Thank you arubagirl0926, cullentreehill, ghostwhisperjimel, caseyjr, rockiewriter, bdazzle, stagediva23, davisbaker, lostinwriting, caroline, elle, sb1218 for reviewing.

Sorry this took awhile. End of summer vaca always becomes a crazy time. I move back into school next week (cue Snookie waaaah!) but I'll do my best to keep writing and take breaks from schoolwork to get an update out! Believe me, I'd so much rather be just updating everday if I had the time, but unfortunately I have to get a degree and finish school so I can be an upstanding member of society and take care of myself. I will not depend on a man damn it! lol But if my knight in shining prince charming armour man (named nathan scott) does come along somedayy, I would be happy to let him be my sugar daddy if he wants to ;)

ENJOYYYYYYYY

AGE 4 1/2

Adjusting to life with a baby was very different this time around for Brulian. Avery wasn't sick or in the hospital like the twins had been and Brulian had to learn how to meet Avery's needs, while also taking care of two untireable boys at the same time.

But on the plus side, there were no longer any shooting pee incidents during diaper changes. Yaay!

Today Brooke had to get out of the confines of her house because othewise she would just go crazy. With three kids at home, all under five, going out was rare without Julian. But today Brooke couldn't stay inside, she was itching to have some adult contact, even if it was just with a sales person. She had some errands to do and some things on a list to get, so she decided to head up to the mall to shop with the kids. She figured she'd try it once, and worse comes to worse, she wouldn't do it again until the kids were older.

Little did she know, she'd never want to do it again... ever. Period.

With Avery in a stroller and the twins walking, Brooke did her best to move quickly through her list and make the boys hold onto her or the side of the stroller.

In the childrens' clothing section of one of the department stores, Brooke stopped at a rack of boys shorts. Davis needed new ones since he was growing out of things like crazy these days. Jude, on the other hand, was a little behind his brother in size and was, unknowingly, getting hand-me-downs.

"Do you like these, Davey?"

Davis made a face and shook his head.

"Why not? They're cool." Brooke looked for his size anyways since she liked them.

Davis shrugged, not really caring as much as he led on. He just didn't want to be shopping at all. He thought it was boring. He wanted to play.

"Mommy can we play?" Davis asked nicely.

"Later Davis," Brooke said, brushing him off slightly. "We can't play here."

Brooke placed the shorts she planned on buying over her forearm and moved on.

And just across the aisle was the little girls' section, where Brooke spotted the cutest little baby frilly dress and matching sandals.

"Oh my goodness!"

Brooke picked up the outfit, just loving that she could finally splurge on wardrobe for a daughter.

Girls clothes were always so much cuter than boys. Plus, there was only so much you could do with a boy's standard shirt and pants outift. Girls had so many more options: with styles, dresses, skirts, pants, sweaters, and colors.

"Can we leave now Mommy?"

The boys were getting impatient and Jude slumped over the side of the stroller towards Avery when he asked. She reached out and grabbed his hair a little.

"We just got here, bud. We'll get some food in a little bit, okay?"

The food court was on the other end of the mall, but she hoped they would make it there.

"Can we eat now?" Davis pushed.

"Not yet, no." Brooke grabbed a cute dress for Avery and pushed on towards the cashier at the front of the store.

As the family made its way past menswear, the seven month old, teething Avery began to get fussy.

"Oh!" Brooke stopped and turned the carriage around to face Avery. "Sweetie, don't cry."

She grabbed Avery's little hand and then tried to distract her with her toys and her blanket. She grabbed a teething ring out of her diaper bag but it didn't seem to help. The cries only got worse.

Brooke began to look around, hoping a crowd in the department store wasn't staring, thinking she couldn't control or calm her baby.

Brooke scooped up Avery and began to bounce her. Avery settled a little bit against Brooke, but still cried like she needed something.

"Boys can you grab a bott-"

Brooke stopped when she turned around to discover that both of her sons were no longer by her side.

"Davis? ... Jude?" Brooke turned in a circle and the nerves began creeping up her body when she still didn't see them. And they didn't respond.

"Boys this isn't funny." Brooke left the stroller in the middle of the aisle and ventured with her crying baby down about ten feet, with her head whipping around in all directions.

"Boys? Where are you?"

No one was around her so she didn't feel as embarrassed when she yelled. Actually, she was too nervous to care either way.

Brooke kept walking and suddenly spotted her son Jude climbing up a big wire container of pillows.

"Jude!"

Brooke picked up the pace when she saw him and her call was a warning to stop what he was doing. But he didn't listen. Jude didn't even turn back before making it the top step of wire and diving into the pool of pillows.

