A/N: I'm back with the final chapter. I'm tired because it's 3:30 in the morning and I just spent the last 3 hours typing this. Please read and review. I'll give everyone a cookie and a cookie to those who reviewed the other chapters too. No flames please because only losers flame.

Disclaimer: I have not nor will I ever own RENT or its characters. I only own additional characters.

Mark sat in his living room, impatiently waiting for a phone call. Roger, Nadia, Maureen and Joanne had come over to keep him company. Roger and Joanne sat on the couch quietly talking while Nadia was doing normal ten-year-old kid things. Maureen sat beside Mark and held his hand. She asked, "Did he call yet?"

Mark answered, "No, he didn't and I'm getting worried. What if something's wrong?"

Roger spoke up. "A woman's first baby usually takes the longest. Without modern medicine to push things along, the labor process can last for several days."

Maureen and Mark turned to look at him in puzzlement.

"Something I learned when Mimi was pregnant with Nadia," Roger said by way of explanation.

Mark walked to the phone. "I'm calling the hospital." But before he could pick it up, it rang, startling them all. He reached for the phone, but then started to pull back, his hand wavering with his indecision.

Joanne yelled, "For Chrissakes! Pick it up, Mark!"

"But what if--"

"Pick it up!"

Mark lifted the handset and the ringing ceased. With hesitation, he placed the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Uncle Mark! What took you so long?"

"Um, I'm sorry. I was in another room. What's going on, Jason? How's Desiree?"

"You can bring everyone here. The doctor said it won't be much longer."

Mark's heart started to pound erratically in his chest. His hand shook so much that he almost dropped the phone receiver. "Are you serious?"

Jason laughed, his nervous happiness traversing the phone line. "Of course. Get down here as fast you can or you'll miss the whole thing."

"Okay. We'll be there."

"Desi's been asking for you guys."

"Just tell her to concentrate on keeping her strength up. We'll be there before you can blink an eye."

"See you, Uncle Mark."

"Bye." Mark hung the phone up carefully as if it were made of blown glass. He turned to face the others in the room.

Maureen was already putting on her coat. "What are we waiting for? Let's go."

"Mark, will you please stand still? You're driving me crazy."

"How can I sit still, Rog? It's been so long! What if something's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong and stop saying that."

"Why haven't we heard the baby cry?"

"It's not born yet."

"Why not?"

"Cohen, if you don't..." Roger's partially spoken threat was interrupted by the voice of a woman yelling loudly, the cheers of several people, and the piercing cry of one newly born. "Oh my God!" Maureen said with astonishment. Her eyes sparkled with unshed moisture.

Mark found a seat and sat in it, trying to hold back the churning in his stomach. His hands shakily wiped the sweat from his brow. He watched Maureen stand, walk carefully to the delivery room, and try to peek around the curtain that hid the room from view. "Maureen," Joanne said. "Give Desiree some privacy for Christ's sake."

"But I want to see." Maureen turned and saw Mark. She frowned in concern. "Are you okay, Markie?"

Mark nodded, the motion setting his stomach to churning again. He pressed a hand against it as if that would calm the maelstrom inside.

After what seemed like an eternity, one of the nurse's came out of the room. "Are you with the Collins family?"

Mark stood up, "Yes, we're Jason's family. Are Desiree and the baby okay?"

"Make that 'babies'. She delivered twins. Congratulations!"

"Are they boys or girls?" Maureen asked eagerly.

Jason stepped out behind the nurse. "No fair, Aunt Mo. You promised you'd let us tell you first. Come meet our son and daughter!" His eyes were wide as if he were a bit stunned at his own words.

Jason led everyone into the room. They all gasped at the appearance of the proud mother and father each holding a squirming, thick, white blanket. Jason said, "Look at them. Aren't they the most beautiful babies you ever saw?" The baby Jason held was red-faced and crying. His hair was plastered to his head under a tiny cap. His balled up fist rested against a plump cheek. The baby Desiree held was identical to her but quiet and peaceful.

They all oohed and aahed over the babies, all clamoring for a closer look while battling their tossed emotions. Mark reached into his pocket, pulled out a photo and held it up to the baby boy's face. "Say hello to your grandma and grandpa. They would have loved to have seen you." The baby blinked as if he could understand what was being said. Then he yawned, revealing a dimple in his right cheek. He closed his eyes again and fell asleep. Mark looked up at Jason with happiness. "Congratulations... Daddy."

Jason's eyes were still on the photograph. He turned and handed the baby to Joanne, who was in total awe of the baby. He turned back to Mark, his face crumpling with anguish. Mark immediately wrapped his arms around Jason. "It's okay, Jay. It's okay. I'm sorry."

