Johnny quietly walked into the bedroom to check on Olivia. He smiled when he found her on her side with her hand on her belly. He knew she would be upset when she realized how late he let her sleep, but after her meltdown in the middle of the night, he didn't have the heart to wake her up. So, he just stood there and enjoyed the sight of the beautiful mother of his children, peacefully sleeping.
His phone started to ring, indicating that he had received a text message. He rushed to silence it before the noise woke Olivia, but he was too late.
She stretched and looked around until she saw him standing there and smiled.
He looked at her apologetically. "I'm sorry, babe. I thought it was on vibrate."
"How long have you been standing there watching me sleep?" she asked him.
"Today?" he said as he sat down on the bed next to her.
"Today? How often do you do this?"
"Every chance I get." He said as he leaned down to kiss her. "Are you feeling better?"
She sighed. "Actually, I do. Very well rested and, as weird as it sounds, I feel lighter."
"Lighter?" he asked, confused.
She shrugged her shoulders as she looked over at the clock.
"Oh my God, honey! Its past noon. Why did you let me sleep so late?"
"Why not? You don't have to go to work, remember?" he pointed out.
"Oh that's right." She relaxed. "This not going in to work thing is going to take some getting used to. But, don't you have to go in to the shop?"
"I make my own schedule. Besides, I wasn't going to leave you sleeping."
She smiled in response. "Ow!" she put her hand on her belly. "That minute of peace was bliss and now they are awake, too."
Johnny laughed and put his hand next to hers. "Wow." He leaned down and kissed her belly. "Hey, stop kicking mommy!" he playfully scolded them through her stomach.
Olivia laughed. "Honey, please don't get them started. They hear you and they go nuts."
He beamed when she said that and spoke to her belly again. "You guys hungry? Want Daddy to make you something yummy to eat?"
They kicked harder. "Ugh. Yes, yes they do! Now, get away and stop talking to them before they kick their way through my stomach." She pushed him away.
He laughed as he started to walk out of the room. "Oh, by the way," He turned around. "Did you order something? There was a package at the front door this morning. Don't worry. I didn't open it." He said backing out of the room with his hands up.
Olivia watched him go and tried to remember what she ordered. "Wait, I haven't ordered anything." She said out loud.
By the time she made her way downstairs, Johnny was almost done with her food.
"Honey, where's this package? Though, I have to tell you, I haven't ordered anything."
He turned around and looked at her, concerned. "It's on the dining room table."
When she got to the dining room, he was already behind her.
"You haven't ordered anything? Are you positive?" he asked.
She looked at him, annoyed. "Honey, I get that I am a little forgetful, lately." He smirked at her. "Ok, so I'm a lot forgetful. But, I think I would remember this."
She picked up the box and inspected it. "Hmm…that's weird. There's no return address." She pointed out. She opened the box and pulled out a gold baby rattle. "Whoa. I definitely did not order this. Did you?"
"Nope. Is there a card in there or something?" he asked as he took the rattle from her and looked at it.
She shook her head in response as she looked inside of the box. "Oh, wait. There is something." She pulled out a folded piece of paper.
"What does it say?" he asked.
She unfolded it to see: To my beloved grandchild. We will meet soon. Grandpa Z.
"Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me." She rolled her eyes. "Hold on a second. When did you tell your father we were having a baby?" she turned around and asked him.
"What? I haven't. Wait, is that who this is from?" he asked.
"Yes, John. How the hell does he know if you didn't tell him? It's not like I have any friends in Pentonville that I shared the news with. And I damn sure didn't go see his psycho ass to tell him."
"Let me see the note." She handed it over to him and he read it out loud.
"I'm sure I don't need to tell you that he will meet my babies over my dead body, right?"
He looked up to see that she wore a look of anxiety and anger on her face.
"Hey, come here." He said as he put his arms around her. "Relax, babe. He's not going to get anywhere near them. I promise." He kissed her forehead.
"I know he's not. But, your father has a way of making things happen."
He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He couldn't fight her on that, she was right. "Look, I'm gonna go up there and talk to him. I don't want you thinking about this anymore, ok? You need to relax and stay calm. No more hospital visits until those two are ready to join us."
His cell phone beeped and he remembered he never checked his text message from earlier. He looked at his phone and saw it was from Jax. Found the perfect place. Everything is booked and ready. It's not that long of a drive, either. I'll send the directions over with the messenger that's coming to drop off paperwork to Olivia.
"Who was that?" she asked.
"Jax. He was just letting me know that he's almost done working out the details on setting you up to work from here. Why don't you go eat and I'll call Dante to come keep you company while I go see my father."
"Honey, that's not necessary."
"Don't bother trying to argue. You won't win this one." He teased.
She did as she was told as he went outside to make his calls.
A few minutes later he walked into the kitchen with an anxious look on his face.
Olivia eyed him suspiciously. "What's wrong?"
He smiled at her. "What makes you think anything is wrong?" he asked. "Have I told you how beautiful you look today? Or how much I love you?"
She put down her fork and looked at him. "That does not work on me and you know it. Now, spill it. Tell me what's going on."
He sighed. "Dante is on duty and pulling a double, so he can't come up. Lulu is working an important photo shoot and well, you know how Kate is."
