Disclaimer: I don't own Will and Grace or its characters.
Chapter Forty-Six
Homecoming
The next morning, Karen woke up and was surprised to still feel weak from the day before. She shifted a little in the bed, trying to get comfortable, but not so she would wake up Jack. She finally stopped moving when she was lying on her back, still in her husband's embrace though.
"It's too early still Kare, get some more sleep," Jack said then, surprising her. His eyes were closed and he looked like he was still sleeping.
"And what about you?" Karen retorted.
"I didn't give birth yesterday," Jack responded, opening his eyes. He looked over at her and then smiled. "Good morning anyway."
Karen leaned forward and kissed him deeply. When she pulled away from him, she asked, "What time is it?"
Jack shrugged, then he let go of her so he could look at his watch. "It's ten," he said. "Okay, so I lied about it being early."
"Oh no," Karen said as she glanced over to the other side of the room. "They expect me to eat that stupid food again," she said when she saw the tray of food the nurses had left for her earlier.
"Hold that thought for a minute Kare," Jack said. He sat up and then got out of the bed carefully. He went over to the couch and picked up a paper bag that was next to a black Prada bag on top, reading the note attached to it. "'I thought you guys would need more nourishing food,'" Jack read. He grinned at Karen before looking inside the bag. "Yeah, you're sister is cool," he said as he pulled out two boxes. He opened one and then gave it to Karen; he took the other one and sat down on the couch so he could eat.
"I'm surprised neither of us heard her come in," Karen commented while they were eating.
"How're you feeling now Kare?" Jack asked immediately, looking over at her, taking a drink of water.
"A little weak, but I guess that's normal," Karen said, smiling at him. "Don't worry Jackie, a few days lying in this bed and I'll be fine."
Nodding, Jack returned to his food and they both finished eating in silence.
When the boxes of food had been thrown away, a nurse came in with Sophia. "She needs to be fed again," the nurse said. "I thought you might want to do it." She was going to hand Karen a bottle, but Karen shook her head.
"Just give her to me," Karen said, holding her arms out to the baby.
The nurse nodded and got Sophia, she then carried her over to the bed, handing her to Karen. "If you need anything, just press the call button," the nurse said before she left.
"Kare, umm, how are you going to feed her when you have that hospital gown on?" Jack asked as he stood next to the bed.
"Oh, you're right poodle," Karen said. "Check and see if that bag Kath left has some clothes for both of us."
Jack went back over to the couch and looked inside the Prada bag. "Yeah, she left us both some clothes," he said.
"Bring her cradle thing over here so I can keep an eye on Sophie while you help me change," Karen instructed.
Quickly doing as she asked, Jack took Sophia from Karen and placed her in the little plastic cradle that the nurse had brought in. Then he helped Karen out of the hospital gown and then into the green pajama set Katherine had left.
As Sophia started to whimper a little, Karen said, "Pick her up while I button this poodle." She quickly buttoned the top, leaving the first three open. She held out her arms to Jack and took the baby from him. Speaking soothingly, Karen kissed Sophia's cheek. Then, she lay back against the bed and brought the baby girl up to her left breast, settling the baby so she could drink.
Jack sat down on the edge of the bed, watching as Karen moved Sophia to her other breast a few minutes later.
"Thank god," Karen commented when she had finished burping the baby.
"For what?" Jack asked, confused.
"They were starting to ache," Karen said, cradling Sophia in her arms again. She looked up and saw that Jack was still confused. "My breasts Jackie," she said with a little giggle.
"Oh, okay, well..." Jack said, trailing off at the end, unsure of what to say. "Why don't I call Katherine and have her bring Ebie in to spend the day with us?" he said suddenly.
"Good idea poodle, I miss Ebie," Karen said, smiling at him.
"Me too," Jack said, getting off the edge of the bed. He went to the couch and picked his cell phone up. He opened the phone and dialed Katherine's number.
Katherine was inside the room where Elizabeth had slept the night before, in the crib that had been intended for the twins. Katherine was playing with some toys with the little girl when her cell phone rang in her pocket. She pulled it out and looked at the screen; it was her brother in law. "Hello Jack," she said, answering the phone.
"Hi Kat, how's Ebie?" Jack asked.
"She's fine, but she misses all of you," Katherine said, watching Ebie stack her wooden blocks in a tower.
"Think you could bring her over to the hospital?" Jack asked. "Kare and I want to spend the day with our daughters."
"Of course Jackie-boy," Katherine said, smiling. "I'll get all her things together and bring her right away."
"See you in a little bit then," Jack said. He hung up the phone and said to Karen, "Kat's going to bring her."
"Perfect," Karen said. "Come here and hold Sophie for a little bit Jackie."
Jack walked to the bed and sat next to Karen, taking their daughter from her. "Morning sweetie," he said to the baby.
Sophia cooed and waved her hand in the air, her blue eyes were bright.
"We're very lucky Kare," Jack said, letting the girl take his finger in her hand, holding onto it tightly.
"I know poodle," Karen said, leaning against him. She yawned slightly and closed her eyes. "I'm going to sleep for a little bit Jackie, wake me up when Ebie gets here."
"Okay, do you want me to go over to the couch?" Jack asked.
"No, stay here," Karen mumbled sleepily. A few seconds later, her breathing grew deeper and she was asleep.
Jack watched as Sophia fell asleep soon after and he smiled to himself, putting his free arm around Karen's shoulders as she snuggled closer to him. He had never felt happier then when he had Karen next to him and either of their daughters in his arms, holding them.
