Kevin took a deep breath and knocked on the door. After a few moments, Victor opened it. "Have you thought about what you're going to say to her now?"
Glaring at Victor for a moment, Kevin finally shrugged. "I've thought of nothing else since I left last night. How is she?"
"She's better today. That's why I want to know if you've thought out what you're going to say. The last thing she needs is for you to upset her again."
"I have no intention of upsetting her. That's not why I'm here." Kevin's voice was quiet. "I just want to talk to her."
Pointing at the back door, Victor reached for Kevin. "You know she loves you. Give it some time. You need to convince her that she's not second choice for you now."
Kevin started to go out the back door, and stopped. Lucy was sitting in the grass, next to Luke, which didn't surprise Kevin. But the fact that Sonny was sitting in the grass in what was probably a $1000 suit made him smile. Only Lucy could accomplish that.
When he approached them, Lucy looked up at him, her expression telling him that she'd expected him. "Kevin."
"Is this a private party?"
"Hey, Kev! Grab a piece of grass, man." Luke moved, inviting Kevin to join them, but he slid closer to Lucy, as if to make sure Kevin kept his distance.
"I hope the guards out front aren't giving you too much hassle, Kevin." Sonny sounded sincere, and Kevin shook his head.
"I've learned the hard way to offer them my I.D. before they get to me." He shrugged. "What can they do? I don't care what they do to me, as long as they're making sure she's safe."
"They will. Trust me."
"Hey, I've got an idea!" Luke started laughing, and it took him a minute to be able to say it. "Why don't you get a tatoo? Maybe one to match Luce's." The look he received from Kevin almost made him stop laughing. "Not that I've ever seen it. I've only heard about it." Kevin didn't look convinced. "I swear. She drank enough to tell me about it, but not enough to show me."
Before Kevin could say anything, Sonny jumped in. "I was there. One more drink, and we would have seen it."
Kevin glared back and forth at the laughing men, but anything he was going to say, one look at Lucy stopped him. She was laughing so hard tears were running down her face, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her so relaxed and actually enjoying herself. He smiled. "Congratulations, gentlemen. That's the closest I've ever seen her to actually blushing."
"I can't...... I can't......" It took her a minute to be able to reply. "I am so sorry I told them. They will NEVER let me live it down." But she was still laughing.
"Breathe, Luce. You're turning a little blue there."
"Shut up, Spencer! Now that you've all had SO much fun at my expense, you can get me up."
Standing, Luke offered his hand. "Don't just sit there, Kev, this is a two man operation! Ouch!"
Lucy kicked him.
Laughing, Kevin stood and reached for Lucy's hand. Between the two men, they easily pulled Lucy to her feet.
Freeing her hands from them, she put them on her back. "Wow, my back isn't taking the abuse very well."
"You okay?"
"Yeah." She nodded in response to Kevin. "Just aches."
While she walked into the house, Sonny stood and joined Luke and Kevin. "Have you heard anything from Chamberlain?"
Kevin looked at him. "No. I don't think we will until after she delivers. He wants them."
"From what you said about his last visit, that's not all he wants." Luke stared at him.
"I wish I had the answers, Luke. I know what's riding on it."
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Shutting off the TV, Ryan smiled to himself. Julie has escaped Ferncliff. Evidently she was a little smarter than he gave her credit for. Figuring she would stay missing until after she gave birth, Ryan wondered what she was going to do. The state would take the baby away from her unless she named the father. Then he would be given sole custody, and she still wouldn't see her baby. Maybe. What he needed to do was find out what her options were. Maybe he could go by the same avenues.
The idea of spending his life on the run with the twins was appealing, but it didn't exactly scream of a stable environment to raise them. It amazed him that with Georgie, being on the run was the plan, but when the children involved were his own, it was a different matter. He would have to do some serious research on the situation.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
"I would almost think you're enjoying this." Exiting the Lamaze classroom with Kevin, Lucy smiled at him.
"I actually am. Why does that surprise you?"
"I don't know. It just does."
He reached for her hand and squeezed it gently. "Hungry?"
"Doc, when was I not hungry before I got pregnant?" Laughing, she leaned towards him as they walked down the corridor.
Rounding the corner to go to the elevator, they both stopped when they saw Eve.
Eve stared at both of them for a moment before she shook her head. "I guess I can't say I'm surprised."
"Eve, I..." Kevin began.
"Kevin, don't. Just..... don't." Starting to walk away, she turned to Lucy. "It worked, you know. The disinterested, hard to get routine. Made him crazy. He had to know everything you were up to, and when you shut him out, it made him want to know more. And the thought that you were really going to be okay on your own? He just couldn't let that happen. You played him like a fiddle, and I couldn't stick around to watch it. He's all yours."
"This isn't the time, or the place, Eve." Kevin felt Lucy pulling her hand away from him, and he knew that Eve was giving validity to Lucy's fears that he wanted to be with her because Eve had left.
"Why not, Kevin? When has it ever upset Lucy to find out that one of her schemes worked? I'm out of the picture, and that should make her feel better."
"Eve, I thought this was over as far as you were concerned."
Sighing, Eve looked at Kevin. "It is. Believe me, I've realized that it's been over for a while, but I wouldn't give up." Before he could answer, she turned and walked away.
Kevin turned to Lucy. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
"No, it's not." He reached for her hand, but she pulled away. "I did this. I know I did. I just have no idea what to do about it."