Jason's shoulders shook and he sobbed for the one dark spot on this happy occasion, for the loss that couldn't be replaced or forgotten by any of them. Roger stepped up behind Jason and laid his hand on his shoulder in gentle comfort. When he was finally able to speak, Jason whispered, "I can't believe how much I miss them."

Mark nodded sadly. "I know."

"They should have been here."

"But they are."

Jason pulled away and looked into Mark's eyes. "You always say that, but do you really believe it?" He wiped the tears from his face and looked at Mark more closely. He nodded tiredly as if that look was all the answer he needed. "Good. If you stopped believing, I don't know what I'd do. I don't know where I'd be without Mom and Dad and Aunt Mimi watching over all of us." He looked towards his extended family and the new additions "We're going to need all the help we can get."

Mark patted Jason on the shoulder. It still amazed him that the small child--a baby, really--who had come to Angel and Collins so many years ago, was standing before him as a grown man--and a family man, no less. "I think you'll do fine on your own, but it never hurts to have a little extra help."

"Thanks, Uncle. As soon as Desi gets moved to her room, you'll come and say hello? She was asking for all of you."

"You couldn't keep us away if you tried."

Later that day, Desiree Collins' hospital room was bursting at the seams. Mark, Roger Nadia, Maureen, Joanne, Jason's best friend, Sean, and Desiree's mom, Alexandra, were all making goo-goo eyes at the babies being held in Jason's arms. Desiree was in bed, valiantly not complaining about how tired and sore she must be. Instead, her face radiated relief and happiness. She held on loosely to Mark's hand and granted him a shaky smile.

"Uncle Mark, you haven't stopped grinning since you got here."

"Can you blame me?"

She looked across the small room at her husband. The glow in his face was a mirror of her own. Her eyes fell shut and she began to tremble. Mark squeezed her hand in a comforting manner. "Hey... Hey, darling. It's okay."

She kept her eyes shut and pressed his hand in return. "I was so scared."

"Couldn't tell. You were very brave."

"I thought something terrible would happen."

"Nothing did. You were fantastic and the babies are fine--perfect, in fact."

"How are we going to do this? What do Jason and I know about being parents?"

"Roger said he was terrified the first three years after Nadia was born and now he's only scared witless."

That earned him a laugh and a groan as she winced a little in pain.

"Desiree--"

That got her attention. "Uh-oh. I know that tone. I'm in for a long lecture, aren't I?"

"Sit back and relax. I've been practicing," said Mark with a chuckle. "Seriously, you and Jason are both strong, caring people and you're even better together. I know that you'll love, cherish, and do your best for your kids."

Desiree felt tears fill her eyes and clog her throat. "You always know the right thing to say, Uncle Mark."

Mark shook his head in denial. "No. I just keep talking until I hit the right mark."

"Now I know where Jason gets it from." They both laughed. She sobered quickly and said, "We picked names. We hope you all are okay with them."

"Why on earth wouldn't we be? We have to call them something besides 'the boy' and the 'the girl' "

She bit her lip and took a deep breath before saying softly, "We wanted to name them Thomas and Angel."

Mark clutched Desiree's hand, kissed it and let it go, smiling at her. He stood and walked to the group around the babies while the sensation of her worried eyes burned into his back. He should have turned to say something, to make some comment, but he was at a loss to reassure her before he reassured himself.

"Jason, may I hold one of the babies? Just for a couple of minutes?"

Jason looked up and frowned with concern. He looked over Mark's shoulder for a moment, and nodded--presumably at his wife. "Of course, Uncle Mark." He handed little Angel to Mark while handing little Thomas to Desiree's mom.

Mark took the precious bundle into his arms for the first time. The infant was sleeping despite all the excitement and activity around her. Mark stroked the baby's cheek until her eyes fluttered open. She looked more like her lovely mother than anyone else: curly cinnamon brown hair and a hint of gold in her skin. The light brown eyes blinked closed again and Mark sighed with disappointment that the glimpse had been so brief. He looked up toward the ceiling. "What do you think?" he whispered out to seemingly nowhere.

"She may be sleeping now, but I predict that she'll be spirited enough to cause some trouble later. Just like her grandparents"

Jason came up next to Mark with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Are you okay, Uncle Mark? You looked far away."

"I'm fine. I'm here. I was just saying hello to little Angel." Mark put his finger in the baby's palm, which had opened for a moment.

Jason suddenly looked unaccountably nervous. "I should have told you guys earlier. We hope you like them."

"I love the names, Jason. Wouldn't have it any other way."

"Do you think Mom and Dad would have liked it?"

"Yes, Jason. I know they would have loved it."

The End

A/N: This marks the end of story, people. I hope you liked it and thanks for all the reviews. :)