"Uh-huh. So, I'm alone for the rest of the day? I can deal with that, honey. I told you a babysitter wasn't necessary."
"No, not alone." He was almost afraid to say the words. "Carly is coming."
She looked at him over her cup.
"I refuse to leave you alone, babe. But, I need to figure this thing out with my father. Jax was going to send a messenger with a bunch of paperwork for you, but Carly offered to bring it up since you'll be alone. Then, she decided it might be a good idea if she stood here until I got back."
"Honey, I really wish you would've let me have a say in that. But, if it eases your mind to have someone, even Carly, here with me, then so be it."
He was surprised by her reaction. "Really? That's a relief. Why the change of heart with Carly?"
"Who said I had a change of heart?" she smiled.
He laughed as he moved behind her and put his arms around her. He kissed her neck a few times.
"I'm going to have to make this up to you, aren't I?"
Olivia laughed loudly. "You just might have to." She said before kissing him.
"Well, I guess it's a good thing that I already have Valentine's Day planned." He winked at her.
"What do you have planned?" she asked, suspicious.
"It's a surprise."
"That's 2 weeks away!"
"I know." He looked at her pouting and almost gave in, but the doorbell rang. "Oh, there's Carly."
"What the hell? Did she hop on her broom and fly?"
Johnny laughed as he went to let her in.
"Hi!" Carly said as she walked in. "This is for you, from Jax." She said as she handed him an envelope.
"What's that?" Olivia called from the kitchen.
"There you are." Said Carly, as she made her way to the kitchen. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine."
Carly placed the bags in her hand on the counter.
"What's all that?" asked Johnny and Olivia at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed.
Carly looked at them and laughed as well. "You guys are so cute, you make me sick." She looked at Johnny. "Don't you have to go find out what your father is up to?" he nodded. "So…go. I've got this under control."
He looked down at Olivia. "Don't worry, honey. We just ate. As long as she keeps me fed, she might just make it out of here alive." He leaned down to kiss her. "Please be careful." She said.
"I will, I promise." He kissed her again. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
She watched him leave and then turned to see Carly staring at her. "What?"
"You guys are like a single woman's worst nightmare. Ugh."
"You're single, because of your stupid choices. Don't forget that."
Carly looked at Olivia's plate. "Eww, I see Johnny is still actively making sure you get enough iron in your body."
"Unfortunately, and now that I'm home, it's going to be even harder to sneak the bad stuff." She complained.
Carly grinned. "You won't have to worry about that today." She started to empty the bags she placed on the counter. "I figured maybe we can have a day of junk food, chick flicks and girl talk."
Olivia watched as she placed ice cream, potato chips, candy, and a bunch of other things Johnny wouldn't let her eat anymore on the counter in front of her.
"I even had Mike put together a selection of your faves for you."
"I hate you for knowing how to win me over. You play dirty and that's not fair." She said as she eyed the food.
"Ha! It worked. Which movie first?"
"Surprise me." She grabbed as much as she could carry and started to walk to the living room. "Don't forget the spoons for the ice cream."
…..
Pentonville…
Johnny sat at the table waiting for his father to come in. His mind was reeling with thoughts. He had no idea what to expect right now, but he knew that he wasn't going to let him anywhere near Olivia and his children.
Anthony walked into the room with a smug look on his face, as always.
"Who told you I was having a baby?" Johnny asked without greeting him.
"What? No hello for your dear old dad?" said Anthony.
"Answer my question." He said through gritted teeth.
"What are you upset about? I should be the only one mad. You are about to become a father and I'm just finding out. To make it worse, I find out from Corinthos."
Johnny chuckled. "Sonny. Of course." He stood up to leave.
"Where are you going? First, you don't tell me that I'm going to be a grandfather and now you won't talk to me about it? When am I going to meet the baby? Is it a girl or a boy?" he asked.
Johnny put his hands on the table and leaned down so that he was face to face with Anthony.
"What goes on in my life is none of your business. I'm telling you right now and I will not say it again. If you try to make contact or come anywhere near Olivia and my children, I will kill you with my bare hands. You got that, old man?"
Anthony stared at him and then grinned. "Boy, that broad of yours has turned you into a man."
"You are such a waste of my time." Johnny shook his head and turned to leave. When he reached the door, he turned back to Anthony. "I meant what I said. You will die if you ever try to come near my family."
Anthony watched him leave, still grinning. "Children, huh? Do you really think it's going to be that easy to keep me away, John? You disappoint me." He said to no one.
….
Back at the house…
Olivia returned from her fifth trip to the bathroom in the last hour.
"I swear, I am so ready for these kids to come out already." She complained.
"Ha! I still can't believe that you're having a baby. Twins, at that. Have you guys found out the sex of the other baby?" Carly asked.
"Nope. He or she is being a straight up brat."
"Not surprising given the parents."
"Shut up." Laughed Olivia.
"Have you chosen names?"
"We've talked about it. We both want to honor our moms, but want our daughter to have her own identity as well. So, we might do a variation of their names."
"Aw, that's cute." Carly hesitated before continuing. "Ok, even though this may kill the mood, I'm just going to come straight out and ask. What's got you hating me so much? I was blaming it on the pregnancy, but I don't think that's the case."