~~~
Katherine entered Karen's hospital room, Elizabeth walking next to her, holding her hand. She smiled at Jack and whispered, "How are they?"
"Kare said she's a little tired still," Jack answered quietly. "And Sophie is fine."
"Well, I brought some toys for Ebie to play with while she's here," Katherine said, putting the bag she was carrying on the couch. She lifted Elizabeth up into her arms and kissed her niece's cheek. "I'll be back tonight to visit and get her," she said, putting Elizabeth on the bed.
"Thanks Kat," Jack said. When she had gone, he said to Elizabeth, "Go on and wake up your mommy Ebie."
Giggling, Elizabeth crawled over Jack to Karen and reached out, patting her mother's cheek. When Karen didn't move or wake up, Elizabeth lay down next to her and shook her arm. "Mama, mama!" she cried out a few times.
Karen opened her eyes, a slightly angry look in her eyes, until she realized that it was their older daughter shaking her. "Hello Ebie," she said tenderly, putting her arms around Elizabeth. She hugged her to her tightly and kissed her forehead. "I hope you were a good girl at your aunt's last night."
Elizabeth nodded yes and put her arms around Karen's neck.
"Don't forget to say hello to your sister Ebie," Jack said.
"Give her to me Jackie," Karen said, sitting up a little straighter and letting go of Elizabeth. When she was holding Sophia, she said, "Go ahead and say hello honey," to their older daughter.
"Hi," Elizabeth said, staring at her sister seriously.
Sophia waved her arm out and grabbed her sister's hand, pulling them to her mouth.
"Eww," Elizabeth said, giggling, pulling her hand away from Sophia's mouth but not pulling out of her grip.
"I think we're going to have a lot of trouble with these two when they get older Kare," Jack said, smiling down at the two.
Karen nodded, smiling, but she had a troubled look in her eyes. When he asked her what was wrong, she shook her head. "Never mind poodle," she said.
"Dada, toys," Elizabeth said when Sophia let go of her hand since she was falling asleep.
"Okay little one, hold on a second," Jack said. He took Sophia from Karen and put her in the plastic cradle. He then picked up the bag Katherine had brought with Elizabeth's toys and went back on the bed, sitting next to Karen.
"You lay back and rest a little Jackie," Karen said, smiling. "I'll play with her for a while."
"Alright, but not too long," Jack said, kissing Karen's cheek. "I know you're still weak and stuff."
"What do you want to play with first Ebie?" Karen asked, looking through the bag of toys.
Elizabeth got on her knees and peered into the bag with her mother. She finally spotted the toy she wanted and she pulled it out.
"The wooden blocks, you should have known Kare, those are always her favorites" Jack said, watching them with a wide smile on his face.
"It looks like she's going to be an architect," Karen said as she helped Elizabeth stack the blocks into a tower.
"Either that are someone who demolishes buildings," Jack said, laughing as the girl knocked down her little building with one hand.
"Mama," Elizabeth said, holding out a block to Karen.
"What honey, you want me to build something?" she asked their daughter. When Elizabeth nodded, she took the block and then used the others to make the bottom of a house. She then let Elizabeth take over and lay back next to Jack.
"What were you thinking about earlier when I said we'll have to watch out for her and Sophie when they're older?" Jack asked, putting his arm around her.
"Nothing Jackie, I was just thinking about what you said," Karen said, taking care not to look at him.
"But Kare, you looked-" Jack started to say before he was interrupted.
"Dada, here," Elizabeth said, pulling on his hand.
"Go on poodle, she wants to play with you now," Karen said, nudging him in the side.
"I love you Kare," Jack said, kissing her deeply.
"I love you too Jackie," Karen answered as he sat up so he could play with Elizabeth.
~~~
That night, Katherine came to visit, a half hour before visiting hours ended. As soon as she walked into the room, she was surprised to see that Elizabeth was holding her sister, with the help of Jack. "You guys think that's a good idea?" she asked, walking over to the bed.
"Don't worry Kath," Karen said, kissing her sister's cheek. "Jackie's watching her very closely."
"Plus I am supporting Ebie's arms," Jack pointed out.
"Well, they're your children," Katherine said, sitting down in the chair next to the bed.
"How are things at Grace's office?" Karen asked.
"They are fine," Katherine said, smiling. She knew her sister didn't really care about what Grace was doing, but Karen always like to know what she herself was doing at work. "It's a little hectic at the moment though, two clients are asking for me to decorate for them right now."
"When do you spend time with Eddie and your kids?" Jack asked, looking up at his sister in law.
Katherine sighed and shook her head. "Not often enough," she said. "Edward and I have talked about that, and we may take the children for a trip somewhere next month."
"Would Grace let you go?" Karen asked in surprise.
"I don't know, it's not something that's for sure," Katherine said. "I think the children don't really mind though, they are busy enough with their studies and friends."
"And your husband?" Karen asked.
"He's busy too, so we understand each other in that sense," Katherine said, suddenly looking uncomfortable.
"You better be careful Kat," Jack said.
"Do you mind if I hold Sophie?" Katherine asked, changing the subject. She stood up and then went over to the couch where Jack and Elizabeth were sitting. She then took the baby from Elizabeth and sat on the bed next to Karen.
"He's right Kath," Karen said putting a hand on her sister's shoulder. "A lot of marriages have been broken up because either spouse is busy at work."
"Edward and I love each other too much for that to happen," Katherine said, sounding a little unsure of herself.
"Just be careful," Karen said, squeezing Katherine's arm.
"Well, I suppose I should get going before the nurse kicks me out," Katherine said, handing Sophia back to her sister. "Do you want me to step out while you guys say good night?"
