Peter went into the house quietly. He could hear the game system on downstairs and shook his head. "Baby, I'm home," he called out softly. If Neal were on the floor, he'd hear Peter. Since Neal didn't respond, Peter figured Neal listened to him and actually stayed in bed. He took his jacket and shoes off, hanging the jacket on the rack behind the door. He headed upstairs and immediately went into his bedroom, finding his husband sleeping on his stomach. He smiled and crawled onto the bed. He laid beside Neal, kissing his bare back. "Honey," he whispered, peppering kisses across Neal's warm skin. "Hey. I'm home."

Neal groaned and rolled onto his back to look at his husband through half-closed eyes. When he realized it was Peter, he smiled. "Hey." Peter kissed his forehead. "Missed you."

"I missed you, too," Peter said softly. He touched Neal's forehead with the back of his hand and Neal closed his eyes again. "You're still pretty warm." Neal nodded and lifted the blanket so Peter could slide under it to get closer to him. Peter laughed quietly as he scooted closer to Neal. "You must be feeling pretty sick to sleep naked with Nicky up and about."

Neal shrugged. "He's too old to sleep with his dad," he murmured.

Peter rolled his eyes. Nicky was still trying to get a little bit of freedom when it came to Neal, but Peter made sure there were no more arguments between the two of them. He hates when they fight because he knows Neal needs him, but Nicky does as well. Neal never said he resented Peter for talking to Nicky first. If anything, Neal was grateful. Peter seemed to have the ability to talk some sense into the teenager. "Well, I'm not too old to sleep with his dad," he whispered, kissing Neal's forehead. Neal chuckled and snuggled closer to Peter until Peter wrapped his arms around him and held him.

A few minutes of quiet went by and then Neal inhaled sharply and opened his eyes to look up at Peter. "How did the sonogram go? Was Karen okay?"

"All went well. She and the baby are fine. Neal, I got to see the baby." Neal smiled sleepily at him. "That's the first time I've ever seen a baby on a screen like that. My sister brought pictures home when she was pregnant with my nieces, but those pictures weren't moving."

Neal kissed Peter's jaw. "It's fascinating," he whispered.

Peter smiled. "Want to see a picture?" Neal perked up and nodded, twisting to lay on his back. Peter shifted around a bit, pulling his wallet out of his jeans pocket. He opened it up and smiled, taking the copy of the sonogram he'd been given out of his wallet. He handed it to Neal and watched his husband's face. He'd looked so sleepy and now he was really excited.

The older man was waiting for Neal to look a little closer. When Neal's brows furrowed, he turned the picture back to Peter and asked, "What's this?" He was pointing at the second baby. He definitely didn't think Karen would be having twins, so he chose to discard that idea.

"Neal, we're going to be the daddies of very beautiful babies." Neal's eyes widened in surprise.

"Are you serious?" Peter nodded in response and Neal surged up on their bed, pulling Peter down for a fierce kiss. Despite the fact that Neal was sick, Peter returned the ferocity of the kiss. He was a bit surprised when Neal leaned back and pulled him along until he was hovering above Neal's body. The moment they parted for breath, Neal was breathing heavily and grinning at Peter. "This is amazing." Neal's throat hurt, but he was too excited to really focus on that. "Did you guys figure out what she's having or are they being too stubborn to show us?"

Peter pecked Neal's lips gently. "Boy and girl," he whispered.

Neal's eyes widened and Peter realized Neal was overwhelmed all of a sudden. "I'm going to have a daughter?"

"Yes, angel."

Neal's eyes lit up and Peter's heart fluttered. "I'm gonna have a little princess," he said hoarsely, trying to refrain from coughing all over his husband. Peter just smiled at him. "Wow. We'll have the whole ensemble—kings, princes, and a princess."

Peter chuckled, loving this. Neal was ecstatic. "She's going to have a damn good daddy."