"You really don't know? I mean, seriously? You can't be that stupid."
"Olivia, I have no idea. But, I'd really love to know so I can right the wrong. I miss this."
Olivia sighed and looked at her in disbelief. "You don't remember making a play for Johnny? Way back when?"
Carlys eyes widened. "Olivia, I was never serious about that and you know it. I can't believe that you're holding that against me after all of this time. I never wanted Johnny, I just wanted his help."
"I am fully aware that you wanted to make Sonny jealous or whatever game you were playing at the time. But, let's get something straight. Johnny didn't want YOU. Not the other way around. That's not the issue, I don't, nor have I ever had a problem keeping Johnny happy. So, I had no worries about you sinking your claws into him." Carly was silent, so she continued. "My problem was the betrayal of trust on your part. We were supposed to be friends. But, in reality, I'm the ass that should've realized that you don't understand the concept of friendship. Or marriage for that matter, since you lost a perfectly good man because of your own asinine actions."
They sat in silence until Carly cleared her throat and finally spoke up.
She looked at Olivia. "I'm sorry. I truly am. I never meant to cause a rift between us. But, you have to believe me when I say that I wasn't interested in Johnny that way."
"Why should I believe that? You're a vindictive manipulator that will do anything to get what she wants, no matter what it costs her."
"Is that really what you think of me?"
"That's all you've ever showed me! You have 3 beautiful children that, for some crazy ass reason, you put everything else before."
Carly tried to say something.
"No. Don't you dare try to deny it. Michael went though some crazy shit and you made it all about Sonny instead of helping your son heal. You're always sending Morgan with Jax or whoever else will take him and I never see you with Joss. Does any of that seem normal to you? You are so assbackwards, Carly. Your children should come before everybody and everything."
Olivia noticed she was crying.
"Oh jeez. Stop that." She said as she threw a tissue box at her.
Carly chuckled. "I can't help it. You are completely right." She sighed. "I just feel like I'm never going to change, no matter how hard I try."
"Oh please. If you take your head out of Jason's ass and let go of Sonny's…hand, you'd make a big difference in your life."
They heard a car door slam and within seconds, Johnny was opening their front door.
"Hi, honey." Olivia said as he walked over to her and kissed her. She put her hand on his cheek. "Are you ok?"
"I am now." He smiled at her and then looked over at Carly. "You're still alive. That's a damn good sign."
Olivia laughed. "We actually just had a nice little chat to finish off a pretty nice day."
"That we did." Carly agreed. "Nobody knows how to call someone out on their shit quite like your woman."
"Don't I know it." He said as he took in the mess of junk around them. "Oh, I see what you did here." He looked down at Olivia.
She looked back innocently. "What? That was all her." She said pointing to Carly. "She sat here and ate all of that in front of me and the babies, knowing full well that we can't have it. Isn't that mean?" she smiled.
All Carly could do was laugh. As did Johnny.
"That is such bullshit." He said to her. "But, I'll let you slide. How about dinner? You ladies hungry? I can make us something." He offered.
"Well, we all know my answer to that." Said Olivia.
"Actually, I think I'll pass. I'm going to go pick up my kids, all three of them…" she said looking at Olivia. "..and take them out to dinner. Just the four of us. But, thank you for the offer, Johnny. Enjoy dinner with your wife." She said as she gathered her things to leave.
"Not yet." Said Olivia.
"May as well be. September's not that far, anyway." She smiled as she reached down to hug Olivia. "Thank you. For everything."
"I can only hope that you will actually listen, but we both know better." Said Olivia.
Carly walked to the door. "Maybe I'll surprise us both." She said.
"Drive safe!" Olivia yelled after her.
Johnny locked the door behind her and went back to Olivia who was getting up from the sofa.
"Hey, where are you going?" he said putting his arms around her.
"I was actually coming to you." She said as she reached up to kiss him. "What happened with your father?"
Johnny sighed. "Sonny is the one who told him."
'What? Are you freakin' kidding me?" Olivia replied.
"No. But, look, I took care of it. Let's just enjoy our lives as we have been. Forget about all of the haters."
Olivia couldn't help but giggle. "Did you just say haters?"
"Yes, yes I did. What's so funny about that?" Johnny smiled.
"It just sounds funny coming from you." She said.
He gasped. "I think I might be offended."
"Oh, you are not. Shut up." She slapped his arm and kissed him again. "I'm all for putting this behind us, honey. I can't promise it won't stay on my mind, but I know we're in good hands."
"Indeed you are, my love. Speaking of, didn't you say you were hungry?"
"I did. Let's go make something to eat."
"Or I could take you out. You've been inside all day, how about it?" he said as he caressed her neck.
"I like that idea. I'll go get dressed." She kissed him and made her way upstairs.
Johnny cleaned up the living room while he waited. He realized he still had the envelope from Jax in his back pocket. He opened it up and unfolded the papers to see directions to where he planned to take Olivia for Valentine's Day and a note from Jax.
"As I said, the drive is not bad. So, you won't have to worry about Olivia getting uncomfortable. From the looks of it, this place is better than anything I've seen. You'll be in good hands. Everything is booked under your name. Hope it is as it good as it seems."