"Right now, there is nothing to do about it. We've both said all along the girls are what matter right now. The rest....." She shrugged. "We'll have to see."
Knowing she was pulling away out of self-preservation didn't make it any easier to watch her. He sighed. "I know you have a hard time with this. I don't know how to convince you."
"I don't know if you can. I don't know if I'll ever stop thinking you chose me without Eve shoving you in my direction. Or wondering if you'd go back if you got the chance."
"Go back...? To Eve?" The way she was looking at him told him. She really believed what she was saying. "Lucy, I know how hard it was for you to trust me in the beginning. And after how it turned out, I can't say I blame you for being afraid."
"Can we not talk about this here?" The last thing she wanted to do was cry where she knew Eve would hear about it.
"Okay. Come on. Let's get you out of her and feed you." Resisting the urge to reach for her again, he led her into the elevator. When they entered it, Lucy leaned against the wall and sighed.
"Your back still?"
"Worse. But I think instead of going out to eat I'm going to go home and lie down for a while. Hopefully it will ease up."
Moving to her, Kevin put his hands on the small of her back and rubbed.
His hands felt so good that she leaned into him and closed her eyes. The elevator stopped on the first floor and he whispered in her ear. "I'll finish this later. Promise."
Smiling, she shrugged. Whatever was going to or not going to happen between them, she couldn't deny she loved the attention.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Ryan hung up the phone and stared at the wall. So many options. None of them really appealed to him, but if he wanted to claim his babies, he would have to decide on one of them.
There was still a chance Kevin had told the truth about him and Lucy. That was something else he would have to contend with. But he really didn't think that was the case. Sighing, Ryan leaned back. In his heart, he believed with everything in him that the twins Lucy was carrying were his, and Kevin had tried to take them from him.
After a few more hours on the phone, and questioning numerous criminal and child custody lawyers, Ryan realized he was not going to get any more information without physically sitting down with one of them. So, on the information he had, he needed to decide.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Kevin entered Luke's and looked around. It had been ages since he'd walked through those doors. Eve didn't really like the blues, and she hated being around all of Lucy's friends. Sadly, he realized how much of his life, how much of himself, he had rearranged to be with her. And how badly he'd managed to hurt people along the way.
"Can I help you?" Luke's voice was low and threatening.
"I guess if I ask you how drunk Lucy had to be to tell you about the tattoo, you'll know who I am?"
Laughing, Luke gestured to the bar. "I see your sense of humor is trying to make a comeback. For a while, there, I thought it had been surgically removed."
Kevin laughed in spite of himself. "No, just......"
"A leave of absence?"
"Leave of senses, is more like it." Admitting that reluctantly, he stared at Luke. "Go ahead."
"What?"
"The 'I told you so's' or any of the other assorted things I'm sure you've had to say about me in the last few years."
Going behind the bar, Luke poured Kevin a glass of Akavit and sighed. "Well, it's no fun to kick a man who's already pretty beaten down, you know? Besides, with your vocabulary, I'm sure you can do a better job on yourself."
"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence."
Kevin looked so pathetic that Luke couldn't shake a feeling of almost pity for him. "Look, I've never had a personal problem with you. But Luce is my friend. And I don't look the other way when my friends get hurt. And, to me, it doesn't matter if it's a gun shot to the head, or a knife to their heart. Hurt is hurt. And I think you've done enough of that to her. Fair enough?"
Sighing, Kevin drank down his drink in one swallow. "Okay, how do I convince BOTH of you that I don't ever want to hurt her again?"
"You don't need to convince me. And you're on your own with her. If you're for real you'll figure out a way."
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Ryan sat in the car across the street. Sooner or later, he'd get his chance. Kevin was too preoccupied to notice that he'd been followed all day.
"Are you okay?" Mary's voice was soft, and Lucy nodded.
"Yeah. My back is killing me, but I'm so tired I think I'll fall asleep sooner or later, anyway." She sighed. "I just can't get comfortable."
Sitting on the bed next to her, Mary smiled. "It's only a few more weeks, honey."
"Seven." Lucy smiled. "I'm counting."
Laughing, Mary took a pillow and folded it in half. "Try this." She placed the pillow against Lucy's back and wedged it between her body and the bed. "Try to take some of the pressure off."
Mary moved the pillow around a bit until Lucy stopped her. "That's it. Right there."
"Better?"
"Yeah." Lucy sighed. "I just need to get some sleep."
"Well, you get some. I'm going to work in an hour. Kevin will probably be here when you wake up."
Lucy sighed again. "Part of the reason I'm so tired is from dealing with him."
"He's trying, Lucy. I believe that."
"Me, too. But I can't shake the feeling that he wouldn't be trying so hard if he still had Eve to go home to."
"I'm not so sure. And I don't think you are, either." Mary stared at her for a long moment.
"You're right. I'm not. But I'm also not sure enough that I'm not ready to just jump in with him again."
"Jump in again? Honey, be honest with me. Were you ever really out?"
Lucy's throat tightened to the point she couldn't answer Mary, so she bit her lip and shook her head.
"I'm not going to tell you what to do, but I will tell you what I see. I see you loving a man that you're afraid to believe in. I see him wanting to be a part of a family with you, and wanting it so badly that he pushed Eve away. I believe that if he really wanted her back, he would have been there, not here while she packed her things." Lucy nodded in agreement, and Mary continued. "So what's stopping you?"
