Author's note: Guys, we're almost to the end. It's been fun! Don't worry, I have plans to follow this family in one shots after this. Look out for a very small reference to the Paramore song Still Into You (a favorite of mine from their self-titled album).

Happy reading!

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Amy arrived one evening to have dinner with the Karofsky-Smythes.

As soon as she arrived, Jimi looked up at her and asked, "You having our baby?"

She smiled and sat down on the couch and pulled him and Katherine onto her lap. "I am having a baby. And your daddies are going to adopt it. It will be your brother or sister."

"Where is the baby?" Katherine asked.

She took a hand from each of them and placed it on her stomach. "It grows here in my belly. And in a few months, I'll go to the hospital and a doctor will help get it out."

"Can we come?" The little girl asked.

She smiled and kissed each of them. "That's very much up to your dads."

Dave grinned. "We'll have to see. You two go play and let Amy just relax."

"They're fine." She hugged them both. "Where's your husband?"

"Putting a crib together." Dave said, shaking his head.

"You still have four months." She pointed out.

"Tell him that. He's freaking out about there still not being enough time."

"There's not." Sebastian said, coming down the stairs. He closed the gate behind him and leaned down. He patted Amy's stomach. "How is the little guy today?"

She smiled. "Thankfully not giving me too much trouble. Finally over the morning sickness. Still tired all the time."

"You'll be okay."

She nodded. "I have an appointment tomorrow. Are you coming?"

Dave sighed. "I have meetings all day that I tried to get out of, but couldn't. I'm sorry."

"I can make it." Sebastian assured her. "And I'll bring these guys. I took the whole day off." He ruffled the kids' hair.

"We ordered Indian for supper. Is that okay?" The other man said as his husband moved away from her.

Amy smiled. "We can try. Just because I'm over the morning sickness doesn't mean I don't still get sick with some foods."

"We have plenty for back-up. Jimi doesn't care for Indian. I'm making him a pizza. Katie might eat some of it too. But how much can two little kids eat?" He chuckled.

"I eat all of it myself." Jimi announced.

"I'm sure you will, baby." Dave grinned at his son.

The doorbell rang and the twins ran for it, arguing over who would open it. Sebastian followed them, taking his wallet out of his pocket. The young man on the other side of the door smiled kindly at the children as he indulgently handed each of them a bag of food and then took the payment from their father.

"Have a good night." He said as he watched the kids run away with the food.

"Thanks. You too." Sebastian closed the door and ran after the kids. "Who else besides me is starving?"

Amy had grown to love these evenings she spent with the family. It was part of the deal, they wanted to see her at least once a week to have a meal with her. Until recently, the twins just thought she was a friend coming to hang out. Dave and Sebastian thought it was finally time, with her increasing belly, to tell the twins about the real reason she was in their lives.

She never stayed long. Sometimes it had just been to hang out for an hour or two. But she had started to stay after supper and then stay later and later as she got to know the kids more. Until this night, she had left before bath and bedtime. But tonight, the twins begged her to stay for bedtime and read their story.

"If your dads don't mind." She said, looking between the men.

Dave shrugged. "Whatever you want."

Sebastian smiled. "You're always welcome."

So she stayed, sitting awkwardly in the living room as the children were bathed. She followed the kids up the stairs as they tugged on her hands.

Dave and Sebastian stood in the doorway to Katherine's room and watched Amy read to their children.

"Do you really think this was a good idea?" Dave mumbled.

"I want to make sure that she's sure." Sebastian answered.

"This may change her mind. And we've told the kids."

"It'll be fine."

"But she could still change her mind. It's in the contract. She can back out at any time during her pregnancy."

She looked up at them a moment, faltering in the reading, and then looked back.

"No more talk about this right now." Sebastian said.

Dave nodded.

Amy finished the book and kissed both children on the head. The men took over from there. She stood awkwardly in the hallway for a moment before she headed down the stairs. She started cleaning up the kitchen.

"Hey, you don't have to do that." Dave said as he walked over to her.

"You're afraid I'm going to change my mind." She said, continuing to clean dishes anyway.

He took over the rinsing. "Yes. And it's fine if you want to. You don't need to feel obligated to us. But we're all excited for the baby. And if you do decide to keep it, I hope you'll at least keep us posted about it."

"This is your baby, Dave." She handed him a plate and leaned against the counter. "I can't take care of this baby. You can. You have all the means and all the love. The love is the part I care about the most. And the twins are so happy about it." A tear fell down her cheek and she wiped at it quickly. "When I signed that contract, this baby was no longer mine."

He nodded. "Thanks. You don't know how much we appreciate this. We'll take care of it. We wanted you to see that. It's part of the reason we wanted you to share our home for a few hours a week. And you're always welcome here."

"Thanks."

Sebastian walked in. "Both sound asleep."

"Good." Dave smiled. He turned to Amy. "We'll finish this later. Want some more dessert?"

She shook her head. "No, thank you. I'll get out of your hair. Not many more quiet nights for you two for a while." She walked toward the living room and gathered her things by the door. "I'll see you, Sebastian, tomorrow afternoon? With the twins?"

"Sure thing." He gave her a quick hug.