He heard Olivia coming down the stairs and quickly shoved the papers back in his pocket.
"Hey beautiful, ready?"
"Yes, I am and starving. Shocker, I know."
He helped her with her coat and they left for dinner.
….
Two weeks later…
Johnny lightly caressed Olivia with one of the roses he brought up to the bedroom.
She stirred awake and smiled at him sleepily.
"Good morning, gorgeous. Happy Valentine's Day." He said as he leaned over to kiss her.
"Mmm…Happy Valentine's Day to you, too." She looked around their bedroom and sat up. "Oh my God! What did you do?" she asked giggling.
"What does it look like?" he asked.
Their bedroom was filled with red roses on every surface possible. There were different stuffed animals all over the room holding what looked like candy filled hearts. Their ceiling was filled with possibly a hundred balloons. They were all red hearts and there were some that said "I love you" on them.
"Honey! You're so adorable! Come here." She put her arms around his neck and kissed him. "This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me on Valentine's Day, thank you." She kissed him again.
"I'm only doing what you deserve. Which includes..." he got up from the bed and went to the hall. He came back in carrying a tray of food. "..breakfast."
He put the tray in front of her and helped her get comfortable. "Thank you, baby." She said.
"Here's what I want you to do. Eat, take a shower, get dressed and pack a weekend bag. We'll be leaving as soon as you're ready."
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"You'll see." He said as he walked out of the room.
"But, wait, you mean you went through all of this for nothing?" she asked.
"It wasn't for nothing. Your beautiful smile was all I needed. Besides, it will all be here when we get back."
…..
An hour later…
Olivia came downstairs ready to go with her bag in her hand.
"John?" she called out.
"Right here, babe." He said as he walked out of the kitchen. "Ready?"
"I guess so." He grabbed her bag, helped her with her coat and opened the door.
"You're really not going to tell me where we are going?" she asked as they walked to the car.
He chuckled. "You're like a little kid. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride."
When they were almost to their destination, he decided to tell her where they were going.
"Ok, so I originally planned to do something like this for you on Mother's Day, but either you're going to be very close to giving birth or our little bundles of joy will already be here. So, I decided to do it today."
"What?"
"Well, I feel bad that you're the one going through all of the physical pain and discomfort carrying our children, so we are spending the weekend at a spa. This spa offers special massages and treatments for pregnant women, so you are going to be spoiled rotten this weekend." He winked at her.
"Aww, honey! You already spoil me; you didn't need to do this. I would've been happy and content at home, cooking you dinner and snuggling up with you to watch a movie."
"See, you shouldn't be doing anything, but there you go wanting to cook." He laughed.
"I can't help it." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, sweetie."
They pulled up in front of the spa and two attendants walked to their car. One opened Olivia's door and helped her out of the car and the other greeted Johnny and took the keys to the car.
Johnny grabbed their bags and her hand and led the way to the front desk.
The young lady behind the desk looked up as they approached and smiled.
"Hello and welcome to Babymoons. My name is Celeste, how can I help you?"
They both smiled in return. "Hi, we're here to check in for the weekend. Reservation should be under Zacchara." Said Johnny.
She typed away on the computer. "There you are. Congratulations on your twins! You must be excited."
"That we are." Said Johnny as he kissed Olivia's hand.
"Alright, I've got you all checked in. Mrs. Zacchara, you're scheduled for a maternal massage in about an hour and here's the schedule for the rest of the treatments you'll be receiving this weekend." She said handing a pamphlet to Olivia.
Johnny spoke up. "Actually, we're not…" Olivia interrupted. "Thank you. But, where do I go for all of this?"
"Oh, they come get you from your room. You don't have to worry about a thing." She smiled. "Here are your room keys; you are in suite #5. Being that you are in your last trimester and expecting twins, we've made it very easy for you to get around. You are in the quietest part of the building and right on the first floor. Do you have any questions?"
Olivia shook her head. "No, I think you've covered it all, thank you."
"Thank you." Said Johnny.
As they started to walk in the direction of their room, Johnny put his arm around her. "Why didn't you let me correct her?"
"What for? Besides, I like the sound of ''. I need to get used to it anyway." She smiled at him.
He opened the door to their suite and she went in, headed straight for the bathroom.
"Babe, there's a bunch of stuff here for you from the hotel." He called out.
She walked out of the bathroom. "Do we have time to eat before my massage? Wait, what are you going to do while I'm gone?" she asked as she went through the gift basket.
"I will be busy preparing to spend the rest of the evening with the woman I love after she comes back from her massage all relaxed and ready to chill out." He said as he leaned over to kiss her.
She put her arms around his neck and kissed him back.
He pulled away. "Didn't you say you wanted to eat before your massage?" he asked.
"I don't think I have enough time, so I'll just snack on something."
"Why don't you go relax until they get here?" he suggested.
"Good idea. Come lay down with me." She ordered him.
After awhile of enjoying the feeling of his children moving around, there was a knock on the door.
"I'm sure that's for you."
"I'll see you in a little while." She kissed him and then kissed him again before leaving for her massage.
