Author's note: Arguably this little coda is unnecessary, but I wanted to see babies, so…

I really hope you've enjoyed reading this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it. I truly appreciate everyone who reads, favourites and follows, and most of all, those who review! You have no idea how much it means to get feedback, especially when you're juggling writing with everything else in life!

I also have to give particular thanks to the ladies of the Writers Block Party, talented writers all, who made this story immeasurably better by being around to workshop, chat, and share pictures of the cast with their shirts off. And as always, I have to thank the serviceman in my life, who not only came up with Tex's famous pink suit, but a lot more besides.

Next up, I shall be writing a couple of stories for the Valentine's Day Story Extravaganza, if I can get them finished on time!

Epilogue – Happily Ever After

Exactly one year later

Tex leant over his son's crib, grinning at the chuckling noise emitted by the chubby red headed baby.

"It's very early." He admonished gently, "And you, Jack Thomas Nolan, ought to know better." He lifted the ten month old into his arms, settling him against his shoulder.

Nina had spent the last few weeks of her pregnancy on bed rest, and Jack's birth had added to her scars with an emergency C-section, but the baby had been robust and healthy from the start, and had remained remarkably placid.

Walking to the window, Tex pointed at the two horses visible in a field on the horizon. "See the horses?" He asked Jack, "If you stay nice and quiet while your mom sleeps, then when your sister gets here, we'll go over to your Uncle Tom's and see them up close."

Not long after Jack's arrival, Kat had turned seventeen and headed straight off to the camp for the first stage of her Marine Corps training, and just a month later, Tom had called Tex about a house only a couple of miles from his and Sasha's. It had needed extensive renovation, and would always be a little on the rickety side, but it was home.

"Are you bribing the baby, Kansas?"

He turned to see Nina leaning against the door jamb, hair tied up in a messy knot on top of her head, long legs bare beneath one of his flannel shirts, and to him, entirely beautiful.

"Thought you could use some more sleep." He answered.

"I'm awake." She smiled, holding out her arms for Jack. "One of us needs to sort out Kat's bedroom. It's still full of crap from the old apartment, you can hardly get to the bed."

"How about you make a start while I make breakfast?" He offered. "You know my eggs are superior to yours."

"Sure," She kissed their son's head, ruffling his hair. "Jack and I can do the chores while you whip us up something special."

He wrapped his arms around them both, kissing Nina's temple, then her lips, lingering a little. "Sounds like a plan, Callaghan. Unless you want to head back to bed for a little while first?" He winked and she laughed.

"I could be persuaded..."

A couple of miles down the road, Tom was waking up to the familiar noises of the distant drone of the television downstairs, and the soft breathing of his wife beside him. Smiling, he leaned over and kissed Sasha's slightly parted lips, and as she murmured in response, he gently caressed her breast, then slid his hand down to stroke her stomach.

"Good morning, Mrs Chandler. Happy anniversary."

Sasha blinked and smiled up at him sleepily. "Happy anniversary." Her hand joined his on her belly, "Good morning little Chandlers to be."

"Not so little anymore." He commented, and she laughed.

Sasha had been adamant that they wait as long as possible to announce the pregnancy, but in the event, people had started to guess before she'd even passed the first trimester - something to do with the sudden curve of her belly and her habit of retching every time someone made her laugh. And now at almost thirty six weeks, she was, by her own declaration, the size of a house; hardly surprising given she was expecting twins.

Tom pulled back the blankets and kissed her belly.

"You sure you're still okay for this lunch today? We can put it off if you need to."

"Tom, I'm fine." She protested. "Huge, but fine. Besides, the whole point of today is to see everyone before we disappear into a storm of diapers!"

"Two weeks tomorrow." He said with a smile. "Can't wait."

"You're not the one having their stomach sliced open." Sasha grumbled, "You just had to outdo your buddies and get two in there, didn't you?" But inwardly she smiled. Pregnancy had been just as hard as she'd feared, but also as magical as she'd hoped.

As she hauled herself out of bed, however, she felt a strange sensation in her lower belly, and couldn't suppress a gasp.

"Sash?" Tom was immediately by her side, and she looked up at him with a mixture of fear and disbelief as the sensation gripped her again.

Back in the city, Mike woke up when his wife kicked him gently in the shin.

"What was that for?" He mumbled, and forced open his eyes to see Rachel looking at him with a winsome smile.

"What was what for?"

"You kicked me."

"I did not." She smiled innocently, "But since you're awake, I'd love a cup of tea." She batted her eyelashes, and he couldn't help laughing.