"Drive safe." Dave told her as he helped opened the door for her.

She smiled. "Have fun in your meetings." She winked and headed out.

He closed the door and leaned against it. "She's not backing out. She promises."

"Good." Sebastian smiled and cupped his cheeks. "I love you."

"Love you." They shared a kiss. "That show you like is on. With the singing kids. I say we kick back with a beer and cuddle up and watch it."

"Best idea I've heard all day."

"I'll get the beer." Dave hurried off toward the kitchen as Sebastian plopped down on the couch.

Dave returned and pulled his husband against his chest before handing over the bottle in his hand.

Sebastian sighed, "We've been together so long. I should be over this, but I'm not."

Dave chuckled and kissed his temple. "We still fight."

"But I still love when we make up. We still have it in the bedroom and out of it."

"True."

Sebastian sighed. "Are we ready for a new baby?"

"I think so. I wish we could have half a dozen."

"I know. We'll just fill the house with fur babies after this one."

Dave laughed. "I think I can handle that one." He kissed Sebastian again and then settled back to watch the show."


Sebastian spent a lot of time agonizing over the nursery. Dave told him to just pick a color and design.

"You didn't freak out this much over the twins." He pointed out.

"I don't know what's different this time." He admitted. He picked up a paint swatch. "I think I like this creamy yellow. I don't want to go over-the-top with the pink. I don't like all the pink for girls. And I want music things."

"More Hendrix quotes?" Dave teased.

"Why not?" He grinned. "And I already have one. 'In order to change the world, you have to get your head together first.'" He pressed a kiss to Dave's mouth.

"I like that. And the yellow. I like the yellow. Go get it and we can have a big family painting day this weekend."

"No, Jimi!" Katherine yelled from the room across the hall.

"I had it first, Kate!" He screamed back.

"No, me!"

The men hurried across to the room to find their kids fighting over a toy.

"Don't bite me!" Jimi screamed and pulled his sister's hair.

Katherine screamed and bit down harder on his arm.

The dads pulled them apart and demanded to know what happened. Both children were crying so hard it was difficult to discern the problem. It all boiled down to both of them wanting the same toy. They made the two apologize to each other and then separated them to their rooms.

"Are you sure we can handle them and a baby?" Dave asked.

Sebastian laughed. "We can do it. I have a good feeling."

"I'll just have to take your word for it. I'll start dinner."

"And I guess I can help and stop obsessing about this room and come help you." He laughed.


"When is the baby going to be here, Dad?" Jimi asked as Dave scrubbed some of the paint off his cheek.

"Just a few more weeks, buddy." His father answered.

"Will Granddad come?"

"He'll be here. He wants to meet your baby sister as much as we do."

"What's her name going to be?" He asked.

"Daddy and I haven't figured that out yet." Dave admitted. "We're still trying to come up with something. What name do you like?"

"Scarlett." He said proudly.

"Did your daddy put you up to that?" He tweaked the boy's nose.

Jimi laughed. "He gave me candy."

"Of course he did." Dave stood. "Finish washing up." He walked out of the bathroom connected to their bedroom and into the one down the hall where Sebastian was seeing about Katherine. "We're not naming our daughter Scarlett." He announced.

"What about Janice?"

"As in Joplin? No. Even if I kind of liked her music, I don't like the name Janice."

"I like Scarlett, Dad." Katherine chimed in.

Dave put his hands on his hips. "I bet you do. You're Daddy's little girl."

She smiled proudly and nodded. "Daddy's the smartest!"

"But Dad's the hottest." Sebastian said. "We'll talk about it more later?"

Jimi came in then, squealing and dripping wet. "I'm naked!" He announced before running away.

Katherine laughed and tried to scramble out of the tub after him. Sebastian grabbed her and wrapped her in a towel as Dave scooped Jimi up.

"Let's get you dressed." He told the boy as he grabbed a towel off the rack.

"And then the movie?" His son asked.

"And then the movie. And I swear, son, if you agree to Gone with the Wind again, I will disown you."

Jimi giggled. "But I like it."

"I know you do. You all do. And I think it's just to annoy me."

"I want to watch My Fair Lady." Katherine announced from her room.

"We're not watching My Fair Lady, doody-head!" Jimi called to his sister. "I want to watch Finding Nemo."

"Me too!" His sister decided. "I wanna be Dory, Daddy." She said as she ran to the gate at the top of the stairs.

"I wanna be a seagull." Jimi said as he joined her. He shook the gate. "Mine! Mine!"

The men laughed. Dave opened the gate and the twins hurried down the stairs.

As they cuddled up and watched the movie, a bowl of popcorn between the twins, Dave filed through all the names he could think of. Their new daughter had to have the perfect name, just like their other children. It didn't have to mean anything, just be a good name.

"Kendal." He said suddenly.

Sebastian looked over, a smile on his lips. "I like it."

"We can figure out the middle name later."

He reached over and combed his fingers through Dave's hair. "Can it be Bailey?"

He smiled. "Of course. I'm sure she'll be honored."

"Kendal Bailey." Sebastian mused. "Perfect."

Dave grabbed his hand and threaded their fingers together. "Now if she would only get here already."