As soon as she left, Johnny went to work getting the room ready for her return.
When Olivia opened the door a couple of hours later, she was surprised by what greeted her. The lights were dim. There were candles lit all over the suite. There were rose petals everywhere.
Johnny walked out of the kitchen. "There you are." He walked over to her and kissed her. "How was your massage?"
"Absolutely amazing. But, forget my massage, honey, what's all this?" she said, waving her hand.
"It's still Valentine's Day and we still need to eat. So, I cooked for us. Best part about a suite; I can do everything as if we were home." He smiled at her. "Come on, I know you're hungry. I gotta say, you already look more relaxed than I've seen you look in awhile."
"Thanks to you." She said.
After they were done with dinner, Johnny went into the kitchen and brought Olivia a huge slice of chocolate cake.
Olivia gasped. "For me?"
"Yes, for you. Enjoy. I'm gonna go prepare a nice, relaxing bubble bath for you." He winked at her.
"You better be joining me in this bubble bath!" she called after him.
And he did.
With her eyes closed, Olivia sat in front of Johnny and leaned back against him. There wasn't anywhere else in the world that she would rather be. He started to rub her belly and she giggled when their babies instantly started to move.
"What are they doing? Swimming around?" he joked.
"Pretty much. Mommy is relaxed, so they are enjoying it while it lasts."
Johnny kissed the back of her neck. "Have you given any more thought to what you want to name them?" he asked her.
"Well, it's hard since we don't know if we are naming two girls or a girl and a boy. But, I do have an idea."
"What's that?"
"Lets both choose a girls name and a boys name. When they're born, we'll take it from there. What do you think?" she looked back at him.
"I like that idea. If we end up with just one girl, I guess we'll figure out a name to honor our mothers together?" he suggested.
She smiled at him. "Yes, we will." He leaned down to kiss her.
"You know, we do have to start planning the big day." He reminded her.
"I know. A little over seven months from now, I will officially be Mrs. John Zacchara." She smiled as she played with her ring.
"I love the sound of that." He said.
"Me, too."
"So, are we going big or small? We could elope." He joked.
"Oh, sure. Lets pack up the twins and elope like a couple of stupid teenagers." She reached back and playfully smacked him.
"Ok, seriously. Big blowout or small gathering?"
Olivia thought about it. "You know, if I told you the wedding I dreamed up for myself as a little girl, you would laugh your ass off at me. It's so unlike me."
"Tell me. I promise not to laugh."
"No." she laughed at the look of shock on his face. "Let's do this our way. But, we have to get married in a church AND wherever we have the reception has to be big enough to accommodate my whole family. I guarantee you that not one of them will want to miss me finally getting married." She laughed. "We'll be lucky if we can keep them out of the delivery room!"
Johnny laughed. "Ok, so church wedding and book Madison Square Garden for the reception. Got it."
Olivia laughed loudly. "It's going to be so cute having the babies there when we get married. I'm glad I made us wait."
"I'm not thrilled that you made me wait to make you my wife, but having our children present just makes it that much more special."
She turned around and kissed him.
"Now, how about we finish off this night exactly how you wanted to if we were home?" she looked confused. "Snuggling in bed and watching a movie." He reminded her. "I'll even throw in some more chocolate cake."
She squealed with delight. "I love it! Let's go."
As he helped her out of the tub, Johnny couldn't help but stare at her.
"What?" she asked.
"I watch you struggle with this pregnancy on a daily basis. Everything is twice as hard for you now and I am so amazed that someone as tiny as you are can carry two little people around for nine months. I have yet to figure out how I can even begin to show you how much you mean to me. But, just know that I fall more and more in love with you, with each passing day."
Tears welled up in her eyes. "Aww, honey. I do know how much you love me and I hope you know how much you mean to me by now. I never saw myself falling in love, having more kids and getting married. But, I'm so happy it's all happening with you and I wouldn't change a thing."
He stared into her eyes while he helped her into her robe. He cupped her face with his hands and gently pulled her towards him. Their kiss started slow and quickly turned passionate. When he pulled away, he looked into her eyes again and smiled before kissing her forehead.
"You know, we could always make our own movie and then snuggle." She suggested.
They both burst into laughter and he grabbed her hand to lead her to the bed.
…
One month later…
Lulu let herself in. "Olivia? I'm here." She called out.
Olivia appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. "Hi, honey. Did you get stuck with babysitting me today?"
She put down her bag and removed her jacket. "Don't you remember that we're supposed to be going shopping?" she asked as she followed her into kitchen.
She made a face in response. "Yes. I was just hoping you would forget. I'm not loving the idea of having to shop for something to wear to a party I don't even want to go to. I mean, shit, I thought Jax liked me. Why is he making me attend this party? Not to mention it's for Crimson. I'm sure the last thing those guests want to see is my roly poly ass."
"Well, he says that since your name appears on most of the paperwork, they should meet you." Lulu offered in his defense.
"Ugh. Whatever." She responded as she munched on a carrot.
"However, Carly knew you would be like this and sent a bunch of really cute dresses that she ordered for the boutique for you to choose from. I'll get them from the car in a little bit."
"Ha! She's making sure I come to this thing, isn't she?" Lulu nodded. "I'm sure you were looking forward to shopping, so we can still go."
