Something Different

Epilogue Part 1

"When winter comes in Summer When there's no more forever That's when I'll stop loving you" N*Sync

1 Week later

The day we bought the twins home, all we wanted to do was be at home alone with them, unfortunately with our set of family and friends that wasn't gonna happen.

First there was my parents and Grandma Mazur who bought enough stuffed cabbages to last a week, and 2 pineapple upside down cakes, yum! They were closely followed by Mrs. Morelli and Grandma Bella who bought several tins of home made cookies. You know how I can't cook, well Grandma Bella also gave me a cook book. Between the 4 women, dad of course was watching sport with Joe, they fussed over Danny and Tegan, waking them up to hold them, after about 4 hours of fussing, I gave up and went back down stairs to watch TV with dad and Joe. I curled up of the couch, resting my head in Joe's lap and just closed my eyes, hoping it was all a dream, they weren't really there.

I was eventually woken by Danny and Tegan screaming from the nursery. I fell off the couch, before making my way up the stairs to the nursery. To find that the original 5 was now 9, with the addition of Joe's godmother Tina Ragusto, his Aunt Loretta - who bought 3 lasagna's over, my aunt Myra and Uncle Dom and my god mother Constance, who believe it or not bought over my christening gown. Apparently she and Joe's god mother, decided that Danny would wear Joe's christening gown and Tegan mine. Dad decided to leave pretty early on.

Joe followed me in to the nursery and I took Tegan from my mother and Joe took Danny from his Aunt Loretta. I settled into the rocking chair, with Tegan, and was getting her settled, but she wasn't taking, personally I don't think she liked the crowd. I asked them all to please leave the nursery, at first they didn't budge, but eventually, with a little instance from Joe they all went down stairs to the kitchen, leaving Joe and I alone with the twins.

"How so we get rid of them?" I asked.

"I have no idea" he replied, handing me Danny.

After a few minutes they were both sucking happily and I was slowly dropping off to sleep again, when FLASH. I jumped in the chair, which cause Tegan and Danny to start crying again. I looked over at the door, Grandma Mazur was there holding a camera.

"I couldn't resist" she said

Joe came running back into the room, followed by everyone else.

"What's wrong?" he asked

"Nothing, grandma just startled me with her camera, she woke the twins. No big deal"

"Okay" he said kissing my forehead.

"Can you please get them to leave?" I whispered to Joe. "I'm just about to put them down, and I don't want them fussing again"

"Sure, I'll try"

Half an hour later, we were alone again, that is until, Lula, Connie, Mary Lou, Tank, Bobby and Lester showed up 4 hours later.

But lets not go there.

3 Months Later

"Steph, Steph, come on let's get back to bed. "

"Huh? Oh ya," there I sat in the rocking chair with a baby at each breast which now looked like deflated balloons. I'd fallen asleep, again, during their 3 am feeding. I looked down and each had a very satisfied, drunken look on their faces. Joe had bent down to pick up Tegan who let out a small sigh and no complaints. Daniel, however, seemed to notice that he was no longer connected and latched on as if starving. He slowly fell back asleep, content with a nipple in his mouth. I slowing slipping in a finger and replaced it with his binky. He sucked fevorishing, eyes still shut. Joe came over and helped me up from the rocking chair and we placed the baby back in his crib. We both let out a sigh and headed back to our room.

Joe had pulled the blankets back, and I was starting to re-button my night shirt, when he placed a hand around my waist, nibbling at my neck and whispered "don't." Even though the kisses and touching felt really good, sleep sounded much better. I was feeling very unattractive, my breasts sucked dry, sagging down to my belly button, and just not in the mood for this activity. I know the doctor had gave her okay at our six week check- up, but I was just a little unsure of how to perform. I mean how sexy did I really look? Okay, this was feeling really good. Okay, I can do this. Concentrate on how good this feels. "Um, Joe."

"Yes. You smell so good. It's been so long. I love you so much." Slowly he took my nightshirt off my shoulders and I let it fall to the floor. Slowly we sank on to the bed.

"Um, Joe, even though this feels really good, I think we might need, some, um, some, help, in the um lubrication department.

"Here, let me take care of that." Slowly, Joe sank down and started to work his magic. Slowly my body stated to wake up, so to speak. Ummm, it's about time, that feels good. Okay, okay, ummmmm?..

