We're here. We've come to the end. It took me longer than planned to finish it, but it's done. I don't really like ending on an odd number chapter like 19, but I also don't believing in writing things for the sake of writing things. The story had a beginning, and this is the end.

7 months later

Maura laid one of the babies into the bassinet and sat down on the couch beside Jane. She took her hand and settled against her side. She stifled a yawn as the lack of sleep took hold of her thoughts and made it next to impossible to think clearly.

"Let's hope Cal doesn't wake up next," Jane said, kissing the side of Maura's head. "This peace is more enjoyable than when they're screaming in tandem."

Maura closed her eyes for a moment. "They'll settle down, might take a few years, but it'll happen eventually."

"Years?" Jane scoffed. "I'd forgotten how much I missed sleep when Lottie was born."

"At least you don't have a six inch scar across your abdomen." Maura ran her fingers across the site of the incision. "I still can't believe I had to have an emergency caesarean. All of our plans…"

"Birth plans change all the time." One of the babies grizzled and Jane sat up. Maura took the opportunity to lie down on the couch behind her. Jane rocked the bassinet carefully. "Let your Mama rest, boys."

The door banged open and Lottie ran into the room, a backpack on her back and a pile of papers in her hands. She ran into Jane's legs, wrapping her arms tightly around them. "Mama!"

"Shh!" Jane said, placing a finger against her lips. She glanced over the two bassinets and waited. When the boys continued to sleep, she crouched down beside Lottie and wrapped her arms around her. "Hey, baby. I missed you."

Her face was red, her eyes filled with tears. "Daddy said I couldn't see the babies, I wanted to see the babies."

"Hey, hey," Jane said, wiping her tears. She cupped her face. "Daddy was right though, the babies are really new, and they had to stay in the hospital for a few days. They don't let kids into the special room they stayed in. But they're home now."

Martinez sighed as he entered the room. "Charlotte. Do not run away when I tell you to stay. You could have woken the babies."

"Wanted. To. See. Mama," she said, through sobs. She burrowed her face against Jane's side.

"I'm sorry." He stood with his hands on his hips and shook his head. "I tried."

"It's fine, isn't it?" Jane asked, turning to Maura. She was lay on the couch, her eyes closed, her chest rising and falling with every breath. Jane's lips curved at the edged. She rubbed Lottie cheek. "We've got to be extra quiet, okay? The babies and Maura are all sleeping."

"Okay, Mama," Lottie said, giving her a squeeze.

"Do you want to meet your brothers?" Lottie nodded. Jane took her hand and led her across the room to the bassinets. She crouched down beside her. "This little guy is Caleb, and this one is Joseph."

"Caleb and Joseph." Lottie narrowed her eyes. "How do you know which one is which?"

Jane pointed to the hospital tags still wrapped around their tiny wrists. "You see the red dot on his band? That means he's Caleb, who we've been calling Cal."

"Does Joseph have another name too?"

"Joey." Jane wrapped an arm around Lottie's back. "Maybe later once they're a bit more awake you can have a hold, would you like that?"

"Yes!" Lottie grinned. She turned back to Martinez, who stood behind them. "Daddy, I'm gonna hold Cal and Joey."

"I heard," he said, crouching down beside her. "Joseph is named after your grandfather, my father, who was called José. You didn't get to meet him because he died before you were born. Now your brother gets to share his name."

Lottie scrunched up her face and turned to Jane. "Mama, who is Caleb named after?"

"Nobody, sweetie," she said, sitting down on the floor beside her. "Maura and I really liked the name and we thought it went well with Joseph."

"Am I named after anyone?"

"No." Lottie sat down on Jane's lap and she wrapped her arms around her, kissing her on the cheek. "Daddy and I both really liked the name. But your middle name is after Nonna's grandmother. She wanted to give me her name when I was born but your Nonno said no."

"Nonno no," Lottie repeated, laughing. "When is Nonno coming to visit?"

"I don't know, baby," Jane said, cuddling her. "He doesn't come to Boston much anymore, but he might come and visit soon because of Cal and Joey."

They sat in silence for a while, Jane cradling Charlotte as she cherished the moment of peace with her daughter. Martinez left to go and make tea, but the second one of the babies started crying he rushed into the room.

"I'll take him," he said, rushing to Joseph's bassinet and lifting the baby into his arms. He rocked him gently, sniffed his back and sighed. "Does he need feeding?"

"Shouldn't do, but he's been crying every hour." Jane lifted Lottie onto her feet and headed into the kitchen. She took a bottle out of the fridge and warmed it up. By the time she got back into the lounge again, Joseph was snoozing in Martinez's arms. "Knew I shouldn't have bothered."

"He just settled," Martinez said. "But I can try anyway?"

She handed him the bottle and the second it touched Joseph's lips, he latched on and suckled away. Jane leant over Caleb, gave him a gentle rock, then sat back down on the couch, lifting Maura's legs onto her lap.

"What's happening?" Maura asked, rubbing her eyes as she sat up. Her eyes landed on Martinez sat on the floor with Joseph in his arms, Charlotte stood over his shoulder staring down at the baby. "When did you arrive?"

Charlotte lifted her head and ran over, jumping into Maura's lap. "Slow down!" Jane said, grabbing Lottie round the middle. "Maura had surgery, she's a little fragile still."

"I missed you, Maura," she said, reaching her hand out from the prison of Jane's arms.

Maura took it and kissed the back of her hand. "I missed you too, Big Sister. Did Mama and Daddy introduce you to the babies?"

Lottie nodded and pointed to the babies in turn. "That's Joey and that's Cal."

"I was thinking," Martinez said. "Now you're home I could sleep in Lottie's room for a few nights and help you with the feeds."