Moving swiftly to surprise her, he grabbed her wrists and rolled her onto her back, pinning her to mattress with his body. "Tea, huh? What am I, your slave?"

She laughed, "If you make me tea, I'll make it worth your while…" She pushed upwards, pressing her hips into his.

"Oh really?" He dipped his head and kissed her, "What exactly would that involve?"

She smirked a little, "Bring me my tea and I'll show you."

Laughing, he surrendered and got out of bed, stretching tall and enjoying the way she watched him. Their relationship had become even stronger over the past year, as they both found the balance between the jobs they loved and the family they valued so highly. It helped that as Jamie grew older, all three of them got more sleep, and the peaceful neighbourhood where their new home was located had helped with that too.

He stopped by Jamie's room on his way to the kitchen, scooping up his son when he saw that the two year old was awake. As he plonked Jamie into his high chair while he started on tea for Rachel and coffee for himself, he heard Rachel's cell phone ringing in their bedroom, and the murmur of his wife's voice as she answered.

A few minutes later, she entered the room, phone still in hand. "That was Sasha." She said, "Slight change of plans…"

It wasn't that they all needed to be at the hospital, though each of them could have found a practical justification for it if pushed. It was more that the idea of not being there felt wrong. And so, while Sasha laboured with Tom at her side, Mike, Rachel, Tex and Nina sat in the waiting room, alongside Jed, Ashley and Sam, and did an excellent job of pretending to read, watch TV, and play with Jamie and Jack, all the while with ears pricked for any sound to indicate that the twins had arrived.

In the event, it was long into the evening before Tom emerged from the delivery room. Jamie was asleep in Ash's arms, and Tex was walking Jack up and down along the rows of chairs while Nina played cards with Sam. Jed was dozing, and snoring slightly, and Rachel was fast asleep, her head resting on Mike's lap.

Tom headed straight for his son and daughter, his face lit by a beaming smile. "You guys want to meet your brother and sister?"

"Yes!" Sam leapt up immediately, his exclamation waking Rachel and Jed, and Ashley grinned, carefully handing Jamie to Nina before she stepped forward to hug her dad.

"Hey Commodore, we all want to meet them!" Tex protested, and Tom's grin grew wider.

"The doctors aren't going to like it."

"I'm a doctor. I'll take them on." Rachel yawned and smiled at the same time. "How's Sasha?"

"Incredible." Tom answered, looking slightly awed. "She was incredible."

The lighting in the room had been dimmed a little, but Sasha's smile was radiant as they slowly filed in. Tom went to her side and lifted one of the tiny twins from her arms.

"Which one is which?" Sam wanted to know.

"This," Tom said, turning the baby very carefully so they could see him, "Is your brother."

"And here's your sister." Sasha said.

Ashley approached the bed carefully, and Sasha immediately allowed her to take the baby.

"Hello Amelia." Ashley said softly.

Sasha felt tears well up in her eyes as she watched her stepdaughter holding her new sister. "What do you think?" She managed.

"She's so tiny." Ash answered. "And so cute."

Rachel stepped close and looked down at the little face. "Amelia?"

"My mother's name." Sasha told her.

"But this one is Amelia Rachel." Ash said, looking up at Rachel. "Sasha and Dad wanted to name her after you."

Mike wrapped his arm around Rachel's shoulders as she fought tears. "Great name." He said quietly, when his wife was unable to speak.

"And this," Tom said, looking over at his father, "Is Jed Kansas Chandler." They'd already discussed it, so it was no surprise to Jed, but nonetheless, Tom could see how moved his father was.

"Kansas?" Nina started to laugh in disbelief and Tex joined in.

"You're kidding, Commodore?"

Tom shook his head. "Not kidding. We figured it fit the pair of you."

"But what about-" Tex's eyes flew to Mike.

Sam puffed out his chest a little, "Samuel Michael Chandler, at your service!" He declared, and everybody laughed.

"I got in there early." Mike confirmed.

Tom looked around the room, at his friends, his elder children, his new babies, and then finally at his wife. Sasha might have looked tired, but all he saw was the joy shining out of her. Perching on the edge of the bed, he kissed her hair, careful not to disturb the baby in his arms.

"I love you, Sash." He said softly, and she looked up at him, smiling, her eyes full of unshed tears.

"I love you, Tom."

He kissed her lips softly, but then the moment was interrupted by the dry voice of Mike Slattery.

"If this is how you celebrate your first wedding anniversary, how in the hell are you going to top this next year?"

THE END