"Jude Nathaniel! What do you think you're doing?"

Brooke used her free hand that wasn't holding Avery to grab Jude's little upper arm and fish him out of the pillow holding tank.

"It's fun Mom."

"I don't care if you think it's fun. You don't wander off on your own. You know that. You stay with Mommy, you hear me?"

"Uh huh," Jude nodded, knowing he was in trouble.

"Where's your brother?" That was Brooke's next concern.

Jude shrugged.

"He's not with you?"

"Nope," Jude said simply.

Brooke wanted to say a little 'shit' under her breath but stopped herself. He could be anywhere... he could've even left the store and went out into the mall alone if he felt adventurous enough today.

"Davis!"

With Avery still crying loudly and her hand firmly clasped around Jude's wrist, Brooke pulled the group of three down a couple more feet, then further. Another few minutes without finding Davis felt like a lifetime. All Brooke could think of was 'what if someone grabbed him', all the 'what if' horrible scenarios.

"Davis answer me!"

Usually when a little child thought he was lost, he would get scared or cry, but Brooke didn't hear a peep from her missing son.

"Can I help you miss?" A female store employee approached her, obviously knowing something was wrong.

"My son Davis wandered off and I can't find him... he looks kind of like him with lighter hair," Brooke said, referencing Jude by her side.

"I'm sorry, I haven't seen him, but we'll find him, don't worry." The woman went on her walkie talkie to call for 'backup'.

Brooke was ready to cry, regretting the decision to ever make this trip to the mall.

"Mama you're hurting my arm..!" Jude told her.

Brooke let go of him.

"I'm sorry buddy, I'm just realy worried about Davey," Brooke admitted.

"I can find him!" Jude offered. "I am good at hide and seek."

"This isn't a game, Jude."

Brooke was beginning to get frantic. It had been a good seven or eight minutes now and Davis was nowhere to be seen. Brooke walked back over to the stroller and placed Avery down even though she was still cranky. She then got Jude to sit on the back half-seat so she could at least keep track of the two children she still knew the locations of...

"Davis!"

Brooke began to call his name again. Other concerned mothers in the store began to approach the scared mother with sympathy. They all knew the fear she was experiencing and wanted to help if they could.

"Mom.." Jude called.

"Not now Jude, this is serious!," Brooke said.

"But Mo-"

"Please!"

"But he's over there," Jude pointed. Brooke looked and didn't see her eldest son.

"That's not funny, Jude."

Jude got out of his seat and Brooke stopped the stroller abruptly.

"He's in there." Jude walked over into the menswear section and bent down to crawl under a circular rack of clothes.

Brooke rushed over and pulled back a thick stack of pants to reveal her twin sons sitting side by side.

"Davis Victor Baker! You are in so much trouble!" Brooke barked, leaning down to grab him.

"I told you I'm good at hide and seek, Mommy," Jude piped in proudly.

Brooke ignored him due to her fury.

"Why didn't you come when I called you, Davis! That was very bad and naughty and Mommy was very scared when she couldn't find you."

"I wanted to play..." Davis told her again.

"Well you won't be doing any playing because we're going home and you're both going to be in time out."

"No Momma I'm sorry!" Davis began to whine and get upset, while Jude gave her a look. He was more used to getting in trouble. But Brooke didn't flinch.

Brooke had never been so angry at him before. The Davis she knew wouldn't ever do something like this.

"We're leaving, let's go," Mom said sternly.

Brooke walked the boys back over to the stroller where the store employees and concerned spectators were. She thanked them for helping, even though her son wasn't lost, he was hiding. Brooke then put back the clothes and items on her errands list and walked right out of the mall with nothing she had planned on buying. She was so totally embarrassed and angry and diappointed, she didn't think she could ever show her face in that store ever again.

At the car, she strapped Avery in and got her a bottle all propped up against her blankets for the ride home, and she buckled the boys into their booster seats. Brooke was utterly fuming and the boys could see that, so the ride home was almost completely silent besides Avery's baby noises.

When they got home, Brooke got Avery's car seat out of the car immediately as the boys unbuckled themselves, like they always did even when Brooke didn't want them too. But today, she didn't seem to care.

Brooke unlocked the front door and waited for the boys to walk inside before she did. She didn't say a word to them.

Now by this time, Julian was home from work and was confused at the sight she saw. Usually the boys barrelled through the door laughing or yelling and playing, but not today. He knew something was wrong when he saw Brooke's face.

"What happened?"

Brooke didn't answer Julian right away, but finally addressed the boys.