"And a damn good poppa," Neal countered. He went into a coughing fit for a few moments and calmed down. Once he was able to lay there without worrying about coughing on Peter, he slid his hands up Peter's chest until his hands were gripping Peter's shoulders. "This is such a blessing," he whispered. "Two babies. Wow."

Neal was overjoyed and Peter could see it in his eyes. "I knew you'd be happy."

"Happy? Happy? Peter, fuck you." Peter's eyebrow rose. "Happy is such an understatement. I can't describe how I'm feeling, but I'd suggest euphoric—and I'd also suggest we stay away from naming them Luke and Leia."

Peter kissed him, then nuzzled his nose against Neal's. "Do you think we can handle twins?"

Neal shrugged. "I don't see why not. There are two of us and two of them. Divide and conquer." Peter laughed and sighed contentedly. "It's going to be a challenge though. Nicky was a pain in the ass as a baby. I loved when he was so tiny, but dear God. You're going to hear the babies crying and it'll all be in your head."

"Oh?"

"Yep. I was always so tired and I swore I heard Nicky crying when he was asleep. Every time I went in, he was sleeping." Neal smiled and looked thoughtful, like he was reflecting on Nicky's baby days. "The only difference between then and now is that I'm not alone," he whispered, "and that means a hell of a lot to me. I know you're going to help out. Matthew didn't give a damn about Nicky when I was still with him and it really…hurt my feelings, honestly. I love my baby and he didn't."

Peter pecked his lips, whispering, "He didn't love you and Nicky the way I love you both. I truly love the two of you and I'm going to love the twins just as much." He caressed Neal's cheek, smiling lovingly at him. "You have nothing to worry about. I'm not leaving. You're my family—all of you. I'm excited, baby. Spending all of this time with Nicky has been fantastic because I got to see a lot of you through him. I wasn't here for you when he was a baby, but I'm going to be here for him and these babies."

Neal nodded, spreading his legs a bit so Peter could shift between them. "I don't doubt that," he said softly. "You're amazing with Nicky. He loves you more than you know, Peter. To him, you've been family forever. I don't think stepdad is in his vocabulary when it comes to you. Hell, I would never call you his stepfather because you're so much more than that."

"I don't call him my stepson or my husband's son. Anytime I talk about him, he's my son. I'm really proud of him and of you. Living with and loving you two has changed my life entirely and I'm thankful to have been given the chance to earn your trust."

"You're not a bad guy. I call you a jerk or other names here and there, but I don't mean them. If something were to happen to me, the only person I trust with all of my being to take care of my son is you. You're his poppa—his daddy, essentially. He trusts you and he'd be comfortable living with you."

Peter wanted so desperately to kiss Neal fiercely. He didn't like when Neal suggested something might happen to him, but Peter understood that Neal was making a point rather than being pessimistic. "Thank you," Peter whispered. "Thank you for staying with me and for letting me start a life with you. I can't wait to take care of the babies and I have this strange urge to watch you in action."

Neal blushed a bit. Not that Peter could tell though since Neal was hot as it was. "You could definitely call me the mom if you watch me. I'm so mother hennish."

"I want to see it," Peter said softly. "I'm not calling you mommy at any point in our lives. We've had that discussion one too many times. You're daddy and you'll be the daddy to all three of them. Daddy doesn't imply mommy or mother hen." Peter deviously snuck a hand underneath the blanket and rubbed Neal's hard length pressed against him. "You're a man," he said as he kissed Neal's chest. "My man—their daddy."

The younger man chuckled and nodded. "It's always so strange. I kind of told myself that I was Nicky's mom when I was raising him at first. I was all fussy and taking care of him around the clock. I had no time to do anything for myself until he was a little older. I wouldn't ask for a refund though. Watching him take his first steps, hearing his first word, and watching as he grew up has been a journey I'm proud to have taken."

Peter nodded. "I'm proud of you for taking it even when you were at a rough point in your life, angel," he whispered, pressing his lips against his husband's softly.

