August 18th, 2001

Week 13

Lan let the towel fall to the floor. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled softly. Her belly was no longer the firm and tight stomach it once was. There was now a small bulge and She loved it.

Lan slid n her favourite skirt. It wouldn't fit her next week. She laid on the bed and zipped it up. She slowly sat up and grabbed her green shirt. Lan brushed her hair up into a ponytail. Her body still ached from the car accident. She got her stitches out last week and Derek had made her relax ever since the hospital had released her. Lan wasn't complaining.

"Lan?" Derek called out from the living room.

"What?"

"Come on. I got the baby name book." Derek smiled from the couch. Lan smiled and walked out. "Ready to make a list?"

"Always." Lan sat down next to him and snuggled in. "I've always liked the name Georgia."

"Because that's where youre from." Derek glanced sideways at Lan who nodded.

"I thought it'd be nice to name my daughter That." Lan said. Derek loooked at her and smiled. They were actually picking out names for their children. He still couldn't believe he was going to be a father. Derek wrote the name Georgia down on the list.

"I like it." He said, "I like the name Cherish for a girl."

"Cherish?" Lan thought about it, "Cherish Barnes...I like that."

"Want it on the list?" Derek asked.

"It goes on the list." Lan said taking the baby name book. "How about...ah...Charles for a boy?" Derek thought about the name for a moment.

"Charles Barnes has a nice ring to it." Derek said, "I would name my son Peter Vincent-Christopher after the three greatest actors of all time, Peter Cushing, Vincent 0

Price, and Christopher lee."

"I like that." Lan said, "Peter Barnes. I really like that. Ooh! How about Tatiana?"

"Tatiana." Derek let it rolled over his tongue. A smile spread across his face, "I like that too." He slowly wrote down as Lan gasped.

"Oh my god!" She cried. Derek almost dropped the pen.

"What?? Are you okay?" He asked. Lan began to laugh.

"They moved. I felt the babies move." She said with the biggest smile on her face. She took Derek's hand on put it on her stomach.

"They moved?" He asked with a smile. She nodded.

"It felt like bubbles." She moved Derek's hand around her stomach.

"I can't feel anything."

"Hold on." Lan shushed him. They sat there in silence for a moment until Lan's stomach moved again. She smiled. "Did you feel that?"

Derek nodded slowly. The movement had been very faint against his hand but extremely powerful in his heart and soul. He had felt his children move and he couldn't believe t. Derek leaned over and kissed Lan softly.

"That was amazing." He whispered. Lan smiled.

"It's only going to get stronger week by week. As I get fatter." Lan chuckled.

"You're not getting fat; you're pregnant and extremely hot." Derek smiled. Lan laughed at him.

"Riiiiight Mr. Barnes." She said looking at the list of names they had written, "I was thinking about something, Derek."

"Don't hurt yourself doing that" he chuckled. Lan smacked his arm, "Ouch. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking..." Lan chose her words carefully, "That I should officially move my things in here. I mean if you want me to, if you don't then I won't." Derek looked at Lan.

"You actually want to move in the Barnes Homes with dirty floors and messy things?" He asked with a smile.

"You know I'm a neat freak. Those dirty floor and neat things will be clean five minutes after I move into here."

"Woo-hoo! A Clean Barnes Home. Move on in." He laughed. Lan smacked his arm.

"Derek, I'm serious." She said, "do you want me to move in or not?" Derek looked at her.

"Of course! I couldn't think of anything I would want more than to have you move in. You think we can fit our daughters in here?"

"Daughters?" Lan asked with a smile, "You think we're having girls?"

"Ah...Yeah." Derek said, "I mean, we only have one bedroom."

"Have you looked to see how huge your place is?" Lan asked, "You don't even use that side of the room." She pointed so the dark corner that Derek never used. It was piled up with boxes and chairs and freaky link cases. "We could easily fit a couple cribs over there and a rocking chair and um...a bookshelf and a toy chest and a dresser." Derek smiled at her. She was so cute when she got excited.

"Sure we can have all that and then some." Derek said, "anything you want."

"And how are you going to pay for this?"

"Ah, I've been working out a payment plan for cases." He said getting up and moving to the computer. "I think we'll need to work on a case by case thingy. I mean, we can charge more for broken equipment, bail, hazard pay, you know." Lan chuckled.

"Good idea." She said as Chloe walked in with a couple of bags, "Hey Chlo."

"Howdy." She said sitting next to Lan, "Hey Derek."

"Ah...Hey." He mumbled from the computer. Chloe chuckled handing Lan a small pink bag.

"What's this?" Lan asked.

"I went to the mall and I got a few things." Chloe said. Lan smiled and opened up the bag.

"Oh Chloe. They're beautiful." Lan pulled out two small pink gingham sundresses. They had little tulips for buttons. "You think we're having girls too?"

"Well. I got these too." Chloe handed Lan another bag. Lan smiled and opened it up.

"Aw Chloe these are adorable." Lan pulled out two small pale blue sleepers with little stars on them. "Thank you so much." Lan kissed Chloe's cheek. "I love them." Lan got up and moved to the cluttered side of the room where their children will sleep. She folded the clothes up neatly, put them mi n the bags, and placed it on a table between a shrunken head and a book on Appalachian tribes.

"Well, Good." Chloe said, "When I saw them I just had to get them like I said. It's not everyday your best friends have babies."

"Chloe, how are your lifting arms?" Derek asked. She looked at him suspiciously.

"Why?"

"I need to move Lan's things in here and we all know how many clothes and shoes she has." Derek said with a smile.

"Hey!" Lan cried, "I don't have that many...okay maybe I do, but it's not like I can fit into them anymore. I'll need to pack first."

"Since it's for Lan, I'll do it." Chloe said, "and Jason can help too."

"I plan on asking him." Derek said typing on the computer.

Hey Freaksters.

Nothing happening on the freaky front. I think when I said I'd start charging it scared off all our clients. *Sniff* Take pity on the poor father of twins wont you? *Puppy dog eyes* Thanks :D

Thanks everyone for the get well e-cards and cards you sent Lan. She's doing great (and looking sexy). She got her stitches out and there isn't a visible scar. She's doing well with the pregnancy. She getting big too and looking hot. Wait...did I mention she's hot and sexy yet? Well she is. (Brownie points for the D-Man) Anyway, Take care all and I'll let you know of any freaky things we find.

Hurdy gur,

Derek

Derek saved that and shut the computer off. He leaned back and watched Chloe and Lan giggle and talk on the couch. He still couldn't believe that he was going to be a father. He was sure it wouldn't actually hit him until the day they are born, but he was sure he would love every single moment of it.

*****

Help Derek and Lan name their babies from the list of names.

Be honest. Don't stuff the Box. I know when that happens. Mu ha ha ha!

http://www.freevote.com/booth/thetwinsnames