Taking a deep breath, Lucy forced herself to speak. "I gave him my heart once, Mary. I gave him my whole heart and soul. It wasn't enough before. Because I'm going to have twins, it's going to be enough now? That's not how I want him. Not out of some obligation he thinks he has to me." She shifted again and winced. "They're really moving tonight."
Mary was instantly a nurse. "Pain?"
"No. Not really pain. Other then my back. Just... uncomfortable." The subject safely away from Kevin, Lucy smiled. "They're turning. I know. I'll be fine. Better then fine."
"That's right." Mary agreed with her. "You get some sleep, and I'll be back tomorrow."
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Kevin went home to pack a bag to take to Lucy's. He knew that she loved him, but she was also afraid of him. Not that he could blame her, he hadn't exactly ended up being all of her dreams come true. But this time he would be. Smiling to himself, he thought about the last Lamaze class and how connected they were.
He held her hand and pretended to time her contractions. But their eyes met and they couldn't keep straight faces.
"Doc! This is serious!" But she could barely get the words out before dissolving into laughter again.
"Serious. I can do that." His eyes met hers again and they both bit their lips to stop laughing.
Between panting and laughing, her breasts were literally pushing out of the neckline of her shirt. He must have been obvious about the way he was staring, because she shook her head and crossed her arms across herself. "Oh, no. Don't even think it! They're so sore that even looking at them hurts."
Embarrassed, Kevin had turned away, but it was too late. The expression on his face had sent Lucy into another uncontrollable fit of laughter.
Shaking his head, Kevin forced himself to look at what he was doing. The entire class had been forced to stop and wait for the two of them to get themselves under control. It had been a great afternoon with her. Until Eve had made her appearance.
Sighing, Kevin wondered what it was going to take to convince Lucy that he wanted the same thing she wanted. A family. Their family. The family they had both always dreamed of having together.
As he reached into the closet, he heard something before the world went black.
Standing over him, Ryan reached into Kevin's pocket for his wallet. The urge to strangle him was almost too strong, but he realized that if he was going to get to the truth about who was the father of the twins, he needed Kevin alive. But, for his current purpose, he needed Kevin to stay put for a while.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Lucy rolled over slowly and opened her eyes. The uncomfortable feeling was still there, and she shifted. As she slowly made her way to her feet, a pain in her lower back actually made her moan softly.
"You okay?" Kevin stared at her and she jumped.
"Yeah. How long have you been here?" He'd startled her, and she grabbed her back again.
He tried to keep his distance, but he couldn't keep from staring at her.
"Doc?" Her voice told him that she knew something was wrong.
Forcing himself to take a deep breath, he smiled at her. "I was just watching you sleep."
After she disappeared into the bathroom, Ryan sighed. He knew he really had no choice in the matter. If he wanted to raise his children in anything that resembled a stable environment, he had to do it by coming forward and claiming them. Killing Kevin wouldn't accomplish anything. Lucy would still name him as the father, and he couldn't disprove anything. The original thought of killing Lucy and taking them didn't appeal to him as much as it did before, either. As much as he wanted to forget, he couldn't make his mind stop going back to the time he spent with her on Jasmine Island.
Lucy came out of the bathroom and stared at him. Something was nagging at the back of her mind, but she couldn't force herself to think about it. Her back was killing her, and she was really not feeling well.
"Are you sure you're okay?" He stepped closer then he intended to, and she shook her head.
"I don't know. I feel weird, actually." Her eyes met his, and she stopped.
"Weird? How?" Oblivious to her shift in mood, Ryan's eyes dropped to the twins and he reached for her.
As soon as his hand touched her, Lucy knew. Taking a step back, she stared at him. "I think I might just need something to drink." Her heart was racing in her chest, and she tried to hide the fear from him. As she crossed the bedroom, his hand took her arm.
"We need to talk, Lucy."
"No, we don't." She tried to jerk her arm away, but he held on to her.
"Actually, we do." Pulling her closer, he tightened his grip on her arm.
"Let go of me!" She struggled, but Ryan held her.
"Stop it, Lucy! I'm not going to hurt you!"
She tried to twist out of his arms, but a cramp seized her and she doubled over.
Instantly worried, Ryan helped her to the bed and sat her on it. "What is it?"
"It's YOU!" Lucy felt hysteria building, but tried to keep herself calm for the twins. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"
"We're going to talk, Lucy. I'm not here to hurt you. Or them. I need to talk to you." He kneeled in front of her. "It is getting better?"
Nodding, Lucy rubbed her abdomen. "Why are you here?"
"We're going to talk, Lucy. We're going to talk about MY twins and how YOU thought you were going to give them to Kevin!" His voice rose as he became angry, and Lucy leaned away from him.
Realizing that he was scaring her, Ryan reached for her and put his hands on her thighs. He tried to hold her gently, but he could feel every muscle tighten under his fingers. "You and I created them. You know it and I know it."
She shook her head, but didn't answer him.
"Twins." His voice was low and he stared at her. "My twins."
"No." Lucy whispered and tried to get up again.
"Don't do this." His hands tightened on her, and his voice rose. "I've been thinking about this for months. I mean, I really didn't know what to do. I did think about just taking them. I'd find a way, and you know it."
Tears came to her eyes, but she didn't say anything.
"But then I'd have to hide forever. Not that I didn't already have to, but raising twins like that.... I mean, MY TWINS." The words trailed off, and he reached out to touch them.
As soon as his hand touched her, she shivered and tried to move away from him.
His hand caressed her and he held her still. "I've waited for this for so long."
Biting her lip, Lucy tensed.