"No way! This will be so much more fun. Besides, you'll be more comfortable."
"If you're sure, then I'm not arguing." She smiled and placed a cup of coffee in front of her. "So, are you going to be in attendance at this shindig?"
"I will be and so will Maxie. I'm dragging Dante with me and I think she's taking Lucky."
"Oh, good. I won't be alone in my suffering." She joked.
"Maybe you'll surprise yourself and actually have fun."
"I highly doubt that. I just want Saturday to get here so I can get this over with."
Lulu just looked at her and smiled in response.
…
That Saturday…
"Olivia, stop stalling!" yelled Johnny from the bottom of the stairs.
When she didn't respond, he sighed and headed back up the stairs. She was walking out of their bathroom when he walked into the bedroom.
"You've been complaining about this all week and now you're coming up with excuses not to go. We'll just pop in to make an appearance and then we can leave. I promise. Can we go now?"
"I told you that I don't feel good and my back hurts." She whined.
"You were just fine all day and as for your back, I'll massage it for you later. Come on. The faster we get there, the sooner we can leave." He said as he grabbed her hand.
"Are you calling me a liar?"
He didn't answer her. Instead, he kept walking, pulling her with him.
"Fine. If I get sick in the car, I'll be sure to throw up all over you."
He continued to ignore her, letting her argue with herself for most of the drive until she got tired of talking. When they pulled up to the Metro Court, he handed the keys to the valet attendant and made his way over to help her. After he helped her out, she pushed him away.
"What the hell?"
"I told you I don't feel good and I'm in pain. Instead of letting me stay in bed like I wanted, you made me come to this. So now, don't touch me."
Johnny sighed. "I'm not even going to argue with you right now."
"Move." She said as she pushed past him.
He followed her into the hotel and then into the elevator.
"Just so you know, I was only trying to get you out of the house for a little while. No need for you to act like a spoiled brat." She was silent. "You're not talking to me now? Well, that's awfully mature. Just fantastic."
The elevator doors opened and she stepped out without looking.
"SURPRISE!"
She looked up in shock to see what looked like all of Port Charles and her whole family smiling back at her. It wasn't a Crimson party. It was their baby shower. She quickly turned around so that he faced Johnny.
"Oh my God, honey. I am so sorry. I had no idea and I was being such a bitch." She said as tears started to fall from her eyes.
"Hey, come here. It's ok. I'm used to it." He said as he hugged her.
She looked up at him and they both laughed.
"Something tells me that you need these." Said Carly handing her a box of tissues.
"A little warning would have been nice." She said as she snatched the box out of her hand.
"That would have spoiled the surprise. Besides, the look on your face was priceless." She said as she laughed.
Dante put his arms around her shoulders and hugged her from behind. "Finally got you back for all the surprise parties you put me through." He joked.
Olivia laughed as she wiped her tears away. "I must look like a mess."
"Negative. You look gorgeous as ever." Said Johnny. "We should go say hi to everyone, though." He took her hand and they walked further into the room.
"Ma, you've never been able to keep a secret. How did you keep from telling me about this while we are on the phone yesterday?" she asked as she hugged her mom.
"I threatened her." Answered her dad. "How are you, princess?"
"Tired." She laughed. "But, I'm so happy to see you."
They continued to greet guests, Johnny never leaving her side.
"I've got to tell you, Olivia. For someone carrying twins and so close to your due date, you look amazing." Said Elizabeth.
"Oh you're such a sweet angel for lying. I'm sure I look as bad as I feel."
"You want something to drink, babe?" asked Johnny.
"Yes, please."
"I'll be right back." He kissed her and walked away.
"Ma, stop walking around. Let everybody come to you. They're not carrying two people around inside of them." Dante said as he pulled up a chair behind her.
"He's right, Olivia. You really should be sitting." Said Robin.
"Oh, thank you honey. But, my back hurts more when I sit. So, I'll continue to walk around, it helps." She turned to face him and got lightheaded.
Elizabeth and Robin grabbed hold of her before Dante could.
"Whoa. Ok, on second thought, maybe I will sit down for a little bit." She said as Dante helped her to the chair.
Johnny rushed over, followed by Jax.
"Olivia, what happened? Are you ok?" Jax asked as Johnny sat next to her.
"I'm ok. Just a little lightheaded. Nothing new." She smiled at him.
"Maybe you need to eat. I'll go get you some food." Said Dante as he rushed to the buffet table.
"When is your C-section scheduled for?" asked Liz.
"Umm…" she looked at Johnny for help. He chuckled and replied. "Excuse her forgetfulness, its scheduled for April 6th."
Robin looked at Jax. "You should speed things along so that Johnny can take her home to her bed. She really shouldn't be doing too much right now."
After she ate and mingled some more, they finally had Olivia start opening her gifts. She ignored her discomfort for the better part of an hour.
She whispered to Carly. "Can we take a break for a little while? I really need to walk around because my back feels worse."
"You got it." Carly replied. "OK everybody, mommy needs a break. So, please enjoy some more food, the cake is on its way out, while Olivia takes a walk."
Johnny was right beside Olivia, looking concerned. "What's wrong? You don't look good."