•◊•

Two weeks following the discovery of the twins, Neal and Peter met with Karen and the children's father. Both men arrived on time and the birthfather was late as Karen predicted. "Hey," Neal said softly, resting his hand on Karen's thigh. She was shaking and biting her lip. "Everything's going to be okay. You told him about the baby and your intentions for the baby. If he tries to hurt you in any way, you know Peter and I won't let him get close enough."

She smiled nervously at him and Peter was feeling like he needed to play the part of Superman. He hadn't met the father yet, but he heard from both Neal and Karen that the guy was a total asshole. "Thanks," she whispered, leaning against Neal for comfort. He wrapped his arm around her and held her close. Every time he was around her lately, he felt like she was his daughter and he was taking care of her. Peter absolutely loved hearing about that and Neal figured this was his way of preparing for everything. They'd gotten past the home study with no problem whatsoever. Neal was initially nervous about the fact that he'd been accused of statutory rape a few years ago, but Peter gently reminded him that he'd never registered as a sex offender, so he had nothing to worry about. He was cleared before anything was put on record.

Neal glanced at his husband and his heart clenched. He was willing Peter to look at him silently and was surprised when Peter did look at him a few moments later. He gave Peter a look that the older man understood. He simply nodded in response and rubbed his wedding ring. Neal was asking Peter to keep calm. They knew they could potentially lose this opportunity if they pissed off the father. Neal tried to be pleasant when he met the father, but he hated him instantly for being such a dick to Karen.

When the doorbell rang, Peter got up to answer it. He let the teenager in and followed him back into Karen's living room. "Okay. What?"

Neal gave him an incredulous look. "Jake, I need you to sign your rights over."

"Why would I do anything for you?"

"Because she can come after your ass for child support if you don't," Peter growled. "You'll be paying for the child for the next eighteen years." He didn't feel the need to mention that there were two babies. That decision was Karen's to make. If he made a comment about it, he knew Jake would sign his rights off in a heartbeat. Paying child support for two children would be tough on him.

Jake glared at Peter. "How exactly are you planning on paying for the little shit, old man?" Peter bristled and Neal did as well.

"Jake—"

"Shut up, bitch."

Neal carefully moved away from Karen and got up, grabbing the front of Jake's shirt roughly. "Listen here, you little punk," he growled, throwing his initial nervousness about pissing the kid off to the wind. "She's been carrying your baby for nearly eight months. You're the asshole who didn't help her through any of it. She's been alone for the most part until she chose my husband and me." His fingers clenched around the fabric of the black, skull-infested shirt. "You have no right to speak to her like this. You have absolutely no right to insult my husband. And don't you dare call the baby a little shit. If anyone's a little shit, it's you, God damn it."

Peter stared up at Neal. He could only remember ever seeing Neal this angry when he'd finally confronted Adler in the interrogation room. "You're a fag. For all I know, you'll probably end up molesting the damn thing."

In an instant, Peter stood up and grabbed Neal to pull him back. "Don't fucking accuse me of molesting children," Neal snarled.

Peter was struggling to keep Neal back. He didn't want Neal to get charged with aggravated assault or something of that nature. "You play with dicks for a living. If the baby ends up being a boy, there's no telling what you'll do to him."

Neal was absolutely enraged and Peter ended up having to wrap both arms around Neal to keep him back. "I already have a son, you asshole. I've never once touched him or thought about him like that. We aren't stereotypical gay men, so it's in your best interest to shut the hell up."

"So much for staying calm," Peter muttered near Neal's ear. Neal stiffened against him and he could feel Neal's fingers grasping at his pant leg. He needed to touch something and Peter was the closest person to him. With his fingers rubbing Peter's jeans and Peter's arms around him, Neal was grounded and knew who he was with. "Neal and I are federal agents—special agents working for the FBI, in other words," he said to Jake. "You work at Taco Bell for a living. Who's more suitable to provide for the baby? You or us?"

Karen was mortified behind Neal and Peter. She didn't know Neal's past, so she didn't understand why he was acting this way. The only Neal she knew was the kind, sweet man she'd been spending time with here and there. "Don't you guys get shot up for a living?"

