I contemplated rushing back up the stairs while their backs were still to me, but that last step squeaked, just as I turned. Fuck. I closed my eyes, hoping no one heard, after all they were locked in an embrace with their mom.

"Tessa." My name, in unison again. Damn it. "Darlin' dat you?" Connor finished.

I opened my eyes and wished that I'd had the forethought to throw on a robe over the tight nightgown I was wearing. Once they focused on ALL of me, they'd know. Shit. "Connor," I turned around and felt my breath leave me. "Murphy." My face crumpled and I felt so overcome with emotions that I sobbed. Damn hormones.

They rushed forward and wrapped their arms around me. Hushing me, clearly too worried about my sudden outburst than me clearly visible bump, they held me and kissed my hair. Their scent was all around me, cigarettes and that soapy smell, but then it was overwhelming and I pulled harshly away and ran to the bathroom. The vomit spewed from me as soon as I had the toilet seat up. I felt them behind me and couldn't even find it in me to care. This was all due to their demon spawn after all.

"Tessa?" Murphy whispered, the worry heavy in his voice.

"Yer ok?" Connor asked, his brother's worry reflected in his own tone.

Once everything was gone, and I mean everything, I flushed the toilet and rose to my feet. Moving to the sink, I grabbed the toothbrush that had a sister in every available room in the house. Carefully brushing my teeth, I waited them out. I felt them leave the doorway and sighed, spitting the toothpaste out and rinsing my mouth. It was time for a pep talk to the MacManus nightmares I was carrying.

"Listen up, kiddos, your daddies are home." I whispered, cradling my small bump in my hands. "So calm the fuck down, would ya?"

I could hear them talking to their mother as I left the bathroom. I hovered out of sight, wanting to be a coward and let Annabelle tell them. "It's 'er secret ter tell." I heard the woman I'd come to love telling them. Damn it, she wasn't going to throw me a bone. "She'll tell ya when she wants ter."

I stepped out from my hiding spot. My arms were crossed over my chest, which was growing almost as rapidly as my bump. "I didn't get the heads up you were heading home." I said, breaking up the clearly tense atmosphere in the kitchen. I noticed that Annabelle had made me a cup of green tea, she knew that it helped after one of my episodes.

"Couldn tell ya." Connor said, as I took my seat at the table.

"Couldn tell anyone." Murphy agreed, sitting in the chair to my right. Connor took the one at my left and Annabelle sat across from me. "Are ya sick, Tess?"

I chuckled, and glanced at Annabelle who was smiling back at me. "Only sometimes." I answered, waiting to see how truly unobservant the two of them were. "Just when something is too smelly to deal with." Annabelle laughed at that one.

"Mudder," Connor admonished. "Tisn't funny. She should see a doctor."

Now I laughed, hard. "I have." I answered, and looked up to see the two of them staring at me like they had when I was delirious from exhaustion. "Don't worry, it'll pass in about five months." Annabelle caught my eye and we shared another fit of giggles.

"Damn it, women." Connor growled, glaring between us.

Murphy's glare came next. "Dis isn't funny."

I took one of each of their hands in mine. "No, it isn't." I agreed, sobering.

"Naught at all," Annabelle agreed, taking their other hands in hers.

I looked at her and she gave me a nod. "I'm pregnant, boys." They paled, the both of them, and I was worried for a moment that they'd faint. Annabelle shook her head at me and I could tell that she wanted me to wait.

"Pregnant?" They breathed together.

"Tessa," Connor whispered, clutching at my hand.

"Is it only da one?" Murphy finished, drawing my attention back to him.

I shook my head and their hands tightened on mine and I imagine their mom's. "Twins." I answered as their focus held on me.

Annabelle released their hands and stood. "'M goin' ta bed." She announced and kissed each of us on the head as she passed. "'Ave a good night." And she chuckled as she made her way to her room.

"Let's get ya ready fer bed, Tessa." Murphy said, voice thick.

"I'll jus lock up." Connor answered, moving to the door.

Murphy tugged me to my feet and finally gazed on the obvious bump. Before he could take me upstairs, his hands fell to my bump. And then he was kneeling in front of me, tugging up my nightshirt, and kissing the swell. Connor had come back and joined him in kneeling before me. His hands replaced Murphy's and then his lips were kissing the bump.

"Our babies." Murphy whispered, rising to his feet and finally kissing me.

"Aye," Connor agreed, standing on the other side of me and asking for his own kiss. "My tern, Tessa." He whispered, kissing me softly.

"Ah, Tess, we've missed ya." Murphy's voice, quiet and low, the heat of it against my shoulder. And it was just like that first night with them, only this time, they carried me together upstairs and into OUR room.

THE NEXT MORNING

"Dese beds are smaller dan I remember." Connor groaned, clutching me to him, back to his front as always.

I giggled as Murphy glared at the sunlight shining in the windows. "'Nd de curtains don do shit against da sun."

Another round of giggles bubbled from me as Murphy's skin pressed against my front. "You two are ridiculous." I said, kissing Murphy then Connor. "You're free, and we've put two beds together to make this one, the sun's shining because you're home. Stop bitching." I sat up and felt the two of them follow suit. I was naked. Of course I was, since they were home, clothing would become redundant in our bedroom.

After many kisses, a fight over the shower (between them, not me, of course), throwing on clothes, I made my way downstairs. Annabelle was cooking, I could hear it so I stopped on the stairs.