"No, you can stay Sister Katherine," Jack said, smiling at her.
"You can put Sophie in her cradle there once Ebie says good night to her," Karen said, motioning for Jack to bring Elizabeth over to her.
Once Katherine had gotten off the bed and sat down on the couch, Jack put Elizabeth on the bed and watched as she kissed her little sister good night. "Stay there Kat, I've got her," he said. He took Sophia and placed her in the cradle while Karen said goodnight to Elizabeth.
"You'll be back again tomorrow, so behave at your aunt's," Karen said as she hugged her daughter. She made a face and then said, "God, listen to me, I sound just like-"
"Like a mom Kare," Jack said, laughing softly.
Elizabeth giggled and then kissed her mother's cheek. "'Ight Mama," she said.
"Good night honey," Karen said, kissing her forehead. "Sweet dreams tonight." She then handed her to Jack.
"I'll come over and pick you up early so you can see your mommy and sister again," Jack promised as he hugged Elizabeth. He kissed her and said, "Night little one." He turned towards Katherine, who had stood up from the couch, and gave her the little girl. "I'm going to come over as soon as I wake up," he said.
"Alright, well I'm not going anywhere, I'm going to try and get some work done this weekend," Katherine said. "I'll visit again tomorrow though."
"Get some rest too Kath," Karen said.
"Don't worry, I will," Katherine said. She walked over to her sister and kissed her cheek. "Night you guys."
"Bye," Jack called as she left.
"I can't wait to go home," Karen said, laying back. "I want to see how my sister designed Sophie's room."
"Kare, you've been lying to me all day," Jack said suddenly.
"Where did that come from?" Karen asked, looking over at him in surprise.
"You lied when I was talking about watching the two of them when they're older," Jack said.
Karen opened her mouth to answer, when a nurse came in and took Sophia to the nursery for the night. When they were all alone, she said to her husband, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Stop it Kare," Jack said, a little anger creeping into his voice. "I know you much better then I know myself, something is wrong. Now tell me. What. Is. It?"
Closing her eyes, Karen tried to think of an excuse so she wouldn't have to answer him. After thinking for a while, she sighed and gave up, opening her eyes. "I'm worried about us Jackie."
"Us? You mean the two of us and the girls?" Jack asked, looking confused.
"No poodle, just the two of us," Karen said. "I'm worried how having two kids is going to affect our relationship."
Jack was silent for a long time, choosing his words carefully. "I'm not really sure what to say to that," he finally said. "But lemme ask you a couple of questions."
"Okay," Karen said, confused.
"Do you love me?" Jack asked seriously, staring intently into her eyes.
"Of course!" Karen answered quickly.
"And in about three weeks, will you want to make love to me?" Jack said.
"Yes," Karen responded simply. "But that just shows that I love you."
"Then let me answer the questions I asked, but now I'm talking about you of course," Jack said.
"I know Jackie," Karen said, rolling her eyes, but she was smiling too.
"Alright, one; do I love you," Jack said, taking one of Karen's hands. "And the answer is yes, very, very much. Second question, will I want to make love to you in three weeks?" Here he stopped and knelt forward so his lips were at Karen's ear. He whispered, "If it were possible, I'd be making love to you right now." With that he moved his lips and pressed them to Karen's, kissing her fervently.
Karen moaned a little and wrapped her arms around Jack's neck. When he pulled away from her, she smiled. "I guess I don't have anything to worry about, do I?"
"Not as long as I can hold you at night," Jack said, kissing her lips softly.
"You're a wonderful man poodle, and I'm very lucky" Karen said. "Let's get some sleep now."
Jack didn't say anything, but nodded. He sat back up, taking off his tennis shoes before lying down next to Karen. He put his arms around her tightly as he settled on the mattress.
"I love you Jackie," Karen said, kissing him.
"Love you too Karebear," Jack said, kissing her temple tenderly and holding her to him.
~~~
Two days later, Karen was allowed to leave the hospital with Sophia. She got into the backseat of the limo outside the hospital, the baby in her arms. "Ebie is back at the penthouse right?" she asked Jack as he sat down next to her.
"Yes Kare, she's with Katherine," Jack said, smiling at her.
"I can't wait to get home," Karen said, snuggling up to Jack. "I'll be glad to have Sophie sleeping in a bigger bed for one thing."
Jack laughed and then smiled. "I know, those plastic things were awful," he said.
Sophia started to cry a little then, and Karen sighed. "I don't know which one I fed more the first couple of days," she commented as she unbuttoned her blouse a little bit. "Ebie or this one." She put Sophia to her breast and watched as the child drank.
"That means they're healthy though, doesn't it?" Jack asked, putting his arm around her shoulder and watching their child.
"I guess," Karen said absentmindedly a few minutes later. When the baby was finished, she quickly burped her and then handed her to Jack so she could button up her blouse. "We're home," she said excitedly, spotting the familiar building.
Before Karen could climb out of the back seat, Jack grabbed her wrist and said, "Before we go in to the party." He then put his free arm around her waist and pulled her to him, kissing her very passionately.
When the kiss ended, Karen put her hand on his cheek and licked her lips slightly. "Three weeks is going to take forever Jackie," she said.
Jack smiled and kissed her cheek. "Let's go before everyone wonders what happened to us," he said.
Karen nodded and turned, getting out of the limo. She waited for Jack to come out before taking his free hand and walking with him into the building.
When they opened the door to their penthouse, Will, Grace, Katherine, Edward, Amber, and Patrick all cried, "Welcome home!" at almost the same time.
"Oh man, it's like listening to nails on a blackboard," Jack said.
