling at Jack; he gave her a grin back.
"Babe, do you know where my black boots are" Gabby called from the bedroom.
"Under the bed, against the left corner" Jack called back instantly.
"Thanks" Gabby said as she left the bedroom and went into the bathroom.
"It seems you two were made for eachother" Evelyn said, Jack smiled.
"Yeah I guess" Jack said as Gabby came out of the bathroom bouncing on one foot to put her boots on, her hair was no longer in the loose pony tail but was hanging down in naturally loose curls, it framed her face which had light makeup on, she had taken the glasses she had originally had on off, and had replaced them with contacts.
"Bye babe, I'll be home later, it was nice meeting you" Gabby said first addressing Jack then his mother.
"Bye babe, call me when you get off" Jack said kissing her cheek before Gabby grabbed her jacket and left the apartment.
That was the first time Gabby had met Evelyn Mercer and the two of them had gotten along great from then on, and Jack made sure that his mother was able to visit quite a bit to be able to get to know Gabby and the twins. That was five years ago, now the twins were finally able to start to get to know her, when everything fell apart.