"I can't wait to hold them. To tell them I'm their Daddy."
"NO!" Pushing him away, Lucy forced herself to get to her feet. Before she could get to the door, Ryan had her by the arm. She started to scream, but his hand over her mouth prevented her from making a sound.
Dragging her back to the bed, he whispered in her ear. "This is going to go my way, Lucy. You're best bet is to just sit still and listen." He wrapped his arm around her waist and held her back against him. "We're going to talk. That's all. Then I'll leave and you can tell everyone what I'm planning." Her back arched and she fell. Holding her up, he continued to move with her towards the bed. "Don't try it, Lucy. I'm not going to do anything that will hurt them."
As soon as he put her on the bed, she gripped the sheets and moaned. "Something's wrong." She could barely speak.
"It's you." His voice was soft and he brushed her hair off her forehead. "You need to relax."
It passed and she shook her head. "It felt like a contraction."
She sounded so afraid that Ryan began to wonder if he'd made a big mistake. "Lucy, calm down. I've told you I'm not going to hurt you. I had to see you. Nothing's wrong, but you need to stop. See, I have to be the responsible father, and I accept that."
"What do you mean?" Forcing herself to take deep breaths, she stared at him.
"I mean I'm going to claim MY children, Lucy."
Shaking her head, she inched away from him. "You are NOT going to take my children. I'll kill you myself, Ryan. I swear I will."
"No, Lucy, that's not what I mean."
Before she could react, another pain hit her and she doubled over. Unable to control himself, Ryan moved closer to her and put his hand on her. "Breathe, Lucy. Come on, just take a deep breath."
"Something's wrong." Lucy began to cry. "I can feel it."
Watching her face, Ryan began to believe her. "Talk to me. What does it feel like?"
"It feels like a contraction." She took a few breaths.
"Lie down." Moving off the bed, he helped her shift so she was lying on her side.
"Call the doctor. Please, Ryan. You don't understand."
Responding to the real fear in her voice, Ryan reached for her wrist and checked her pulse. In those few seconds, she had broken out in a sweat that covered her body. "Take a deep breath, Lucy. Everything's fine."
"You don't know that!" Her body tensed and she actually screamed from the pain.
Before Ryan could do anything, he heard the same bodyguards that had checked his stolen ID running up the stairs. When they reached the bedroom door, Ryan made a decision. Standing, he turned to them. "We need to get her to the hospital."
Not knowing that they had made a mistake, the bodyguards moved to the bed to help him get her to her feet. Even as Lucy held on to their arms, she shook her head. "Don't let him touch me!" The guards were confused, but Lucy continued. "He did something to Kevin." Her mind wouldn't let her think about what he could have done to Kevin, but she had to get Ryan away from her.
Ryan reached for her arm, but she jerked away. "What did you do to him?!" Her legs buckled and she began to scream again. Confused, the guards put her back on the bed and Ryan moved towards her. This time there was no doubt it was a contraction. For almost thirty seconds, all Lucy could do was scream. As it began to subside, Lucy began to cry. "Find Kevin. Please find him."
The guards looked at Ryan, who watched Lucy for a moment before taking her hand and sighing. "He's at the lighthouse." Her eyes met his, and he reached for her face gently. "He's fine. I just needed his wallet to get close to you."
It sunk in to the guards, and they finally reacted. One grabbed his radio while the other grabbed Ryan and shoved him into the ground. "She needs a doctor!" Ryan's voice was muffled in the carpet as he tried to make them understand that she needed help.
Lucy's screams stopped them all and they looked at her. Ryan tried to get up, but the guard held him down.
"She needs help! Can't you get that? Lucy?!" Ryan yelled, and she answered him.
"My water broke!" Her crying turned to screams as another contraction hit her.
The guards had no idea what to do. The one on the radio was suddenly screaming for an ambulance, and the other gripped Ryan tighter. As the stain spread across the comforter under her, the guards were closer to panicking than she was. The one with the radio finally moved closer to her. "I'll stay with her till the EMT's get here. You get him out of here."
As the other guard jerked Ryan to his feet. One look at her convinced Ryan that she didn't have time for the EMT's to arrive. "She's in labor, you idiot! Lucy, tell them!"
All she could do was nod.
Ryan continued. "You signed on to keep me away from her, are either of you ready to deliver twins?"
Uneasy, the guards stared at each other.
Taking his chance, Ryan looked at Lucy. "I'm a doctor! I can help her."
"No way!" The guard holding him jerked him closer to the door. "You're not getting near her."
"Lucy!" Ryan wasn't going to give up. "They're my babies. I won't hurt them. Lucy, you know I'm the only one here that can do this!"
Lucy screamed again and the guards stared at her as if she was going to bite. Looking around at them, Lucy realized that Ryan was right. Both guards looked halfway to fainting, and she knew she couldn't count on them to help. Crying, she looked at the one that was holding Ryan and nodded. "Let him go."
"Lucy," The guard wasn't sure, but she shook her head.
"Find Kevin!"
"The EMT's-"
"Won't get here in time." Feeling another contraction coming, she grit her teeth and forced herself to continue. "They're coming NOW and he's the only one that-"Her voice dissolved into another scream that scared both guards half to death.
Almost laughing, Ryan easily pulled away from the guard that was holding him and moved to the bed. "What's the matter, gentlemen? Killing a person is no problem, but you can't deal with the birth of one?" Gently, he reached for Lucy and shoved pillows under her back. His eyes met hers and he smiled. "They're coming hard and fast now."