"Go to your beds right now, and I don't want to hear a peep out of you," Brooke pointed upstairs, trying to be calm. But she was fed up.

The boys marched upstairs with sad, guilty faces without even one slight objection.

"What happened?" Julian repeated, taking the car seat from Brooke and unbuckling the drousy little girl.

"I am never taking them anywhere in public ever again," Brooke paced.

"Why not?" He was still in the dark.

"I stopped to calm Avery at the mall when she starts screaming and I turn around for one second and they both took off!"

"Oh no..." Julian knew where this was going.

"I called them and neither answered me or came when they heard my voice. I found Jude pretty fast but strangers were coming up to me... I thought Davis got kidnapped or something..." Brooke was beginning to get emotional. "And then Jude finds him playing in a rack of clothes! I was right there calling him and he totally ignored me."

"Honey, calm down." He tried to get her to sit, while balancing Avery with one arm.

"No I don't wanna calm down. I don't understand how they could just walk away and not care. I tell them a million times a day that they can't walk away from me but they both did! They walked off in completely different directions and they could've gotten lost or stolen or really hurt. I have never been so angry at them in all their lives."

Brooke said she was angry, but Julian knew she was just overwhelmed and also afraid. Her sons meant the world to her, to both of them, and Julian could understand her frustration and concern that the twins didn't listen.

"I know you're mad."

"Hell yes, I'm mad!" Brooke snapped.

"Yes I know, but I also know you're upset and you have ever right to be, but they're okay Brooke. You found them."

That caused Brooke's threatening tears to actually fall.

"I'm a horrible mom," Brooke mumbled as her face crumbled and she cried as she sunk down next to him on the couch.

Julian let his wife's face hit his chest.

"You know that's not true," he inisisted.

"No.. I can' do it. I'm a failure."

"Brooke, that's impossible. That's the most untrue thing I've ever heard."

"I don't know what to do..."

"Are you kidding? You laid down the law when you walked in here. The boys are obviously guilty and sorry and upset and I'm sure that means that you put the fear of god in them when you scolded them for wandering off and disobeying you. That's what any good parent would do... be firm even when it's hard. You're a super mom, Brooke."

"I don't feel like one at all."

Julian sighed. "I'm sure the best moms never do."

Brooke gave a slight chuckle and wiped her right eye with her knuckle.

"Why don't you go take a little rest in our bed and I'll talk to the boys. Then we can talk to them together about rules, behavior, and being respectful and mature."

"I am exhausted," Brooke admitted, liking the idea.

"Well I don't blame you one bit."

Brooke sighed and looked up at him.

"Thank you."

Julian shrugged off the thanks, not thinking he deserved any. It was his pleasure to help her.

"My job is to make you happy and help with all of our family's craziness."

"Well you do a great job..." Brooke admitted willingly. "I'll take Avery to her crib and then take a nap myself."

"Sounds like a good plan."

Julian handed the almost sleeping child over to her mother and leaned down to place a kiss on the top of her head before Brooke walked toward the downstairs bedrooms.

;

Julian walked into his sons' bedroom and saw them both lying on their beds. Davis was face down with his hands over his eyes, and Jude laid on his side, his eyes roaming.

"Are we in trouble, Daddy?" Jude asked.

"Yes you are and you know why."

Julian sat down on Jude's bed as he sat up.

"Davis come here please," Julian said, hearing his son's gasps from crying into his hands.

"Mommy's gunna kill me!" Davis mumbled through the pillow.

"Mommy's not going to kill you," Julian assured. "She's just upset about what you two pulled today."

Davis sat up and wiped his eyes.

"I just wanted to play," he admitted again.

"I know, but you can't do anything you want to do all the time. You boys are big brothers now and you have to be responsible and behave well for Mommy while she takes care of what baby Avery needs."

"But she needs to take care of us, too!" Jude spoke loudly.

"Of course she does, but babies need extra care because they can't do things that you boys can yet. And if you help Mommy, then she'll have extra time to spend with you, too."

Davis looked down.

"I'm sorry I was bad."

"Thank you, Davey."

"Me too." Jude added, even though he knew he wasn't as bad as Davis today, for a change.

"Thank you, Jude."

"Are we done being punished now?"

Btoh boys looked at their father hopefully.

Julian chuckled. "Not if Mommy has anything to say about it."

;

Julian left the boys in their room and went downstairs to the master bedroom. There he found his wife curled up on her side sleeping sideways on the bed. It was as if she just collapsed there and didn't have the strength to reach her pillow.

