Don walked into his apartment that night, throwing his jacket onto the couch and gently taking his holster off and laying it on the table. He slid down to the floor in front of the couch and yawned. Robin came in from the kitchen, wearing a small silk nightie and matching robe. He smiled widely at her, and she walked behind him, sitting on the couch and moved him up a bit.
"Here." she murmured, starting to massage his shoulders.
Don leaned gratefully into the massage as she worked some of the tension knots out.
"Have I mentioned how awesome you are?" he smiled.
Robin smiled softly back, her hands moving upwards to massage his scalp, because she knew that was how to make him really relax. "Not often enough." she laughed, smiling down at him as he closed his eyes and leant his head towards her lap.
"Anything interesting going on?"
"Well, Charlie and Amita are having one of each. Boy and a girl." Don mumbled sleepily.
"Ahh, that's good." Robin said. "Any interesting cases?"
Don stiffened. "CalSci; woman was raped, killed. Charlie wants Amita to take maternity leave a month early."
"That's silly. If I was Amita, I wouldn't put up with that kind of treatment."
Don turned around, frowning a bit. "Treatment?" he echoed. "Being absolutely doted upon, you'd take offense to?"
"Treated like I was all delicate." Robin clarified.
"Well, she's pregnant, and his wife, so, yeah..." Don said. "Speaking of... have you ever thought about... I dunno... babies?"
Robin stopped rubbing his head and looked at him with wide eyes. "Babies?"
"Well... yeah, I mean, we're not getting any younger..."
"Speak for yourself, Donald Eppes!" Robin huffed, standing up.
Don got up too and tried to get Robin to look at him. "Oh Robin, don't be like that." "I did not mean anything bad about it. You are beautiful. As beautiful as the day I met you. Even more so. But after seeing Charlie and Amita the last few months. I have realized that something I did not think I was missing… really was."
"Don, I like how things are now. We both have our lives and our careers to think about," Robin argued.
"Who says we have to give up our careers?" Don replied.
"Don, sweetie; babies are a lot of work. What can the two of us, workaholics, give a child?"
"Love. Don't think we would bring our same dedication to work to our family? And besides. We both can take a little break from our stressful lives and have our family while we are still young."
"Families are stressful," Robin stated.
"Oh Robin," he whispered in her ear. "Don't you want to be a mother?"
Robin nodded. "Yes, I do. But I am scared."
Well, me too, baby, but, it scares me more to think of never... never having that experience." he admitted softly. "This kid... it'll be a little me... hopefully a lot of you?" he smiled winsomely at her.
Robin chuckled. "Damn, you do have charm, Don Eppes..." she said, sliding her arms around his neck...
*******************************************
Meanwhile, Charlie, Amita and Larry were sitting in the living room, having a "think tank" session, trying to figure point of origin to find Brenda Fischelli's attacker. However, for once, Charlie wasn't standing at the chalkboard, he was seated on the couch, Amita's legs across his, massaging her swollen calves and ankles.
"So, you're really going to take off?" Larry asked Amita.
"Yeah, I am. I need to get the nursery ready, anyhow, and Alan is going to help me assemble some of it tomorrow. We've had the furniture in the boxes for four months now." she said, looking at Charlie with a smirk.
Charlie shrugged his shoulders. "I lost track of time."
"Ah yeah. Okay. Sure. Anyway, these babies do need to be protected. And I can still do some work here... I mean if you need a computer read or something, I am your girl."
Charlie playfully yet gently slapped Amita's lap. "Yes, now that might be doable. But I am sure you and Dad will have a good gab session."
Amita laughed. "Oh I am sure we shall. You know months before you proposed he and I had a little chat; wondering if you were ever going to propose."
Larry gasped, "You didn't!"
"I did. And I even brought it up."
"What?" Charlie exclaimed. "Really?"
Amita nodded.
"Ah, I see. Well, I came around though, didn't I?"
"Yeah you did."
******************************************************************************************************
The next morning at the FBI office, Charlie was working at the dry-erase boards when Robin walked up behind him.
"Morning." she smiled.
"Hi." he smiled back. "What's up?"
"Nothing... but, can I talk to you a moment? Personal matter?"
"Ah, sure, okay..." Charlie said, raising an eyebrow.
"When the twins are born... what are you and Amita going to do about a nanny?" Robin asked, not realizing Don had walked in.
"Nanny?" Charlie echoed, as though the word sounded foreign to him.
"Yes... you are getting one, right?"
"No, no... we're perfectly capable of doing it ourselves... Amita's going to do her stuff from home, and I'm cutting back my hours. We want to." he smiled. "Besides, babies can't tell you how people are treating them--- I'm not going to trust mine to a stranger."
Robin tilted her head slightly. "Are you going to home school, too?"
"No; I don't want to inadvertently push them." Charlie said quietly. "Besides, I want them to have friends, and school is important for socialization."
"Ah..." Robin said thoughtfully. "Well, if, Don and I... were to... consider..."
"You're pregnant?!" Charlie blurted.
"No! Ahem, I mean... no, no... Just... weighing options here..."
"Ah, okay..."
"See, if you and Amita are going to be... you'd already have yours, and be so adept... and Don and I work a lot... We're less trusting than the two of you are, so... Would another one be too much? Just while we're at work, mind you, not like, all the time."
"Robin!" Don said a bit sharply.
Robin blanched. "I was just asking... but, would you really trust anyone else? A stranger? Or would you rather it be Charlie and Amita?"
Don weighed this. She spoke truth, but, it wasn't really fair to put a third one on them like that... Charlie, however, was laughing.
"Dude, if I know Amita, she'd feel the same way I do about it--- family comes first. If you guys needed it, yeah, we'd totally be there for ya. And, if ours are too much of a handful by that time, maybe Dad would kick in?"