She nodded.
"They're going to be fine, Lucy. I promise." She looked so scared that Ryan took her hand. "You took Lamaze. You've done this before. You're going to be fine. Come on, breathe."
Her skin was crawling, but she realized that Ryan was the one person in the room that really could handle this. "Please don't hurt them."
"Hurt them?!" His voice rose. "I've told you I don't want to hurt them!" He scared her, and he moved back a bit to take a deep breath himself. Turning to the guards, he shook his head. "Looks to me like you two need to leave the room before you faint."
They were undecided until the next contraction. When Lucy began to scream, they moved back towards the door. Her hands clenched Ryan's arms as he moved her into a better position.
"Before either of you faint, would one of you find me some towels?" Ryan's voice was soft, but he still managed to sound extremely sarcastic.
Nodding, one of them took the opportunity to escape and ran from the room in search of towels. Smiling, Ryan brushed the hair off Lucy's face. "This is it, Lucy. You ready?"
"Like I have a choice." Her voice was strained, and Ryan laughed.
His eyes met hers, and he whispered to her. "We created them, Lucy. We're going to bring them into the world."
She was actually afraid to contradict him at that moment, so she gripped his hand and closed her eyes.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
The door to the lighthouse broke open easily and Johnny entered. "Dr. Collins?!"
"Up here!" Kevin's voice echoed down the stairs and Johnny ran up to the bedroom, where Kevin was tied to the chair at his desk. "Get me out of here! I have to get to her!"
As Johnny untied Kevin, he spoke. "Mac Scorpio is already on his way there. So are the EMT's."
"EMT's? Lucy...." Kevin was about to panic.
"From what the guys said she's in labor."
"I'll kill him. I swear if he did this to her-"
Grabbing his arm, Johnny dragged him towards the door. "The sooner we get you there, the sooner we can get him out of there."
"What?!" Stopping, Kevin looked at him.
"I'll explain in the car. Let's go!"
Fighting his panic, Kevin followed Johnny down the stairs.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
"She's crowning, Lucy. On the next contraction, you need to bear down and push." Ryan looked at her. "You hear me?"
Her breath was coming in short, forced pants and she nodded.
"Slow down. You're going to hyperventilate. Slower. That's right." He smiled at her and waited. It wasn't long. Her body tensed and the strain showed all over her face.
"PUSH!" Ryan yelled at her and reached for the baby as she slid out of Lucy's body. "You did it! She's here!"
With a struggle, Lucy held her head up and watched Ryan. She couldn't see what he was doing, but she could feel the movement as he tied off the cord and cut it. His face was an expression of awe and tears ran down his face as he held the tiny baby in his hands.
"Can I see her? Please? I want to see her. Ryan, please let me see her." Lucy was almost whimpering at him, and all she wanted was to hold her baby in her arms.
His expression changed to one that Lucy couldn't place and she tried to sit up. As she moved, another contraction hit and she screamed again.
Jumping out of the car, Kevin ran to the door and opened it as Lucy's screams echoed through the house. The EMT's were on the stairs, and they slowed Kevin down reaching the top. Sliding past them roughly, Kevin pushed past the guards, glaring at them as he did, and entered the bedroom. He saw Lucy on the bed and his heart stopped for a moment before he realized what looked like blood was actually afterbirth.
"DOC! He has her!" Lucy was crying and pointing at Ryan, who had moved the baby to the dresser.
Moving closer, Kevin kept his voice low. "Ryan, give her to me. Please."
"How early is she, Kevin?" Ryan was close to tears, and Kevin looked at the baby, who had turned a slight shade of blue.
"About 7 weeks." Concern on Kevin's face only made Lucy more hysterical.
"What's wrong?! What's wrong with her!?"
"Her lungs..... they might not be developed enough to clear on their own." Ryan's voice was soft, and he ignored Lucy's cries. "We have to clear them." Using his fingers, he pressed on the baby's chest much like one would a drowning victim. From the expression on Ryan's face, Kevin knew that his training as a pediatrician had taken over, and he turned to Lucy. She was crying and he moved to her.
Taking her hands, Kevin leaned closer to her. "He'll help her, Lucy. He knows what to do." His heart was in his throat, but he forced himself to sound calm for Lucy. Her hands gripped his so tightly that her nails dug into his hands.
"She's not crying. Doc, she's not crying. What's wrong with her?" Her voice was strained as another contraction began.
The EMT's entered the room, and immediately Ryan started barking orders at them. "I need suction! NOW!" When they didn't move, he screamed again, which only made Lucy more hysterical. But it worked, and the EMT's began rummaging through their bags.
Reacting to Lucy, Kevin squeezed her hands. "Let's worry about her sister, okay?" Pulling his hands away from hers, he moved to her feet and took her legs gently. "You need to do it again."
"I don't know if I can." Her eyes were glued to the scene at the dresser.
"Look at me." Kevin's voice was soft, but demanding, and she reacted. "You can do this. We've been waiting for this for months, Lucy. We're ready."
A flashback of Ryan saying almost the same thing sent a shiver up Lucy's spine, but she nodded. "We can do this. NOW!" She began to scream again, and Kevin watched for the baby's head.
The other EMT approached Kevin and kept his voice low. "How's she doing?"
"We're doing fine." Kevin tried to sound calm but he saw the head and he began to yell. "I see her! Next contraction, push, Lucy! You hear me?"
Nodding, Lucy tried to breathe.