Peter glared and tried to keep Neal under control. He knew Neal was defensive when it came to Karen and the babies because that's the man he is. "No. We don't stand in front of firing squads, you idiot. We protect people and save as many lives as we can."

Neal's erratic breathing was beginning to calm down as Peter started rubbing his chest. Jake made several more ridiculous comments about Peter and Neal's sexuality before Peter finally nearly forced Jake to sign his rights off because he wasn't fit to father the children. Karen was relieved when he signed the paperwork and he promptly left after that.

The three remaining were sitting in the living room quietly. Peter sat with Neal on the other couch, rubbing his back as he was hunched over, covering his face with his hands. "Is he okay?" Karen asked tentatively, biting her lip.

"He will be," Peter said quietly. He leaned closer and kissed Neal's hair.

After several minutes, Neal sat upright and sighed heavily. "I don't know if I should be entirely honest with you or not," he whispered. Karen looked confused. "I didn't want to say anything about my past because I was afraid it would affect your decision."

"Neal, I love you two. Nothing you say could change my mind."

Neal nodded slowly, glancing at his husband warily. "I was raped by my stepfather when I was a teenager. I was accused of raping a child a few years ago by the son of one of my ex-boyfriends. When he started suggesting that I would molest the baby, I lost it and I'm sorry. I should have gotten myself under control and I am truly sorry for scaring you."

She looked so sympathetic and even went so far as to get up and walk over to him. She carefully pulled him into a hug and he relaxed into it. "I'm sorry that you felt like you couldn't say that," she whispered to him. "I know you're a great dad, Neal, and I know you'd never hurt the babies. Your son is proof of that. If you were doing to him what your stepfather did to you, he wouldn't look nearly as happy as he did in all of the pictures and videos you showed me of him."

Peter smiled a little as he kept rubbing Neal's back. "I could never be like my stepfather. I went through it and I know how it feels. Thinking about making Nicky or anyone else feel like that…is physically painful. I couldn't live with myself if I hurt a child—regardless of the age."

"This is why Neal was afraid to let me into his life," Peter said tentatively. "He was afraid someone would do the same thing to his son. He's so overprotective and I love that in him. If you saw him in trying circumstances involving children, you'd get to see a whole new side of him and I know you'd love it as much as I do." Neal gave his husband a very loving and appreciative smile. "To be honest, he actually saved a child's life not too long ago. It was a kidnapping case and Neal was hellbent on getting there in time once we heard some more information. He incapacitated the kidnapper and dove into the reservoir to save a little boy who was drowning because he'd been weighted down." Peter kissed Neal's temple and closed his eyes as he pressed his forehead against his husband's head. "I have never seen him jump into action so quickly before that moment and I'm so proud of him."

Karen looked really astonished even as she watched the two nuzzle their faces together almost like dogs. Peter kissed the corner of Neal's mouth and hoped he was conveying the truth of what he'd said. "Neal, your past doesn't influence my decision. You're incredible. I'm sure Peter's told you that you're a great man in spite of your past a million if not more times, so…" She smiled when he quickly kissed Peter's lips and they both focused on her afterwards. "I trust you to keep the babies safe and to give them a good life. Nicky is happy, so I know these two will be just as happy. I made the right choice when I chose you two." Neal smiled a little more as his eyes watered a bit. "What Jake said about you both being gay… He was wrong. Neither of you would hurt the babies—and being gay has nothing to do with it. You're both gentlemen and loving fathers. As soon as these babies are born, I'll know they're being taken care of. I won't spend my nights worrying about whether or not I made the right choice because I've spent enough time with both of you to see it for myself."

"I hope you know how much this means to us, Karen," Neal whispered. "Peter… He's always wanted to be a dad." He glanced at his husband before rubbing his own eyes. "I've never trusted anyone with my son before him. Nicky loves him and I know Peter loves us both." He took Peter's left hand in his and intertwined their fingers. "You're getting everything you wanted," he whispered to the older man. "You're able to be openly gay and you're a father to Nicky—and now you'll be the father of all three of our children. There's no one else I'd rather raise children with. I never wanted more kids until you came into my life and we started talking about adoption. I've been excited about it because of you."