"Hey, at least we threw a party," Will said.
Katherine hurried over to her sister and helped her remove her coat. "Would you like me to take you four up to see Sophia's room?" she asked.
"We've been waiting nine months," Karen said. "Yeah, I think we want to see it."
"Alright, let's go," Katherine said as Karen took Elizabeth's hand. She led them up the stairs and down the hallway to the door of what was Sophia's room. "Okay, I hope you like it," she said a little nervously. She waited while Jack handed the baby to Karen so they could go inside first. Then, she opened the door and let her sister walk inside.
"I don't know why you were so worried," Karen said, looking around the room. "It's beautiful Kath."
"What do you think Jack?" Katherine said, turning to her brother in law.
"It's great, you have a lot of talent Kat," Jack said, grinning at her.
The room's walls were painted a slightly dark shade of green, and like Elizabeth's room, it had a mural on the one wall that was free of windows and furniture. The mural on this wall was a painting of the hills behind Glaeve in Ireland.
"I love the Irish theme," Karen said, looking at the curtains on the windows, which had Celtic knots on them.
"Well, I was going to do a garden theme, but I thought it would be better to do this," Katherine said. "Seeing as how you both enjoy the country so much."
Karen walked over to the crib, which was painted white with silver designs and put Sophia down in it. She then went to her sister and gave her a hug. "It's great, thank you so much Kath," she said.
"I'm glad you like it," Katherine said. She let go of her sister and said, "I'll leave the lot of you alone, I'll be downstairs."
Once Katherine had left, Jack took Karen's arm and led her over to a rocking bench that was placed in front of the big bay window. It was a different bench than the one in Elizabeth's room, and it was painted white, as was the rest of the furniture in the room. "Home at last," he said as they sat down, Elizabeth on his lap.
"I know, it's so nice," Karen said, running her fingers through Elizabeth's hair.
They sat in silence in the new room, for a long time until Grace came upstairs to bring them all back down to the small party she and Will had thrown for them.
~~~
After everyone had left, Jack changed Elizabeth into her pajamas and then carried her over to Sophia's bedroom where Karen was just finishing feeding the baby.
"Is she all ready for bed?" Karen asked, kissing Jack as he came up to her.
"Yep, just needs to say good night to her sister," Jack said.
Elizabeth immediately gave her sister a kiss on the cheek and then giggled when Sophia tried to grab her hands.
"Sweet dreams honey," Karen said, giving Elizabeth a kiss on the cheek. "Night."
Jack smiled and said, "I'll come back once I put her to bed."
"I'll wait for you poodle, don't worry," Karen said.
Leaving the room, Jack shifted Elizabeth to his other arm and said, "I hope your sister won't wake you up tonight. I know she'll wake up me." He walked to Elizabeth's crib and then set her down in it. "Good night little one," he said, smiling down at her as he covered her with a blanket. He left the room, turning off the lights behind him.
"Quiet Jackie," Karen said when he came back into the room. "She just fell asleep."
Nodding, Jack walked over to Karen and then kissed Sophia's cheek softly. "Night sweetie," he murmured very softly.
Karen smiled and then walked over to the crib. Before setting the baby down in it, she kissed the top of Sophia's head. "Sweet dreams," she whispered. As she was covering the baby with the blanket, she felt Jack's arms circle her waist.
"How are you feeling?" he whispered into her ear when she had stood up straight.
"I'm okay, a little bit tired, but happy to be back in our home," Karen said softly.
"Our home," Jack said. "God that sounds so great."
Karen giggled a little and said, "We've been calling it that for the past three years poodle."
Jack didn't say anything, but he started to kiss Karen's neck softly. "Come on Kare, let's go so she can sleep," he whispered. When she had turned around, he put his arm around her waist and they walked to their room.
"It's going to be so nice to sleep in a normal bed again," Karen said when Jack closed the door behind him.
"Yeah, my back has been killing me for the last couple of days," Jack said.
"I love you Jackie," Karen said, hurrying over to him and wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Love you Karebear," Jack responded. He then hugged Karen tightly and they kissed passionately for a long time.
"Ugh, I wish we could make love!" Karen said, annoyed.
"Three weeks'll go by like nothing Kare," Jack said, kissing her cheek. He then let go of her and then lifted her into his arms. "We'll be busy with our daughters to notice what day it is."
Karen sighed and leaned her head against his. "I can't wait until then though, I miss you so much poodle," she said as he set her on their bed.
When Karen stood up, he asked, "Where are you going?"
"Jackie, I'm not sleeping in my good Prada blouse," Karen said, kissing his lips. "I'm going to go change."
"I guess I should too," Jack said, looking down at his shirt. "You bought this for me a couple of years ago, don't wanna get it wrinkled."
When they returned to their bed, both of them in their pajamas, Karen immediately went to Jack, kissing him ardently.
"Kare," Jack said a little breathlessly as she started to kiss his cheeks and mouth tenderly. "If you don't stop, and don't think I don't want you to, but if you don't I'm going to have to take a very long and very cold shower."
Sighing, Karen pulled away with a final kiss on his lips. "I don't want to risk making my big strong man sick," she said, smiling up at him. "I'll stop."
Jack hugged her tightly and kissed her on the forehead. "Let's go to sleep," he said, leading her to the bed.
Once they were under the covers, Karen rested her head on Jack's chest and sighed. "Good night poodle, I love you," she said in a contented tone of voice.
"I love you too Karebear," Jack responded, holding her closely. "Night."
They fell asleep soon after that, happy and content to be at home with both their daughters safe asleep in their beds close by them. And pleased that they were still so deeply in love with each other.