Ryan removed the tube from the baby's throat and lifted her by her feet. A small hacking sound accompanied the sound of the baby drawing her first breath and crying. Tears ran down Ryan's face and he smiled at the EMT. "We've got her. She's fine."
Laying her back down, Ryan gently used his fingers to clear the baby's mouth and she began to really scream. Laughing and crying at the same time, Ryan turned to Lucy. "Just like her mother."
Ryan held the baby against him and watched Kevin closely as another contraction hit Lucy and she screamed.
"She's coming, Lucy! She's coming!" Kevin's voice was almost as loud as Lucy's, and he watched the baby move closer. The contraction subsided, and Lucy was too tired to cry. "We're almost there. One more contraction."
"Promise?" Her eyes met his and he realized how bad she looked.
"You can do this."
"It hurts."
"I know."
"Like hell you do!" She stared at him and her voice was actually more of a whisper. "You have absolutely NO IDEA how much this hurts! None of you do!" A sudden rage produced more energy, and Lucy glared at all of them. "Oh, yeah, you all can put them there, but it's up to US to get them out!" She flopped back and continued her weak tirade.
Smiling, Kevin watched her, knowing that she would have to stop shortly.
"All you can do is stand there with stupid grins on your faces and tell me that I can do it. I don't see any of you actually wishing you COULD do this yourself!" Her body tensed and she began to cry again. "I CAN'T DO THIS!" She tried to sit up, but couldn't.
"Yes, you can!" Kevin looked at the EMT beside him. "Lift her up."
Gently, the EMT took the pillow behind her back and lifted her to an almost sitting position.
"This is it, Lucy. PUSH!"
Her shriek was almost ear splitting, and Kevin winced as she pushed. It seemed like hours, but in reality it was only a few short seconds before Kevin was holding the small baby in his hands. "You did it! She's beautiful."
"Cut the cord." Ryan's voice was commanding and Kevin glared at him for a moment. But he realized that Ryan was ready this time with the suction tube to clear the baby's lungs. Nodding, Kevin tied off the cord, cut it and watched Ryan. This time it only took a few seconds of silence before the sound of the baby's cries filled the room.
"Doc?" Lucy's voice was a whisper and she couldn't even lift her head to look at them. Reaching for the first baby that was still crying in the EMT's arms, Kevin took her and sat next to Lucy.
"They're fine. See? Beautiful and healthy."
Weakly, she touched the baby softly. "I've waited for this my whole entire life, Doc. My babies."
"Yep." Sliding down so she could better see the baby, Kevin kissed her forehead. Their eyes met, and Kevin couldn't stop his own tears. "I'd lost hope, Lucy. I'd stopped believing this would happen for us." Shifting the baby in his arms, Kevin leaned closer and kissed her lips.
"I love you." Lucy returned his kiss and whispered to him. "I love you, I love them, and I love the family we are."
"NO!" Ryan's voice was sharp, and Kevin looked at him.
"Ryan, put the baby down."
"See, you're missing this very important POINT, Kevin!" Still holding the baby, Ryan began to pace around the room. The EMT's had no idea what was going on, and they stared at Kevin.
"We still don't know WHO is the family, here, do we?" Shaking his head, Ryan wandered around her bed. "See, I guess you guys don't know what's going on, here."
The EMT's watched him, but said nothing.
"This little girl could be mine. She's beautiful, no, she's perfect, actually. She could be my baby." Kneeling on the other side of the bed, Ryan looked at Kevin. "We're going to find out." Actually laughing, Ryan looked at the EMT's again. "Never seen this one, have you?"
They both shook their heads.
Ryan leaned closer to Lucy, who watched the baby in his arms and bit her lip. "Well, this is one for the books, isn't it, Lucy."
Lucy's breathing had become very shallow, and Kevin was beginning to worry about her. "Ryan, they all need to be treated. You know that."
"I know." Ryan nodded and sighed. "She doesn't look good."
"She's scared."
"I guess Port Charles's finest is waiting for me, huh." Ryan looked at Kevin.
"My baby." Lucy whispered. "Please. Give her to me." She moaned softly as a residual contraction made her shake.
"You don't look up to holding her yourself." Ryan held the baby down so Lucy could see her. "She's fine. See?"
"Ryan, please." Lucy actually whimpered as she begged him to give her the baby.
Looking past her, Ryan nodded at the EMT and stood.
Panicking, Lucy tried to reach for the baby. But she couldn't make her body cooperate and she began to cry.
"It's okay." Kevin's voice was low. "He gave the baby to the paramedic. She's fine."
"What did you think I was going to do?! I DELIVERED HER AND I SAVED HER LIFE!" Ryan gestured to the two babies. Taking a towel, he wiped his hands and threw the towel on the floor. "This is far from over, Kevin." Putting his hands on his head, he left the bedroom.
Kevin heard Mac's voice commanding Ryan to get down and a few muffled sounds that could only be Ryan being taken into custody.
Finally Kevin turned his attention back to Lucy. Her eyes were closed, and to Kevin it actually looked as if her lips were beginning to turn blue. "Lucy?"
"Yeah." She whispered to him.
Standing, he handed the baby to the other EMT. "She needs to be transported now."
"Kevin? We've got him!" Mac stopped when he saw Lucy.
Gently, Kevin reached under Lucy and tried to pick her up in his arms.
"My back! Doc! It hurts!" She began to cry and Kevin stopped. Taking a pillow, he put it behind her back before trying again. This time she winced, but didn't say anything. As Kevin moved out of the bedroom with her, Mac walked beside him and helped him get down the stairs and out to the waiting ambulance.
