Hey!

3 more...I'm getting butterflies...Maybe I can finish the story this week! :D

Enjoy!


"Did you get the job?" Josh asked as Alex stepped into the foyer.

"Yeah, and I also got a job at the coffee shop, just because." He shrugged. "The schedules are different so they'll work together."

"Can I get free coffees?"

Alex smirked suggestively, wrapping his arms around Josh's shoulders. "Maybe not free, but they won't cost you any cash."

Josh pecked his lips quickly and then tugged on his waist. "You want to see the babies?"

"Yes, please," his boyfriend grinned, following him into the common room. Josh led him to three cribs sitting against the wall and motioned to each of the babies, naming them for him. "Aw, they're so adorable! I love baby eyes; they're beautiful! Could I hold one of them?"

"Which one?"

"Um, Becca, here," he tapped the edge of the crib and Josh reached down to pick Rebecca up.

"Do you know how to hold a baby?" Josh asked.

"I once held a neighbor's baby back in Mexico. But I guess that was a long time ago. But yeah, I've seen movies." Alex grinned when Josh suddenly hesitated to hand him Rebecca.

"Okay, be careful."

"I'll treat her like one of my CDs."

"There you go," Josh nodded.

"Speaking of CDs: the CDs you wanted are in my bag. Treat them like one of your video games; be careful."

"Just don't drop my sister." Josh said, taking the CDs out of Alex's bag and setting them up on the mantel above the fireplace.

Alex moved to sit down on one of the sofa and held Rebecca on his lap. "What is it about new baby smell that is so calming?"

Josh chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey, Alex," Jerome greeted when he walked into the common room. "Already all over the babies, huh?"

"He loves babies," Josh told him.

"I need her though, if you don't mind." Jerome said. "She needs to eat."

"Of course," Alex nodded once, lifting Rebecca to her father and he left the room.

"Come on, let's go upstairs." Josh said, already jogging up the stairs to the second floor. Alex hurried after him and closed the door, grinning at his boyfriend. Josh glanced at him warily, carefully placing one of the CDs in his laptop. "What?"

"I've got a present for you." He said, nearly bursting into a fit of giggles. He pulled an object covered in red wrapping paper out of his backpack and held it out to him.

Josh took it from him and unwrapped it, turning the picture frame over so he could see what it displayed. The first picture he and Alex took; Josh kissing Alex's cheek while Alex was caught in mid laughter. They both looked extra happy. He smiled a little. "Thanks, Baby."

"You said you liked that picture." Alex said, pressing his lips to Josh's temple and plucking the frame from his hands. He set it on Josh's nightstand and spread his arms wide, gesturing to it. "Ta-da!"

Josh smirked. "Now my room is complete."

"Yeah, it is." Alex winked.

Josh walked over to his laptop, switched out the CD after it was finished saving onto the hard drive and played one of the songs. "You going to hang out while I play Call of Duty?"

"I've got nothing better to do." Alex said teasingly, rushing to the door when Ozzy started scratching on the door. "Hey, Snowball, you perfect little ball of fluff you."

Josh collapsed into his beanbag chair as Alex relaxed against him on the floor, laying Ozzy on his chest. The cat stood up and walked to his shoulder, stepping down onto the beanbag and nudging Josh's cheek with his wet nose.

"Hey, Snowball," Josh mumbled absentmindedly.


"I'm not leaving forever, Gracie," Michael laughed, lifting her off the floor when she ran to hug him.

"You'll come back for Christmas, right? And my birthday?" She demanded, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I promise."

"I'll be waiting."

He set her down and turned to his parents. "I promise, we'll call when we get there."

Mara pulled him in for a hug quickly. "Stay safe, Darling, I love you."

"I love you, too, Mum." He whispered, kissing her cheek as he pulled away. He shared a hug with Jerome and turned to hug Alice and Louisa tightly. He mussed up Matty's hair as his younger brother hugged him around the waist. He arched an eyebrow at Josh. "Now, you do know that it's going to be your job to punch any guys that hurt the girls, right?" He pointed to Matty. "And it's your job to help him because he can't throw a punch to save his life."

"They can take care of themselves." Josh smirked, waving his hand dismissively and Alice pushed gently on the back of his head playfully. He laughed, shooting her a look, and opened his arms to Michael for a hug.

"Okay, guys," Michael began, stepping back and grabbing for Emily's hand. "We're leaving now. No one cry…"

"Leave!" Josh cried and the rest of the family laughed.

Michael rolled his blue eyes and led Emily down to the moving truck, opening the passenger side door for her. "Love you, guys!" He called, waving as he climbed into the driver's seat. He turned to Emily. "You ready, Darling?"

"Well, in the immortal words of Gary Gilmore: 'Let's do it.'" She shrugged.

"Giddyup," he winked, taking her hand for a second so he could kiss her palm and pulled away from the curb with his family waving after them.


If you don't understand those two references, we can't be friends.

"Somewhere in the end of all this hate, there's a light ahead that shines into this grave that's in the end of all this pain. In the night ahead there's a light upon this house on a hill, the living living still. Their intention is to kill and they will, they will. But the children are doing fine, I think about them all the time. Until they drink their wine and they will, they will, they will." -House On A Hill, Juliet

-Rachel