Chapter Forty-Six
Homecoming
The next morning, Karen woke up and was surprised to still feel weak from the day before. She shifted a little in the bed, trying to get comfortable, but not so she would wake up Jack. She finally stopped moving when she was lying on her back, still in her husband's embrace though.
"It's too early still Kare, get some more sleep," Jack said then, surprising her. His eyes were closed and he looked like he was still sleeping.
"And what about you?" Karen retorted.
"I didn't give birth yesterday," Jack responded, opening his eyes. He looked over at her and then smiled. "Good morning anyway."
Karen leaned forward and kissed him deeply. When she pulled away from him, she asked, "What time is it?"
Jack shrugged, then he let go of her so he could look at his watch. "It's ten," he said. "Okay, so I lied about it being early."
"Oh no," Karen said as she glanced over to the other side of the room. "They expect me to eat that stupid food again," she said when she saw the tray of food the nurses had left for her earlier.
"Hold that thought for a minute Kare," Jack said. He sat up and then got out of the bed carefully. He went over to the couch and picked up a paper bag that was next to a black Prada bag on top, reading the note attached to it. "'I thought you guys would need more nourishing food,'" Jack read. He grinned at Karen before looking inside the bag. "Yeah, you're sister is cool," he said as he pulled out two boxes. He opened one and then gave it to Karen; he took the other one and sat down on the couch so he could eat.
"I'm surprised neither of us heard her come in," Karen commented while they were eating.
"How're you feeling now Kare?" Jack asked immediately, looking over at her, taking a drink of water.
"A little weak, but I guess that's normal," Karen said, smiling at him. "Don't worry Jackie, a few days lying in this bed and I'll be fine."
Nodding, Jack returned to his food and they both finished eating in silence.
When the boxes of food had been thrown away, a nurse came in with Sophia. "She needs to be fed again," the nurse said. "I thought you might want to do it." She was going to hand Karen a bottle, but Karen shook her head.
"Just give her to me," Karen said, holding her arms out to the baby.
The nurse nodded and got Sophia, she then carried her over to the bed, handing her to Karen. "If you need anything, just press the call button," the nurse said before she left.
"Kare, umm, how are you going to feed her when you have that hospital gown on?" Jack asked as he stood next to the bed.
"Oh, you're right poodle," Karen said. "Check and see if that bag Kath left has some clothes for both of us."
Jack went back over to the couch and looked inside the Prada bag. "Yeah, she left us both some clothes," he said.
"Bring her cradle thing over here so I can keep an eye on Sophie while you help me change," Karen instructed.
Quickly doing as she asked, Jack took Sophia from Karen and placed her in the little plastic cradle that the nurse had brought in. Then he helped Karen out of the hospital gown and then into the green pajama set Katherine had left.
As Sophia started to whimper a little, Karen said, "Pick her up while I button this poodle." She quickly buttoned the top, leaving the first three open. She held out her arms to Jack and took the baby from him. Speaking soothingly, Karen kissed Sophia's cheek. Then, she lay back against the bed and brought the baby girl up to her left breast, settling the baby so she could drink.
Jack sat down on the edge of the bed, watching as Karen moved Sophia to her other breast a few minutes later.
"Thank god," Karen commented when she had finished burping the baby.
"For what?" Jack asked, confused.
"They were starting to ache," Karen said, cradling Sophia in her arms again. She looked up and saw that Jack was still confused. "My breasts Jackie," she said with a little giggle.
"Oh, okay, well..." Jack said, trailing off at the end, unsure of what to say. "Why don't I call Katherine and have her bring Ebie in to spend the day with us?" he said suddenly.
"Good idea poodle, I miss Ebie," Karen said, smiling at him.
"Me too," Jack said, getting off the edge of the bed. He went to the couch and picked his cell phone up. He opened the phone and dialed Katherine's number.
Katherine was inside the room where Elizabeth had slept the night before, in the crib that had been intended for the twins. Katherine was playing with some toys with the little girl when her cell phone rang in her pocket. She pulled it out and looked at the screen; it was her brother in law. "Hello Jack," she said, answering the phone.
"Hi Kat, how's Ebie?" Jack asked.
"She's fine, but she misses all of you," Katherine said, watching Ebie stack her wooden blocks in a tower.
"Think you could bring her over to the hospital?" Jack asked. "Kare and I want to spend the day with our daughters."
"Of course Jackie-boy," Katherine said, smiling. "I'll get all her things together and bring her right away."
"See you in a little bit then," Jack said. He hung up the phone and said to Karen, "Kat's going to bring her."
"Perfect," Karen said. "Come here and hold Sophie for a little bit Jackie."
Jack walked to the bed and sat next to Karen, taking their daughter from her. "Morning sweetie," he said to the baby.
Sophia cooed and waved her hand in the air, her blue eyes were bright.
"We're very lucky Kare," Jack said, letting the girl take his finger in her hand, holding onto it tightly.
"I know poodle," Karen said, leaning against him. She yawned slightly and closed her eyes. "I'm going to sleep for a little bit Jackie, wake me up when Ebie gets here."
"Okay, do you want me to go over to the couch?" Jack asked.
"No, stay here," Karen mumbled sleepily. A few seconds later, her breathing grew deeper and she was asleep.
Jack watched as Sophia fell asleep soon after and he smiled to himself, putting his free arm around Karen's shoulders as she snuggled closer to him. He had never felt happier then when he had Karen next to him and either of their daughters in his arms, holding them.
~~~
Katherine entered Karen's hospital room, Elizabeth walking next to her, holding her hand. She smiled at Jack and whispered, "How are they?"