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Kevin touched Lucy's head gently. "Lucy." Keeping his voice low, he repeated her name until she opened her eyes.
When she saw his face, she jumped for a moment and looked around. For a moment, fear crossed her face and a stab went through Kevin. He wondered if she'd ever be able to look at his face again and not wonder if he was Ryan.
She tried to sit up, and even as the pain shot through her, Kevin stopped her. Her hands instinctively went to her abdomen and she looked at him. As he raised the bed for her, he smiled. "There are two very hungry little girls who want to see their mother."
"They're okay? Really? You're absolutely sure?"
Nodding, Kevin gestured to Colleen, who was holding them. "See for yourself."
Taking one of them, he handed her to Lucy, who was already crying before she even had the baby in her arms.
"Doc, she's beautiful." Not trying to stop her tears, Lucy opened the blanket and inspected every inch of her daughter. After a moment, Kevin took the other baby from Colleen and traded with Lucy. Again, Lucy had to examine her baby, but this time she looked up at Kevin and the scene made her stop and bite her lip.
Holding the baby in his arms, Kevin was staring at her as if she were the most beautiful thing he'd ever laid eyes on. His fingers traced the small fingers as they balled up in tiny fists, and he unconsciously began to rock gently back and forth. It was THE picture that Lucy had in her imagination ever since the day she'd told him she was pregnant back in 1997. The one that she'd seen a million times in her dreams, and she knew this was meant to be. For all four of them.
The baby in her arms began to squirm and a few short cries escaped her throat.
"She's hungry." Colleen approached Lucy from the other side of the bed. "They cover this in Lamaze, you think you can handle it?"
Laughing, Lucy nodded. "I only breastfed Serena for a week, but I remember every single second of it." Shrugging out of the side of her hospital gown, Lucy guided the baby to her breast.
"Looks to me like you've already got the hang of it." Smiling, Colleen pointed to the call button. "Call me if you need anything."
"I've got everything I need, but thanks." Lucy nodded, but her eyes never left the baby in her arms.
Kevin finally tore his eyes from the baby in his arms and looked at Lucy. Slowly, he sat on the side of the bed. For a while, they sat and watched the baby feed in silence. When she was finished, Lucy put her to her shoulder and patted her back gently. Kevin handed her a small blanket he'd purchased in the gift shop and she smiled.
"Already out shopping for them?"
"Guilty." He smiled.
"Tell you what. You can do this, let's trade." She took the other baby in her arms, and Kevin lifted the one that had just been fed to his shoulder.
"I have no idea what I'm doing."
Laughing, Lucy pointed to the blanket. "Put that between her and your shirt. Just warning you."
"Okay, now what?"
"Just pat her back. Gently." He was awkward, and she laughed harder. "A little harder then that, Doc. She needs to burp."
As Lucy fed the other baby, Kevin became more accustomed to the feel of the one he was trying to burp. Finally the baby's body twitched a bit in his arms and she spit up a little on the blanket.
"First lesson learned and will be remembered." His voice was low.
"What's that?"
"Double the blanket." Their eyes met and they both laughed.
"I warned you."
As he shifted the baby to his arms, Lucy looked at the wet spot on his shoulder. "It will come out."
"I don't care. No, I do. I love it." Gently he tucked the blanket around the baby he was holding, and looked at Lucy. "We do need to talk."
"I know."
"They asked me about names, and I didn't want to say anything before we talked."
"Ryan showing up..... like he did changes things, doesn't it."
"Not for me." Kevin quickly responded and reached for her face. "As far as I'm concerned, I AM their father, and I will do anything to protect them. And you."
"Then I guess their name is Collins." Lucy leaned her face into his hand.
"How about their mother?"
"What?" Stopping, Lucy leaned away.
"You heard me. I want their name to be Collins, but I want your name to be Coe-Collins. In our hearts, we ARE a family, Lucy. I want to tell the world. Marry me."
Staring at him in shock, Lucy bit her lip.
"You don't want to-"Kevin started to speak.
"I didn't say that."
"No, but you didn't say anything. That's kind of a hint, coming from you."
"Doc, I love you. You know that. But right now, the ONLY thing I want to think about is them." He looked away, and she continued quickly. "I'm not saying no. Really, I'm not. I'm just so.... Overwhelmed right now. Can you understand that?" Her eyes pleaded with him, and he smiled.
"Yes, I can definitely understand that. Okay, let's work on their names right now, and yours later. Deal?"
Nodding, she stared at the baby in his arms. "Victoria Lynn Collins."
He stopped and looked at her. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. I mean, Victor IS your father, and he's the closest thing to a father I've ever had, and we can't exactly name a girl Victor, so it makes sense that we name her Victoria. And I like the sound of Victoria Lynn. Don't you?"
After mentally following everything she'd said, he smiled. "I love it. And her sister?"
"What's going through your mind?"
Kevin opened his mouth, but nothing came out, and he smiled. "I had about a hundred go through my mind, but I can't think of one right now."
"I need input here, Doc."
Staring at the baby Lucy was feeding, he sighed. "What about the obvious? Dominique."
Lucy looked at the baby thoughtfully. "Middle name. How about a first name?"
"Heather?"