Julian sat down beside Brooke on the end of the bed, causing her to feel the dip in the bed and open her eyes.

"Davis thinks you're going to kill him," Julian informed her as he pushed the strand of hair out of her eyes.

Brooke rolled onto her back.

"You should've seen me at the store, I almost did."

"They apologized.. they're resting in their beds. We'll talk to them together when you're ready."

Brooke nodded and let out a big breath.

;

Making her way into her sons' open bedroom door, she was in a better mood than she was a few hours ago.

"Boys will you come sit in the living room please?"

Hearing their mom's voice, Davis and Jude's heads both shot up and looked at her. When Brooke left after her comment, the brothers looked at each other before scurring off their beds and fast walking out their door and downstairs. When they got to the living room, they saw Brooke sitting down on the coffee table and their dad was in the big comfy chair next to the couch. Avery was in her bouncer in the open floor space in front of the TV, chewing on her purple monkey.

"Come sit, guys," Julian told them again.

As they sat down, Davis made the first move.

"I'm sorry Mummy... I don't want you to think I'm bad."

Brooke shook her head.

"I know you're not bad.. You two just made some mistakes today that hurt Mommy's feelings."

Brooke saw her two boys look up at her with sad puppy dog eyes and she tried to resist smiling at their cuteness. This was serious.

"...And I want to know why you did it." Brooke continued.

Jude and Davis shrugged simultaneously.

"That's not good enough boys," Julian shook his head.

"You were only paying attention to Avery and I don't like it when she cries," Jude told his parents.

"Me either." Davis agreed.

Brooke got defensive.

"I was not only paying attention to Avery. I turned around for one second and you ran off. That's not fair."

"Why do you think Mommy was only paying attention to Avery?" Julian tried to mediate.

"I don't know... because you love her more and she's a girl."

"Davis!" Brooke was shocked. "That is not true and you know it."

Jude shook his head.

"You were sad until she came." He told her what he noticed.

Brooke didn't know what to say to that. Although her sons weren't that old, they were wise and...sadly, they had a point.

Brooke stood up. "Scoot over."

The boys moved so Brooke could sit between them. She put her arms around them and pulled them in close to snuggle.

"Mommy was sad before but it's not because you two aren't what I want. Do you know how much I prayed to have you for so so long? I couldn't wait to meet you when you were in my tummy. You were Mommy's miracles."

The boys didn't say anything to that right away.

"It's true, guys. I have never seen Mommy so excited as when she knew you were going to be born." Julian nodded.

"But Avery wasn't in your tummy..." Davis recalled. How did that work?

"You didn't tell us she was coming," Jude mumbled.

Julian and Brooke exchanged glances. They knew this conversation would happen eventually, they just didn't know it would be this soon.

"No, Avery didn't come out of Mommy's tummy like you did, because she was adopted. Her birth mother couldn't take care of her so she wanted to give Avery a good home and she picked us. And now she is just as much our child as you two are. And we love you all the same."

"Is that why you went to the doctor's so much?" Davis asked Brooke. He remembered a lot of her appointments took a long time.

"Not really baby.. but I'm okay, don't you worry."

The boys still looked confused but Brulian knew they were still too young to fully understand. As long as they knew Avery was their sister in every way that matters, that was all that they needed to know. Biology didn't mean everything.

"So are you still mad at us?" Jude asked, hoping to get away scott-free.

"I'm still upset about what you did, but as long as you promise to be good, responsible big boys from now on, then you're not in trouble anymore."

The boys smiled and Davis leaned up to kiss his mom on the cheek. "Thank you."

"Thanks Momma." Jude agreed.

As Brooke embraced her sons, Avery let out a happy shriek as she kicked her legs in her bouncer.

"I think she's jealous that I get all the love from her big brothers."

With that, Jude and Davis scurried off the couch and knelt down on the floor beside Avery, giving her two big sloppy kisses on each cheek. Avery giggled and laughed just as the boys did.

"Mom can we take her out?" Davis asked, feeling very capable of lifting the barely fifteen pound baby from her seat gently.

"Ugh.. let Daddy help."

Julian stood up as the boys unbuckled Avery and Julian lifted her and placed her on the soft baby mat.

The parents then sat back on the couch, watching their three bundles of joy play together.

Even when they fought or disobeyed or acted crazy or made you want to scream in frustration, they were good kids and Brooke and Julian knew they were blessed.

They were supposed to get none.. instead they had, one.. two... three.

Hectic was what they asked for. It's what they wanted more than anything: a house full of little Brooke and Julians. And that's what they had.

REVIEW! Let me know what you think!

~Haley :)