"Do nah worry, tis all babe approved food." She shouted, hearing that damn stair moan no doubt. I laughed and joined her. "Dose babes disappoint der nanna." She gave a mock glare at my bump.

"I'm sure once they're here, they'll love the local cuisine." I said, smoothing her fears. "For now, they're inside me, and since I'm not a fan-"

She rolled her eyes at me and chuckled. Handing me a cup of tea, she glanced upwards. "Where are dem lads o' mine?" She asked, then eyes twinkling she looked down at me. "Wear 'em out did ya?"

I choked on my sip of tea. Sputtering and hearing her laugh, I cleaned up the mess I made. "You are incorrigible." I accused, and smirked at her. "And, no I didn't. I'm an expectant mother, haven't you noticed?"

"Aye, and 'ow'd yer become one?" She shot back. "Gonna 'aveta buy some earplugs." She shook her head and I felt my blush burn. "Dere it is. Knew I'd get one outta ya."

I shook my head with restrained laughter. "You're terrible. Honestly, Annabelle!"

"Wat's goin' on in 'ere?" Connor asked, finished his hard one first shower I saw.

"Your mother is terrorizing me." I tattled, feeling the heat of his body against the back of my chair. His hands were on my shoulders, and I tilted my head back and his lips met mine. "She's insinuating that we were loud last night." I said when he pulled away.

"Dat wasn't us." Murphy offered, coming into the room moments after his brother and kneeling at my right to get his own kiss.

I looked up at Annabelle in triumph, until the two of them threw me under the bus. "Dat was 'er, Mudder." They were pointing at me. The assholes. My triumph shot low, I pinched my lips as the laughter finally took over me.

"You all suck." I said, drinking my now tepid tea. "First the babies that hate the smell of EVERYTHING." I glared briefly at my stomach. " Then a grandma who mocks a poor first time mother." I shook my head at Annabelle. "And the fathers? Don't get me started." I said as the two of them took their seats at the table.

"Don be like dat," Murphy said, taking my hand.

Connor took the other. "Dat's right. We love ya."

"We all love ya," Annabelle interjected, filling plates with the food she'd made. "Even if ya 'ave da taste buds of a wee babe." She smiled down at me.

"I know," I said, smiling at all of them. "But the hormones, ugh." I ran my hand over my bump. "I never know what's going to make me laugh, what's going to make me cry, and what's going to make me throw up."

"We're 'ere now, Tess." Connor reminded me.

"Yer not alone," Murphy gave me their promise.

Annabelle snorted. "And wha was I?" She asked, giving each of us a plate. "She weren't alone before, ya ninnies." She sat with her own. "She needs comfortin'. She needs less worry." She shot pointed looks at her sons. "She needs ter know yer nah 'eadin' back ter the life."

I felt the two of them talking to one another and so did she. She held my focus as they discussed their next steps.

Murphy and Connor sighed. "We only got released cause of Smecker." Connor admitted.

"'E made good on keepin' us on da outside." Murphy agreed.

I nodded, of course, I'd read about Smecker. He was their help on the inside. An FBI agent who kept them free before. I'd thought he'd died. "I understand," I whispered, biting into my toast.

"No, ya don." Murphy answered. Shaking his head and forcing me and his mother to keep our attention on the twins.

"'Da deal is we gotta keep workin', but not for a bit." Connor replied, taking a bite of his own food.

Murphy smiled, reassuring me. "Las time took eight years to get us back."

That was true, I thought. It was what brought them into my life. I felt Connor's hand on mine again.

"We're 'ere, and we plan on bein' 'ere fer dem." He gestured to my bump. "And fer ya."

Annabelle nodded, clearly approving of this new plan for our lives. She glanced at the clock. "Tessa? Do ya work today?" It was growing close for my usual time.

I shook my head. "No, the owner saw how active the babies were yesterday and gave me today off." I smiled at how kind the people were here. "He said to let him know if I need more."

The boys were watching us. "Ya could quit now." Connor offered.

I smiled. "I don't have to work at all, Connor." I remembered the more than fair price I'd gotten for my store, and the ease of selling off other non-essentials. I had more cash than I needed for some time.

"So why are ya?" Murphy asked, eating his own breakfast, but as laser focused as his brother.

"Been askin' 'er the same ting since she started." Annabelle offered. I rolled my eyes at the three of them.

"I like to work." I said, shaking my head. "It gets me out and around people."

"Tis gettin' harder tho, isn't it?" Connor asked, his hand still holding mine.

I sighed, yes, it was. And I wasn't even halfway through my pregnancy. "What would I do if I didn't work?" I asked, glancing at the three of them.

"Could find us a house." Murphy replied, shrugging his shoulder.

"Den yer could spend da time fixin' it fer da babies." Annabelle agreed, clearly warming to the idea.

"A place nearby, but wit more room." Connor offered, and I was thinking they'd been discussing this without me, but when?

I sat back, and studied the three of them. "Where is it?" I knew that they'd come up with this together, maybe not with the knowledge of my pregnancy, but definitely a set up.

"Where's what?" Connor asked too innocently to be believable.

I raised an eyebrow and Murphy soothed me with his confession. Truly my favorite twin. "We jus thot when we got out, dat we'd want our own place wit ya."

I shook my head and chuckled. I was adding two more to this family of goofballs. "So?" I asked, "Where is it?"

"Go get dressed," Connor replied with a smile.

"We'll take ya when yer ready." Annabelle agreed with her own grin.