"No!" It came out sharp and Kevin looked at her. "Scott's ex girlfriend before me, I mean before me the first time, was named Heather. She caused as much trouble as I did, and I really don't think naming her after someone really, really good and someone really, really bad would be-"
"I get it, Lucy." Smiling, he stared at the baby's face for a moment. "Melissa?"
Lucy thought about it for a moment. "Marissa. It means the perfect one."
"Marissa Dominique Collins." They smiled at each other and Kevin nodded. "I like it."
"Me, too." Lucy shifted Marissa to her shoulder and patted her back gently.
After a moment, Kevin looked at her intently.
"What's on your mind?"
"I want to talk to you about....." He hesitated.
"What?" Reaching for his hand, she squeezed it. "Just say it."
"You haven't finished the nursery, yet."
"I haven't even really started it. I mean, I really thought I had a few more weeks, and the smell of paint and all that was NOT having a good effect on me, and...." Her voice trailed off and she looked at him. "Why do I get the feeling there's more to your point than the nursery?"
She went back to burping the baby, and Kevin moved closer to her. "I want to take MY family home."
"Okay. We'll need to get car seats, and-"
"No, that's not what I'm talking about. I mean HOME, Lucy. To the lighthouse, where all three of you belong."
Her jaw literally dropped and she stared at him.
"I can't tell from that. What are you thinking?"
She opened her mouth to speak, and hesitated.
"I've been thinking about this. I'll take Victor's room and set it up for all three of you. Two cribs, and you can sleep in there with them as long as you want to." Reaching for her, he touched her face gently. "I'm not talking about putting pressure on you, Lucy. I'm talking about taking our daughters home together and working together to take care of them."
"You're also talking about protecting us, aren't you." It wasn't a question, and she took his silence as confirmation. "Ryan is locked up, Doc. He's in a cell again, where he belongs."
"He's been locked up before, Lucy. I don't trust the system to keep him there." Admitting it, Kevin held Victoria tighter. "That's part of it, but the biggest part is that I feel like you belong there."
Thinking about it for a long moment, Lucy sighed. "I feel it, too. I don't want to do this alone."
Smiling, he reached over and took her hand. "This is right, Lucy. We both know it."
"This isn't just about feeling right, Doc. This is about them." She gestured to the babies in their arms. "We need to be sure about this before we do it. I'm not going to move them around every time we have a fight. I'm not keeping diaper bags packed for the next time you decide to throw me out." As Kevin shook his head, tears came to her eyes but she continued. "Don't. Don't say it won't happen. You promised me that before. I'm not saying you don't mean it, but you meant it when you wanted to marry me before. What if I can't live up to your standards, Doc? What happens to them the next time I screw up?"
"Lucy, I can't promise you a tranquil life with no conflicts. But I can promise you that I'll never walk away again. I was the one that gave up on us, you didn't. You fought for what you knew in your heart was right. What we have right here is worth fighting for. We have the chance to have the family that we've both dreamed of having. Don't throw it away because I was an unforgiving son of a bitch."
Shocked, Lucy stared at him for a moment. Finally, she tried to talk. "I don't know what to say, here, Doc. You know I love you. And I do believe you love me. But I can't just forget how much you hurt me." A look of pain crossed his face, and she continued. "I need time for this. Right now I just want to take my babies home and be a mother." He looked so disappointed that she reached for his hand. "I want them to have their Daddy, too. I guess I'm asking you if can you have our room ready in two days?"
Shifting Victoria in his arms, Kevin leaned over to Lucy and hugged her.
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Ryan sat across from his attorney and sighed. "What can I do? She had my babies, I delivered them, I saved their lives."
Stan Hopkins leaned back in his chair and sighed. "You have rights. Even in here, you have rights as their father. But from what you've told me, your brother is claiming that he's the father, not you."
"He's trying to take them away from me."
"Mr. Chamberlain, I can get a court order to submit the babies to a paternity test, but the fact that you and Dr. Collins are twins makes this a lot more difficult."
"The test will say that I'm the father." Ryan insisted.
"And the same test will say that he's the father."
"No!" Ryan shook his head. "We need what they call an RFLP test. It breaks down the DNA to the point that even identical twins will have a distinct pattern. From that we should be able to tell who the real father is."
"Which means forcing him to submit to the test as well. That could be the problem, legally."
"So what can we do?"
"We can force a standard DNA test and have you named as the father, but then I'm sure they'll fight it." Stan thought about it for a moment. "Is there any chance the mother will press charges? I mean, you DID impersonate your brother to get her in bed."
"She might when she finds out what I'm up to. Can you handle that?"
He nodded. "Probably. All we have to do is make the jury even question her statement that she didn't know who you were. Your best bet might even be to plea to that."
"WHAT?" Ryan tried to stand, but the chains on his wrists that held him to the chair prevented it.
"It's non violent, and I could probably plea it to a misdemeanor. And it forces her to admit that there is a chance you are their father."
"I AM THEIR FATHER." Ryan was adamant. "What about the fact that I'll probably be in here until they graduate from college?"
"You turned yourself in. You need to make a show of wanting to get better. You've also never done any physical harm to the mother. Let me tell you something. I worked a case a few years back. Serial rapist. Broke into the woman's house, tied her up, beat her, and raped her. Also got her pregnant. He has visitation with his child."
"That's sick." Ryan shook his head.
Laughing, Stan stared at him. "How many women have you killed?"
"Bastard." Ryan glared at him.
"You better be glad I am. It would take a bastard to want to fight for your rights as a father with everything in your dossier."
"So what's the first step?" Ryan waited to hear what Stan was planning.