Karen loved seeing them like this. She could see that they're both vulnerable and sensitive and protective. She understood a little more now. Looking at Neal and knowing what he'd just told her, she could see that he was haunted by his past and she believed him when he said he would never become the monster who hurt innocent children. She watched as Neal defended his husband and sexuality, but it meant a lot to watch him defend her and the unborn children. She knew he was a great dad and she'd almost called him that once or twice by accident because he's so sweet and fatherly when he's around her. Seeing him come undone showed her how he protects his loved ones—how aggressive he is when they're threatened.

Peter kissed Neal's knuckles. "I'm excited to do this with you," he whispered. "I only have all of this because of you, Neal." He glanced at Karen and nodded at her. "You're giving us two beautiful little blessings and that means the world to us as fathers. You've gone through all of the stages of your pregnancy to give us something we'll be eternally grateful to you for."

She smiled. "I think you're the ones who should be thanked. I know I wouldn't be able to raise one baby on my own right now let alone two. You offered to take both of them and I know they'll be loved as they deserve to be loved. Thank you."

Neal and Peter glanced at each other and smiled softly. They were both thrilled to be adopting the twins, but what made it so much better was that they had each other to share the experience with.

•◊•

Neal dropped his keys into the little bowl on top the small bookshelf in the living room with Peter following him. Mozzie was asleep on their couch and Nicky was downstairs playing with his games. "Will you do this with me?" Neal whispered, looking up at Peter.

Peter gave him an incredulous look. "Did you ever think I wouldn't?"

The younger man smiled and took Peter's hand and led him down into the basement to find Nicky. "Daddy! Poppa!" He leapt up from the floor and hugged both men as they stepped onto the basement floor. "You're home. I missed you both."

"We missed you, too," Neal said, stroking Nicky's hair. "We also have something we need to tell you. Can you turn the game's music down a little bit?" Nicky nodded, darting over to the television to turn the volume down. Neal gestured for Nicky to take a seat on the small couch and then he and Peter stood in front of him. "Poppa and I have some news that we're hoping will excite you." Nicky nodded, wishing his father would stop stalling. He could tell his dad was nervous about something and he wanted to know what it was. "We've been in the process of adopting a baby for a little while as you know. Well, a few months ago, we got a call from our social worker and she told us that a mom was interested in meeting us. We met with her and she liked us. We were just with her and the baby's father and he…" He looked up at Peter warily. "The father gave us permission to adopt the baby."

"I'm gonna have a baby brother?" Nicky asked, his eyes lighting up.

Neal grinned. "It gets better, Nick. The baby is actually twins—you'll have a baby brother and baby sister."

Nicky jumped up from the couch and ran to them both, hugging them tightly. He was so excited and Neal wondered why he'd hesitated. He knew Nicky wanted siblings, so of course Nicky would be happy. "When, daddy?" he asked when he calmed down a bit. His head was pressed against Neal's chest because he wanted to feel his dad's heart beating. Nicky had the feeling that Neal was excited, too, and he wanted to hear the proof of it.

"Soon actually. The mom is eight months pregnant. In a few weeks, you'll be a big brother, kiddo." Nicky smiled, closing his eyes. He nuzzled Neal's chest, loving his father for finally giving him the one thing he wanted more than anything in the world. He wanted siblings more than any toy Neal ever bought him. He would have been content with one sibling, but two… He was ecstatic.

Both men finally let Nicky go back to his game shortly thereafter and headed upstairs. They went into the kitchen to get dinner started and Neal coughed a little bit. "Awe. You seemed like you were getting better…"

Neal rolled his eyes once he stopped coughing. "I'm still a little sick. Peter, you still kiss me regardless."

Peter smiled, holding Neal's hips. "Because kissing my husband is one of my favorite hobbies."