"Kare said she's a little tired still," Jack answered quietly. "And Sophie is fine."
"Well, I brought some toys for Ebie to play with while she's here," Katherine said, putting the bag she was carrying on the couch. She lifted Elizabeth up into her arms and kissed her niece's cheek. "I'll be back tonight to visit and get her," she said, putting Elizabeth on the bed.
"Thanks Kat," Jack said. When she had gone, he said to Elizabeth, "Go on and wake up your mommy Ebie."
Giggling, Elizabeth crawled over Jack to Karen and reached out, patting her mother's cheek. When Karen didn't move or wake up, Elizabeth lay down next to her and shook her arm. "Mama, mama!" she cried out a few times.
Karen opened her eyes, a slightly angry look in her eyes, until she realized that it was their older daughter shaking her. "Hello Ebie," she said tenderly, putting her arms around Elizabeth. She hugged her to her tightly and kissed her forehead. "I hope you were a good girl at your aunt's last night."
Elizabeth nodded yes and put her arms around Karen's neck.
"Don't forget to say hello to your sister Ebie," Jack said.
"Give her to me Jackie," Karen said, sitting up a little straighter and letting go of Elizabeth. When she was holding Sophia, she said, "Go ahead and say hello honey," to their older daughter.
"Hi," Elizabeth said, staring at her sister seriously.
Sophia waved her arm out and grabbed her sister's hand, pulling them to her mouth.
"Eww," Elizabeth said, giggling, pulling her hand away from Sophia's mouth but not pulling out of her grip.
"I think we're going to have a lot of trouble with these two when they get older Kare," Jack said, smiling down at the two.
Karen nodded, smiling, but she had a troubled look in her eyes. When he asked her what was wrong, she shook her head. "Never mind poodle," she said.
"Dada, toys," Elizabeth said when Sophia let go of her hand since she was falling asleep.
"Okay little one, hold on a second," Jack said. He took Sophia from Karen and put her in the plastic cradle. He then picked up the bag Katherine had brought with Elizabeth's toys and went back on the bed, sitting next to Karen.
"You lay back and rest a little Jackie," Karen said, smiling. "I'll play with her for a while."
"Alright, but not too long," Jack said, kissing Karen's cheek. "I know you're still weak and stuff."
"What do you want to play with first Ebie?" Karen asked, looking through the bag of toys.
Elizabeth got on her knees and peered into the bag with her mother. She finally spotted the toy she wanted and she pulled it out.
"The wooden blocks, you should have known Kare, those are always her favorites" Jack said, watching them with a wide smile on his face.
"It looks like she's going to be an architect," Karen said as she helped Elizabeth stack the blocks into a tower.
"Either that are someone who demolishes buildings," Jack said, laughing as the girl knocked down her little building with one hand.
"Mama," Elizabeth said, holding out a block to Karen.
"What honey, you want me to build something?" she asked their daughter. When Elizabeth nodded, she took the block and then used the others to make the bottom of a house. She then let Elizabeth take over and lay back next to Jack.
"What were you thinking about earlier when I said we'll have to watch out for her and Sophie when they're older?" Jack asked, putting his arm around her.
"Nothing Jackie, I was just thinking about what you said," Karen said, taking care not to look at him.
"But Kare, you looked-" Jack started to say before he was interrupted.
"Dada, here," Elizabeth said, pulling on his hand.
"Go on poodle, she wants to play with you now," Karen said, nudging him in the side.
"I love you Kare," Jack said, kissing her deeply.
"I love you too Jackie," Karen answered as he sat up so he could play with Elizabeth.
~~~
That night, Katherine came to visit, a half hour before visiting hours ended. As soon as she walked into the room, she was surprised to see that Elizabeth was holding her sister, with the help of Jack. "You guys think that's a good idea?" she asked, walking over to the bed.
"Don't worry Kath," Karen said, kissing her sister's cheek. "Jackie's watching her very closely."
"Plus I am supporting Ebie's arms," Jack pointed out.
"Well, they're your children," Katherine said, sitting down in the chair next to the bed.
"How are things at Grace's office?" Karen asked.
"They are fine," Katherine said, smiling. She knew her sister didn't really care about what Grace was doing, but Karen always like to know what she herself was doing at work. "It's a little hectic at the moment though, two clients are asking for me to decorate for them right now."
"When do you spend time with Eddie and your kids?" Jack asked, looking up at his sister in law.
Katherine sighed and shook her head. "Not often enough," she said. "Edward and I have talked about that, and we may take the children for a trip somewhere next month."
"Would Grace let you go?" Karen asked in surprise.
"I don't know, it's not something that's for sure," Katherine said. "I think the children don't really mind though, they are busy enough with their studies and friends."
"And your husband?" Karen asked.
"He's busy too, so we understand each other in that sense," Katherine said, suddenly looking uncomfortable.
"You better be careful Kat," Jack said.
"Do you mind if I hold Sophie?" Katherine asked, changing the subject. She stood up and then went over to the couch where Jack and Elizabeth were sitting. She then took the baby from Elizabeth and sat on the bed next to Karen.
"He's right Kath," Karen said putting a hand on her sister's shoulder. "A lot of marriages have been broken up because either spouse is busy at work."
"Edward and I love each other too much for that to happen," Katherine said, sounding a little unsure of herself.
"Just be careful," Karen said, squeezing Katherine's arm.
"Well, I suppose I should get going before the nurse kicks me out," Katherine said, handing Sophia back to her sister. "Do you want me to step out while you guys say good night?"