"The pain in my back is quickly becoming unbearable and if you don't get me to a bathroom, I might really throw up on you." She warned.
He helped her up from the chair. "Where's my mom?" she asked.
"Right here, baby." Her mother knew something was up.
"Help me get her to the bathroom." Johnny said to Dante.
She started to cry. "I don't feel good, ma."
Mrs. Falconeri and Carly took her into the bathroom where she instantly threw up.
"Honey, you are so pale. Something's not right."
Lulu came in. "I thought you could use some water." She said, handing the glass to Olivia.
As soon as she took the glass from her, she screamed out in pain and grabbed at her side, the glass slipping out of her hand and shattering on the floor.
"Uh-oh." Said Carly. "Olivia, are you in labor?"
She shook her head, crying. "I can't be. It's too early."
"Isn't her doctor here? I remember meeting her." Said her mother.
Carly turned to Lulu. "Go find Kelly! Quick!"
When Johnny saw Lulu run out of the bathroom, he knew something was wrong.
"What's going on?"
"You need to be in there with her, she's in a lot of pain. I'm gonna try to find Kelly."
Lulu didn't see Kelly anywhere, but she did see Liz and Robin.
"Have you guys seen Kelly? Something's wrong with Olivia." She said panicked.
They both jumped up.
"What's wrong? Where is she?" asked Robin.
"In the bathroom. She's throwing up and in a lot of pain."
They both ran for the bathroom and Lulu followed.
"What the hell are you doing in here? You can't help her. You're not an obstetrician." Complained Carly when she saw Robin.
Olivia was leaning over the sink sobbing, while Johnny tried to ease her pain by rubbing her back.
Robin ignored Carly. "Olivia, what's wrong?"
"Horrible pain in my back and I keep throwing up." She answered.
"Do you have any idea how often the back pains are occurring?"
"Oh my God, that is such a stupid question. You, too? What the hell are you going to do? Where is Kelly?" Carly said when she saw Liz.
"CARLY! Shut the hell up or get out!" yelled Olivia before screaming out in pain again.
Robin turned to Johnny. "Go get your car; you need to get her to the hospital." She took out her phone to call Kelly as Johnny ran out.
"Olivia, how long have you had the pain?" Liz asked her.
"Since this morning."
"It's been consistent?"
Olivia nodded.
"Have you been throwing up all day, too?"
"No, just nauseous."
"Ok, sweetie. I think it's safe to say that the twins are ready to meet Mommy and Daddy." Liz said in her soothing voice.
Olivia looked at her.
"That's what Kelly just said, too." Said Robin. "She's on her way to the hospital."
"But, it's too early." Olivia was visibly scared as she continued to cry.
"Don't worry, Olivia. You guys are out of the danger zone, but we'll know more once Kelly can take a look at you." Reassured Liz.
Johnny ran back in with Dante right behind him.
"Cars out front. Come on, baby. Let's get you to the hospital."
Dante looked nervous. He'd never seen his mother in pain like this. "Hey, ma. Come on. Put all of your weight on me and if you get a bad pain, just pull my hair or hit Johnny, ok?"
Olivia laughed through her tears.
He looked back. "Come on, Nona. I'll drive so you and Johnny can take care of her."
…
When they arrived at the hospital, Kelly was waiting outside with a wheelchair.
"Did you guys bring the whole party with you?" she asked, eyeing all of the cars behind them. "Hey, Olivia. How are we doing?"
"Oh, I've been better."
"Have you thrown up anymore?" she asked as she wheeled her in. Olivia shook her head in response. "Pain still bad?"
"Worse."
"How bad would you say?"
Johnny showed her his hand, which had blood where Olivia's nails dug into his skin, repeatedly.
"That bad."
"Yikes. Do we know how far apart her pains are?"
"8 minutes." Her mother said.
"Alright, let me examine her and see what we are dealing with here." She said as she entered a room with Olivia leaving them in the hall to wait.
After 20 minutes, Kelly rushed out of the room.
"I have to do an emergency C-section. Come sit with her while they prep her. The anesthesiologist will be here in a few minutes to inject a local anesthetic. I'll be right back."
He walked up to Olivia, grabbed her hand and kissed it.
"I'm so sorry, baby."
She had stopped crying. "What are you apologizing for?"
"I didn't believe you when you said you didn't feel good. I disregarded your back pain." He was choked up with emotion as he fought back tears. "If anything happens to any of you because of my…"
Olivia cut him off.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Stop right there. Nothing is going to happen to us and you did nothing wrong." She caressed his cheek. "Don't be upset, honey. You're about to meet your children."
Elizabeth walked in and handed scrubs over to Johnny.
"What's this for?"
"Put them on over your clothes, silly. You're going to see your babies come into this world." She smiled and left the room.
Thirty minutes later, they were finally in the operating room.
"Johnny, stay in Olivia's sight so she can stay relaxed." Ordered Dr. Lee. "Can you feel that, Olivia?"
"Feel what?" she asked.
"Perfect." She replied. "Ok, here we go."
Johnny took Olivia's hand in his and held it tight.
Within minutes, their daughter entered the world, screaming.