"Stephanie, Stephanie wake up? Are you okay, you fell asleep."

"Um, I did. I thought it was a dream. I fell asleep on you? I'm sorry, I'm just so tired. Can we try this again in the morning?"

Joe looked at me like I just kicked him. "In the morning?" he squeeked. "Do I look like I can wait until morning?"

I sat up, propped on my elbows and looked at Mr. Happy bobbing around between his legs. Nope, that guy won't be happy to wait until morning. I laid back down. "Okay, let's try this again. I will try not to fall back asleep. Just go slowly and gently. Okay?"

Joe was nuzzling my neck again, caressing my deflated breasts, slowly working the Morelli magic. Things were going good, really good, two more minutes, two more minutes?.

"Waa, waa, waa"

"I think Daniel lost his binky again."

"Let him be, it's okay. It won't be long now. Please Steph." He pleaded.

I was starting to crawl out from under him. "If I don't get that binky back in his mouth, he's going to wake Tegan up and then we will be up for another hour." I was suddenly flat on my back, Joe staring down at me.

"Stephanie, if we don't finish what we started my eye balls are going to turn white from sperm poisoning. I'll help you get them back to sleep, I promise."

"Okay, okay, how about."

"How about nothing, just relax, I'll take care of everything."

It's okay, concentrate. Concentrate. Block out the crying. Block it out. La, la, la. There, uh hum, ya, that's great, ya, good. Ya, ya, yaa, yaas Oooooo ya, it's been a long time. "Joe, go back, slow down, speed up, ya, ya, YES!"

We lay there panting for all of two minutes before I pulled myself out from under him, pulled on my nightshirt, and headed for the babies room. Both babies were crying now. Actually screaming. "Joe? Joe, where are you? I need some help here. Come on." I picked of Daniel trying to get him to take the binky and walked back into the bedroom. Joe had fallen asleep. How dare he. I kicked him in the foot and he rolled over on the bed. "Uugghhh. Asshole. Okay, Danny, let's go get sister and try to get some sleep before grandma shows up at 8 am. We will get even some how.

I crawled into the spare bed with a baby on each side of me surrounded by pillows. Soon, we all fell asleep. I was awaken by the sound of the door opening, and Mrs. Morelli yelling out our names. Ugghh, she's early. I heard her feet on the stairs and figured she would be in the room any minute and would help me with the kids who were still sleeping.

"Joseph Anthony Morelli! What in gods name are you doing laying there naked! Put some clothes on for goodness sake. I'm afraid to ask, but where is Stephanie."

"Geeze ma, you could have knocked or something. I have a right to sleep in the nude in my own house. Stephanie's probably in the other room with the kids. They had, um, a hard time falling asleep last night."

"Stephanie, is everything alright?" As Mrs. Morelli appeared in front of the door, I was trying to suppress my laughter.

"So, does Joe still have everything God blessed him with originally?" I chuckled

Angie crossed herself "Yes, all the Morelli men were abundantly blessed, but I haven't had the pleasure of viewing it since he was about ten years old when the chicken pox got him everywhere. If, you know what I mean. He had so many pox all over his body, he had to run around the house in a big tee shirt for three days. I had to keep the shades drawn so all the neighborhood girls wouldn't see what god had blessed him with. That boy realized at an early age just what that was and he insisted on showing it to the world when ever he could. Joe was constantly pulling up the shades when I wasn't looking, especially after school got out, waving to all the girls that walked by. That boy, always did have one thing in mind. Now, enough of him, let's get these babies up, bathed and dressed, shall we."

And, with that, we were busy.

4 Years Later

It was about 9am in the morning as I stood in the bathroom, holding the home pregnancy test.

I walked over to the bathroom door and opened it, on the other side was an anxious looking Joe and an excited Mary Lou.

"Well?" they asked in unison.

"Joe, sweety, if you runaway with some blonde bimbo during this pregnancy, I will hunt you down and sick Lula on to you, understand?"

"Steph, is that you obscure way of saying your pregnant?" Joe asked.

"Yeah, I'm pregnant" I replied, cracking a grin a mile wide.

Mary Lou did her Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod thing, hugging me, and then Joe, then back to me, after which Joe came over to me and pulled me into his arms and kissed me passionately.

Mary Lou took this as her queue to leave, and I guarantee she was calling Lula and Connie, the moment she got outside.