"No, you can stay Sister Katherine," Jack said, smiling at her.
"You can put Sophie in her cradle there once Ebie says good night to her," Karen said, motioning for Jack to bring Elizabeth over to her.
Once Katherine had gotten off the bed and sat down on the couch, Jack put Elizabeth on the bed and watched as she kissed her little sister good night. "Stay there Kat, I've got her," he said. He took Sophia and placed her in the cradle while Karen said goodnight to Elizabeth.
"You'll be back again tomorrow, so behave at your aunt's," Karen said as she hugged her daughter. She made a face and then said, "God, listen to me, I sound just like-"
"Like a mom Kare," Jack said, laughing softly.
Elizabeth giggled and then kissed her mother's cheek. "'Ight Mama," she said.
"Good night honey," Karen said, kissing her forehead. "Sweet dreams tonight." She then handed her to Jack.
"I'll come over and pick you up early so you can see your mommy and sister again," Jack promised as he hugged Elizabeth. He kissed her and said, "Night little one." He turned towards Katherine, who had stood up from the couch, and gave her the little girl. "I'm going to come over as soon as I wake up," he said.
"Alright, well I'm not going anywhere, I'm going to try and get some work done this weekend," Katherine said. "I'll visit again tomorrow though."
"Get some rest too Kath," Karen said.
"Don't worry, I will," Katherine said. She walked over to her sister and kissed her cheek. "Night you guys."
"Bye," Jack called as she left.
"I can't wait to go home," Karen said, laying back. "I want to see how my sister designed Sophie's room."
"Kare, you've been lying to me all day," Jack said suddenly.
"Where did that come from?" Karen asked, looking over at him in surprise.
"You lied when I was talking about watching the two of them when they're older," Jack said.
Karen opened her mouth to answer, when a nurse came in and took Sophia to the nursery for the night. When they were all alone, she said to her husband, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Stop it Kare," Jack said, a little anger creeping into his voice. "I know you much better then I know myself, something is wrong. Now tell me. What. Is. It?"
Closing her eyes, Karen tried to think of an excuse so she wouldn't have to answer him. After thinking for a while, she sighed and gave up, opening her eyes. "I'm worried about us Jackie."
"Us? You mean the two of us and the girls?" Jack asked, looking confused.
"No poodle, just the two of us," Karen said. "I'm worried how having two kids is going to affect our relationship."
Jack was silent for a long time, choosing his words carefully. "I'm not really sure what to say to that," he finally said. "But lemme ask you a couple of questions."
"Okay," Karen said, confused.
"Do you love me?" Jack asked seriously, staring intently into her eyes.
"Of course!" Karen answered quickly.
"And in about three weeks, will you want to make love to me?" Jack said.
"Yes," Karen responded simply. "But that just shows that I love you."
"Then let me answer the questions I asked, but now I'm talking about you of course," Jack said.
"I know Jackie," Karen said, rolling her eyes, but she was smiling too.
"Alright, one; do I love you," Jack said, taking one of Karen's hands. "And the answer is yes, very, very much. Second question, will I want to make love to you in three weeks?" Here he stopped and knelt forward so his lips were at Karen's ear. He whispered, "If it were possible, I'd be making love to you right now." With that he moved his lips and pressed them to Karen's, kissing her fervently.
Karen moaned a little and wrapped her arms around Jack's neck. When he pulled away from her, she smiled. "I guess I don't have anything to worry about, do I?"
"Not as long as I can hold you at night," Jack said, kissing her lips softly.
"You're a wonderful man poodle, and I'm very lucky" Karen said. "Let's get some sleep now."
Jack didn't say anything, but nodded. He sat back up, taking off his tennis shoes before lying down next to Karen. He put his arms around her tightly as he settled on the mattress.
"I love you Jackie," Karen said, kissing him.
"Love you too Karebear," Jack said, kissing her temple tenderly and holding her to him.
~~~
Two days later, Karen was allowed to leave the hospital with Sophia. She got into the backseat of the limo outside the hospital, the baby in her arms. "Ebie is back at the penthouse right?" she asked Jack as he sat down next to her.
"Yes Kare, she's with Katherine," Jack said, smiling at her.
"I can't wait to get home," Karen said, snuggling up to Jack. "I'll be glad to have Sophie sleeping in a bigger bed for one thing."
Jack laughed and then smiled. "I know, those plastic things were awful," he said.
Sophia started to cry a little then, and Karen sighed. "I don't know which one I fed more the first couple of days," she commented as she unbuttoned her blouse a little bit. "Ebie or this one." She put Sophia to her breast and watched as the child drank.
"That means they're healthy though, doesn't it?" Jack asked, putting his arm around her shoulder and watching their child.
"I guess," Karen said absentmindedly a few minutes later. When the baby was finished, she quickly burped her and then handed her to Jack so she could button up her blouse. "We're home," she said excitedly, spotting the familiar building.
Before Karen could climb out of the back seat, Jack grabbed her wrist and said, "Before we go in to the party." He then put his free arm around her waist and pulled her to him, kissing her very passionately.
When the kiss ended, Karen put her hand on his cheek and licked her lips slightly. "Three weeks is going to take forever Jackie," she said.
Jack smiled and kissed her cheek. "Let's go before everyone wonders what happened to us," he said.
Karen nodded and turned, getting out of the limo. She waited for Jack to come out before taking his free hand and walking with him into the building.
When they opened the door to their penthouse, Will, Grace, Katherine, Edward, Amber, and Patrick all cried, "Welcome home!" at almost the same time.
"Oh man, it's like listening to nails on a blackboard," Jack said.