Johnny looked down at Olivia, smiling. "Wow, what a set of lungs on her." Olivia said softly. He noticed she didn't have her eyes open.
"She's losing a lot of blood." He heard Liz say.
All of a sudden the machines started beeping and Olivia's hand fell out of his.
"What's wrong?" he asked. "Olivia? Olivia?"
"We need to hurry and get the second baby out." Dr. Lee said.
"Olivia? Why isn't she awake?" he asked, panicking.
"Somebody get him out of here."
"What? I'm not going anywhere. What the hell is going on?"
"Johnny, please. I promise, we will take good care of them. But, we can't have you in here while we do it." Liz said, trying to calm him.
"But, that's my family. I can't leave them. Why won't you tell me what's wrong?"
She walked him out of the room and went back in without answering.
He walked to the waiting area and everyone stood up when they saw him. He ran his hands through his hair and punched the wall.
"Whoa! Mr. Zacchara! What the hell is wrong with you?" yelled Epiphany.
"John, honey, what's wrong?" asked Mrs. Falconeri.
"I don't know. One minute, my daughters crying and the next, Olivia isn't awake anymore and they are pushing me out of the room."
Everyone was stunned silent.
After what seemed like an eternity, Dr. Lee finally came to find Johnny.
"I'm sorry we had to make you leave so abruptly, but Olivia is fine. She's lost a lot of blood and gave us a hell of a scare, but that's one tough cookie you have there."
Johnny breathed a sigh of relief. As well as the rest of them.
"Can I see her? Please?"
"Of course, and your children."
When he finally laid his eyes on Olivia and saw that she was awake, he released the tears that had been threatening to fall.
"Hey you. Why are you crying? Did something happen to the babies?" she asked starting to panic.
"No, no. I'm sorry. I'm just so happy to see you awake." He choked on his words and leaned down to kiss her.
She wiped his tears. "Dr. Lee told me I gave you all a scare. I told you, I wasn't going anywhere." She smiled at him.
He was still choked up.
"What about the babies?" she asked.
He found his voice. "We have two beautiful little girls that look exactly like their mother." he smiled.
She beamed. "You saw them? They're ok? Nothing's wrong?"
"I did. They're perfect. Full heads of dark hair. Twenty fingers and twenty toes."
Just then, the door opened and in walked Liz with two nursery bassinets.
"I have a pair of little divas here who will not be quiet until they see their Mommy."
Johnny helped Olivia sit up and Liz placed a pillow on her to prevent her from hurting her incision.
Liz placed one of the babies in Olivia's arms and the other in Johnny's.
"I'll leave you two alone." She stopped when she reached the door. "Oh, did Dr. Lee happen to tell you that they're identical? Good luck!" she said and walked out.
Now, it was Olivia's turn to cry.
"They're amazing. And so tiny." She looked up at Johnny and smiled through her tears. "We made these beautiful little creatures."
"I can't believe it, to be honest." He laughed. "I think their big brother is very eager to meet them and see his mother."
"Wait. Let's name them before they meet everybody. Did you come up with one?" she asked.
"Yes, I did." He looked down at the sleeping baby in his arms. "How do you like Analise Maria?" He asked as he smiled at her.
"Oh, John. That's beautiful. And you thought of that all on your own?" he nodded. "I'm impressed."
"Your turn or did you not come up with one?" he teased.
"Of course I did, Natalia Elise."
"Natalia, huh? Is your mom going to be upset that you added on to her name?"
"No. All I ever heard growing up was how she hated her name. She preferred Natalia and never understood why my grandparents just left off the first two letters."
"Nice. Then she'll love it."
"I wanna see Dante, honey. He must've been so scared." She said.
"We all were. Here." He said as he gave her Analise and helped her position them comfortably in her arms. "I'll be right back." He kissed her and left the room.
Within minutes, Dante walked through the door. She looked up and smiled at him.
"Hi, honey."
"Ma. I can't tell you how happy I am to see that smile." He said, sounding relieved.
"Come meet your sisters."
"Sisters? There are two of them?" he joked.
"Yes, silly. You're still my only boy." She winked at him and he kissed her cheek. "Dante, meet Analise Maria and Natalia Elise. Girls, meet the big brother you're going to torture."
"Oh Nona is going to freak when she hears that name."
"I know."
"They're beautiful, ma. Can I hold one?" He asked.
"Of course."
After some time had passed, the girls grew restless and Olivia realized that they were hungry.
"Yeah. I don't want to see this. Love you, ma. I'll be back in the morning." He said as he kissed her.
As Olivia breastfed Natalia, she looked at Johnny who sat rocking Analise.
"Quick, which one do you have?"
"Huh?"
Olivia laughed and startled the baby. "Oh, I'm sorry mama." She started sucking again. "Ow! Shit, I do not miss this part."
Johnny stood up and walked over to her. "I don't know of another moment in my life when I was this happy." He said.
"I love you." She said to him.
"I love you, too." He said before kissing her. "And you." He said and kissed Natalia's head. "And you, too." He kissed Analise's cheek.
"Oh, these two are going to have you wrapped around their finger." Joked Olivia.
"Just like their mama. And I wouldn't have it any other way." He smiled at her.
***************To be continued**************