"Really?" Jane and Maura asked in tandem, they looked to each other and laughed. Jane tilted her head to one side and smiled. "Thank you, we'd appreciate that. Maura's struggling with the night feeds, and she can only express so much milk, but an extra pair of hands is helpful."

"That's settled then."

X

Slinging a kitchen towel over one shoulder, and Caleb over the other shoulder, Maura jiggled him back and forth. "Come on, Cal, it's time to go back to sleep."

"He still not asleep?" Jane asked, entering the room. "You're not dressed!"

"I haven't had time," Maura said, passing the baby over to Jane. She cradled him in her arms and stared down at his tiny little face. Maura wrapped an arm around her shoulder and stared down at their son. "Cailin's supposed to be here in twenty minutes, the casserole has only just gone in, and I don't know where Lottie is. Did Joey go down okay?"

"Of course." Jane rolled her eyes. Caleb's face twisted up, he opened his mouth and let out a loud, high pitched cry. "If it's not one who isn't sleeping, it's the other. Get dressed, I'll sort the baby."

Maura ambled up the stairs. Her stitches were long gone, but the tenderness was still there. She rubbed her scar as she walked slowly up the stairs and carefully got changed. She lay down on the bed for a few minutes, then popped a couple of painkillers before she returned to the living room.

"Knock knock!"

"They're here!" Maura shouted, regretting the sudden motion. Jane rushed past her and lowered the now sleeping Caleb into his bassinet.

The door opened and Martinez walked in, closely followed by Cailin. She dragged a small suitcase across the carpet and rested it against the wall. Martinez patted her on the shoulder. "Your delivery is here. I'll take the luggage upstairs."

Cailin laughed and rolled her eyes. "Does he always make silly jokes?"

Maura shrugged. "Come here!"

Stepping forwards, Maura pulled Cailin into her arms and gave her a long squeeze. "I'm so glad you could come for the summer."

"Me too," she said, giving Jane and quick hug. "Can I hold my nephews?"

Jane pointed towards the kitchen. "I'll go check on dinner."

"They've just gone down for a sleep," Maura said. "We've got some food cooking; it'll be ready in about twenty minutes. You can have a quick peak at the babies, but I think it'll have to wait until later for a hold."

"I can wait," Cailin said, grinning. She took off her jacket and placed it over the arm of a chair. She nodded over at the bassinets in the corner of the room. "Are they over there?"

Walking over, Maura stopped beside the bassinets. Cailin stood beside her, and they stared down at the two sleeping boys.

"Which one is Joseph and which one is Caleb?"

"Cal is wearing green, and Joey is wearing the yellow today."

"Maura, you didn't kiss my dolly goodnight!" Lottie shouted, running into the room. She froze, her eyes darting between Maura and Cailin, then to the babies. She lifted her hands into the air and walked backwards, whispering. "I forgot about the babies sleeping."

"It's okay, Lottie," Maura said, motioning her over. She rushed to Maura's side and stared up at Cailin, her eyes wide. "I want you to meet my sister, Cailin. I suppose she's your aunt, too."

"It's lovely to meet you, Lottie," Cailin said, crouching down in front of her. "Are you excited about having two little brothers?"

Lottie shrugged. "They don't do very much."

"They will eventually." Cailin stood up again. "I bet you'll have lots of fun playing together. I always wanted a little brother or sister to play with."

Lottie glanced over at the bassinets again. "Cal's really sad today."

Maura narrowed her eyes. "He's sleeping, Lottie. He's fine."

As if on cue, Caleb kicked his arms and legs out in every which direction and let out a bellowing cry. Maura sighed and rushed to pick him up, regretting the sudden movements. She rocked him gently in her arms.

"Cailin?" Lottie asked, grabbing her hand. "Since my Mommy is busy with the baby, can you kiss my dolly goodnight?"

"What did you just say?" Maura asked. Caleb settled against her shoulder, his cried subsided. "Did you just call me Mommy?"

"Yes," Cailin said, nodding her head. She tugged at Cailin's hand. "Come on, Aunt Cailin, my dolly will be awake if you don't say goodnight to her."

Cailin laughed. "I guess I've been summoned."

Lottie dragged her out of the room, and Jane returned. "Dinner's almost ready."

"Lottie just called me Mommy."

"What? Really?" Jane asked, her mouth agape. "What happened?"

"She said that Mommy was busy with the baby, and asked Cailin to go and play."

Wrapping an arm around Maura's waist, Jane kissed her on the cheek. She placed a hand on Caleb's back. "Let's hope they stay settled while we eat."

Ten minutes later, the twins slept in the bassinets. Martinez, Jane, Maura, Cailin and Lottie sat around the table eating casserole. Martinez opened a bottle of champagne and poured himself and Jane a glass, then put a small amount into a glass for Maura, and Cailin, before filling a final glass with orange juice for Lottie.

"I'd like to raise a toast," he said, holding his glass in the air. "To family. To our new baby boys, and to Cailin who we are happy to have stay, and to Charlotte for being such an amazing big sister. Finally, to Maura for giving birth to our beautiful Cal and Joey."

"To family," Jane said, holding up her glass. Everyone else followed suit.

Maura held her glass in the air long after everyone else had lowered theirs. "To Rafael for helping our family to be complete, and for agreeing to co-parent so that we can sometimes have a break, and to Jane, for being here by my side throughout everything. I love you all so much."

"I love you too," Jane whispered, resting a hand on her thigh, and kissing her. "To everyone."

THE END. FIN. THERE IS NO MORE. SO LONG, FAREWELL, AUF WIEDERSEHEN, GOODBYE.