"Hey, at least we threw a party," Will said.
Katherine hurried over to her sister and helped her remove her coat. "Would you like me to take you four up to see Sophia's room?" she asked.
"We've been waiting nine months," Karen said. "Yeah, I think we want to see it."
"Alright, let's go," Katherine said as Karen took Elizabeth's hand. She led them up the stairs and down the hallway to the door of what was Sophia's room. "Okay, I hope you like it," she said a little nervously. She waited while Jack handed the baby to Karen so they could go inside first. Then, she opened the door and let her sister walk inside.
"I don't know why you were so worried," Karen said, looking around the room. "It's beautiful Kath."
"What do you think Jack?" Katherine said, turning to her brother in law.
"It's great, you have a lot of talent Kat," Jack said, grinning at her.
The room's walls were painted a slightly dark shade of green, and like Elizabeth's room, it had a mural on the one wall that was free of windows and furniture. The mural on this wall was a painting of the hills behind Glaeve in Ireland.
"I love the Irish theme," Karen said, looking at the curtains on the windows, which had Celtic knots on them.
"Well, I was going to do a garden theme, but I thought it would be better to do this," Katherine said. "Seeing as how you both enjoy the country so much."
Karen walked over to the crib, which was painted white with silver designs and put Sophia down in it. She then went to her sister and gave her a hug. "It's great, thank you so much Kath," she said.
"I'm glad you like it," Katherine said. She let go of her sister and said, "I'll leave the lot of you alone, I'll be downstairs."
Once Katherine had left, Jack took Karen's arm and led her over to a rocking bench that was placed in front of the big bay window. It was a different bench than the one in Elizabeth's room, and it was painted white, as was the rest of the furniture in the room. "Home at last," he said as they sat down, Elizabeth on his lap.
"I know, it's so nice," Karen said, running her fingers through Elizabeth's hair.
They sat in silence in the new room, for a long time until Grace came upstairs to bring them all back down to the small party she and Will had thrown for them.
~~~
After everyone had left, Jack changed Elizabeth into her pajamas and then carried her over to Sophia's bedroom where Karen was just finishing feeding the baby.
"Is she all ready for bed?" Karen asked, kissing Jack as he came up to her.
"Yep, just needs to say good night to her sister," Jack said.
Elizabeth immediately gave her sister a kiss on the cheek and then giggled when Sophia tried to grab her hands.
"Sweet dreams honey," Karen said, giving Elizabeth a kiss on the cheek. "Night."
Jack smiled and said, "I'll come back once I put her to bed."
"I'll wait for you poodle, don't worry," Karen said.
Leaving the room, Jack shifted Elizabeth to his other arm and said, "I hope your sister won't wake you up tonight. I know she'll wake up me." He walked to Elizabeth's crib and then set her down in it. "Good night little one," he said, smiling down at her as he covered her with a blanket. He left the room, turning off the lights behind him.
"Quiet Jackie," Karen said when he came back into the room. "She just fell asleep."
Nodding, Jack walked over to Karen and then kissed Sophia's cheek softly. "Night sweetie," he murmured very softly.
Karen smiled and then walked over to the crib. Before setting the baby down in it, she kissed the top of Sophia's head. "Sweet dreams," she whispered. As she was covering the baby with the blanket, she felt Jack's arms circle her waist.
"How are you feeling?" he whispered into her ear when she had stood up straight.
"I'm okay, a little bit tired, but happy to be back in our home," Karen said softly.
"Our home," Jack said. "God that sounds so great."
Karen giggled a little and said, "We've been calling it that for the past three years poodle."
Jack didn't say anything, but he started to kiss Karen's neck softly. "Come on Kare, let's go so she can sleep," he whispered. When she had turned around, he put his arm around her waist and they walked to their room.
"It's going to be so nice to sleep in a normal bed again," Karen said when Jack closed the door behind him.
"Yeah, my back has been killing me for the last couple of days," Jack said.
"I love you Jackie," Karen said, hurrying over to him and wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Love you Karebear," Jack responded. He then hugged Karen tightly and they kissed passionately for a long time.
"Ugh, I wish we could make love!" Karen said, annoyed.
"Three weeks'll go by like nothing Kare," Jack said, kissing her cheek. He then let go of her and then lifted her into his arms. "We'll be busy with our daughters to notice what day it is."
Karen sighed and leaned her head against his. "I can't wait until then though, I miss you so much poodle," she said as he set her on their bed.
When Karen stood up, he asked, "Where are you going?"
"Jackie, I'm not sleeping in my good Prada blouse," Karen said, kissing his lips. "I'm going to go change."
"I guess I should too," Jack said, looking down at his shirt. "You bought this for me a couple of years ago, don't wanna get it wrinkled."
When they returned to their bed, both of them in their pajamas, Karen immediately went to Jack, kissing him ardently.
"Kare," Jack said a little breathlessly as she started to kiss his cheeks and mouth tenderly. "If you don't stop, and don't think I don't want you to, but if you don't I'm going to have to take a very long and very cold shower."
Sighing, Karen pulled away with a final kiss on his lips. "I don't want to risk making my big strong man sick," she said, smiling up at him. "I'll stop."
Jack hugged her tightly and kissed her on the forehead. "Let's go to sleep," he said, leading her to the bed.
Once they were under the covers, Karen rested her head on Jack's chest and sighed. "Good night poodle, I love you," she said in a contented tone of voice.
"I love you too Karebear," Jack responded, holding her closely. "Night."
They fell asleep soon after that, happy and content to be at home with both their daughters safe asleep in their beds close by them. And pleased that they were still so deeply in love with each other.