"You know what? I'm gonna take the day off" Joe declared, "because it's not everyday my gorgeous and sexy wife, tells me she's pregnant" and with that he went to the phone and called in and told them he was taking a personal day.

I thought about when I was due, I was about 6 to 7 weeks pregnant, so add 8 months to that and it's August. Ohmmigod the wedding, I'm gonna be huge.

"You know, it's a good thing the twins were with you mother last night" I told Joe, after he got off the phone "'cause it gives us about 10 minutes of uninterrupted celebrations before the phone rings"

"Or at least 2 hours if we put the machine on and turn the phone off" he told me.

"Sound like a plan" I said, pulling him back into the bedroom.

7½ Months Later

"Tegan, Danny, meet you little brother Ricky"

"He's small" said Tegan.

"He's bald" added Danny.

"He's beautiful, just like his mother" Joe told them.

I looked at Joe and smiled, all our children where beautiful. Danny had my blue eyes and my colouring but Joe's hair, but Tegan, the poor child inherited my curls, but had Joe's eyes and colouring. They were going top be heart breakers. Samuel, was different, he had blonde hair, just like Danny did when he was born, but Ricky's eyes were different colours, the left was blue, the right brown. A perfect blend of Joe and me.

I looked at Joe and saw the love in his eyes, this was a happy man. I glanced down to his arms and saw that they were covered in bruises.

"Ohmigod, did I do that?" I asked

"Yeah, but Lula, Connie, Carl and Eddie all said it was worse last time.

"Where is everyone?"

"Their all outside, the crowd is smaller this time around. Do you want to see them?"

"Yeah"

"Come on you two, lets got find the "Three Wise Aunties" and your grandparents" Joe said to the twins, picking them both up. "We'll be back soon" he said to me, kissing me softly on the lips, this kissing Ricky on the forehead.

I chuckled at Joe's nickname for Lula, Connie and Mary Lou, because where you found one your found two and three.

"Take your time, I have a lot of apologising to do"

"Say bye to mommy and Ricky" he said to the twins.

"Bye mommy, bye Ricky" they said in unison.

"Bye, bye, mommy loves you"

I heard "Love you mommy" as they went out the door.

I looked down at Ricky, sleeping peacefully in my arms and sighed. My life was perfect.

As he left the "Three Wise Aunts" entered the room. Quickly followed be the "Three Uncles" aka - Tank, Bobby and Leister. Personally they reminded me of the Three Musketeers. Don't ask me why!

"Hey Steph, how ya doin'?" Lula asked.

"I'm just dandy, tired, sore, did I mention tired?" I said. "Have you guys meet the newest member of the Plum-Morelli clan - Ricky Aaron" I said showing them the bundle of blue blanket in my arms.

After 10 minutes of ohh'ing and arr'ing. The nurse came in to check on me and placed Ricky in the crib, and moved it next to my bed.

Listen, Lula, Tank, I'm soooooo sorry about the wedding, I wasn't due for another 2 weeks. Boy can I stop a weeding or what!!"

"It's ok Steph, Ricky just wanted to make an exciting entrance into the world." Said Tank.

"Yeah, we'll just postpone it until your ready, I can't get married without my matron of honor." Lula added.

Half and hour later Tank's beeper broke up the conversation.

"What the hell, who is 7-2-6-4-3-7. Oh, oh. Listen, I'll be right back."

After he left, I looked at Bobby and Leister, they had their version of Joe's cop face on. Something was going on. I could smell a rat!

A few minutes later Tank came back to the room and told us that they had to go and do a job.

Tank gave Lula a big kiss goodbye, then Lester kissed his girlfriend Connie goodbye, and just so that Mary Lou and I didn't feel left out, Bobby kissed both of us.

After they left I asked Lula, Connie and Mary Lou if they knew what was going on.

"I don't know, maybe your imagination is just working over time" said Lula.

"Yeah, I suppose so."

"So, Steph, how many more babies are ya gonna pop out?" asked Connie

"No more I swear, I'm 36 and I can't do this anymore. 3 children are enough for me"

"But you said that after the twins" said Mary Lou

"Plus you had 3 false alarms and 1 miscarriage" added Lula

"Yeah, but I have a plan" I stated, "When I get outta here, I'm gonna get Joe a vasectomy for his birthday!"

"You think he's gonna agree to that?" asked a voice from the doorway.

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