The younger man chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "I'm a hobby?"

"The best kind," Peter whispered, leaning down to kiss Neal. They kissed a little longer than they'd anticipated and Peter ended up backing Neal into the countertop. He lifted Neal on top of it and positioned himself between Neal's legs, kissing him fiercely. For now, he loved that Neal had nothing to worry about.

Neal started undoing Peter's belt with haste, opening his mouth a bit so Peter could French kiss him, which he did so enthusiastically. Peter held Neal close—close enough that they were rubbing against each other to add to their arousal. "Could you not take the time to copulate in your private bedroom?"

Both men groaned as they broke away from their kiss. "Moz," they both whined.

Mozzie raised his hands, proclaiming innocence. "I'm not the guilty party attempting to have physical relations with another person—or rather Suit—on the kitchen countertop. Is this your ideal mating locale?"

"Mozzie, what the hell?" Neal asked, laughing. "Peter and I aren't even undressed. If anything, he's just dry humping me." Peter raised an eyebrow at his husband. "Fine. We're dry humping each other. It's not like we asked you to watch. You didn't bring your ticket or the popcorn."

"Very funny, mon frère."

Neal smiled when Peter helped him off of the countertop. "The father signed his rights off," Peter said. "Neal and I were…celebrating. This was just the prelude to the real celebration though." He pulled Neal close and kissed his temple. "Thanks for watching Nicky, Mozzie."

"It was no problem at all," he said, eyeing Neal. "You needn't worry about making me feel awkward or uncomfortable, mon frère. Your past is your past and you know I love you. I'll do anything you ask of me."

Neal looked away for a moment before nodding. "That means a lot, Moz."

And it did. Mozzie and Peter both knew he was being honest. Peter spoke to Mozzie shortly after Neal's extreme panic attack and he'd considered going in enraged, but he discovered the reason behind Mozzie's actions. Mozzie explained how he wanted to call Peter, but Neal seemed so against it at the time. He sincerely stated that he didn't think Neal was a freak; he was only concerned about the younger man. Peter didn't tell anyone about what he'd gone home to find in his bedroom. That was between him and Neal and it would stay that way. Neal was ashamed of himself for how he'd acted even though Peter kept telling him everything was okay. Now that they'd gotten past that hurdle, Neal was able to talk about it a little more freely with his husband. Peter was extremely grateful for that because he hated when Neal closed up.

"Since that's all cleared up," Mozzie began, "am I allowed to finally see a picture of your lovely little Burke-spawns?"

Neal chuckled and Peter gave the smaller man a wry smile. He pulled the sonogram picture out of his wallet and handed it to Mozzie. "I'm a bit lost. What am I looking at?"

Peter burst into a fit of laughter, startling Mozzie. "That's exactly how I felt when I first saw it." He moved closer to Mozzie, dragging Neal along with him, and pointed out both babies to Mozzie.

"Wow. This is…truly amazing. Have I congratulated you both yet?"

"Not that I can remember," Peter said.

Mozzie tentatively walked over to them and hugged Neal, whispering, "Congratulations. I'm ecstatic to see you both happy."

Neal rubbed Mozzie's back, smiling to himself. Peter had to bend down to give Mozzie a hug, but it affected the married couple in the same way. When everything was straightened up, Neal's eyes were on Peter and Peter met Neal's eyes as though their minds were linked. They both knew that a lot of little things hurt them. Their friends knew as well and they were excited when something good finally happens. They needed to celebrate the victories when they arose because there would certainly be something to bring them down later. Peter brushed his fingers across Neal's, sharing a small smile that they both understood. Adopting the twins was huge—in the positive direction for once. They silently made a promise to drag this out and milk it for all of its optimism and all of its worth. All they both wanted was to keep the other happy, so they'd do their damnedest to make sure they were both happy and that their relationship was stable. Neither one of them wanted to lose this. Their marriage was important to them both.

Losing that would hurt them on such an extreme level. Losing each other would devastate them and burn their worlds to the ground.