Chapter 15

Moving On

"You're funny."

"This is so not a laughing matter Abby," Dave scolded.

"Dave, I'm going to help you," Abby said taking a seat next to Dave on the couch. It was around 9:30 and dinner had concluded about a good 2 hours ago. Now everyone was gathered in the Carter living room getting ready to say good-bye.

"Why are you so worried anyway Dave?" Abby asked. "It's not like their going to make fun of you."

"That's easy for you to say! You know everything about football," Dave sighed propping his head up on his fist.

Abby giggled.

"You're cute when you pout."

Dave glanced over at her, his eyebrow raised.

"Will you let me help you or won't you Malucci?" Abby asked.

"Alright fine. But do you think we could get this done by Sunday?" he asked.

"If we study a few football terms each night you'll be talking Doug and the others out of their shoes with football knowledge come Sunday," Abby assured him.

"MOMMY!" Amanda whined tugging on Carol. "Pick me up mommy! Pick me up!"

"Honey you know mommy can't pick you up. I might hurt the baby," Carol replied. Amanda sighed, having no luck with her mother; she went up to Doug who held a content and very sleepy Gabriel in his arms.

"Daddy! Daddy! Pick me up! Pick me up!" she cried.

"Sorry Manders. Daddy's holding the baby right now," he said. Amanda growled angrily and was about to storm off and pout when Lucy came and picked her up.

"Thank you so much for coming guys," Carter said getting everybody's attention.

"Like I said before I would of never have made it through if it wasn't for the love and support I got from each and every one of you. When Jessica died a part of me died with her and the same is true with Bella. But when I see the faces of my babies and I come in to work and see the faces of all of you I know that everything will be okay."

Carol took Carter into her arms and gave him a hug while the others waited to do the same.

"It'll be great having you back Carter," Doug said before setting Gabriel into his daddy's arms. Lucy and Carter went to the door along with all of the guests and Paige, Ruthie, Julia, Gabriel, and Adrian.

"Drive safely," Lucy said as Abby gave her a hug before heading out into the snowy night.

"I don't want you to worry any more then you have to Luce," Abby whispered into her ear before they let go.

"And I don't want you to kill Dave," Lucy laughed seeing Dave tug on Abby's arm anxiously like one of the kids would do.

"Come on Abs! Hurry up! Valuable football learning time is being wasted here!"

"Boo-Boo, Davey's being mean to me!" Abby laughed as Luka came and detached Dave from her arm.

"See you at work tomorrow Carter!" Benton cried before getting into the car with Luka, Abby, and Dave for their journey back to Carol and Doug's.

"Thanks for everything you two!" Carol cried as she put Jamie into the backseat.

"Dribe safely!" Adrian mimicked Lucy and waved. She laughed and picked the little boy off of the ground before closing the front door.

"Daddy I don't feel very good," Ruthie whined clutching her stomach.

"You probably just had too much to eat honey. You'll be okay," John assured her lifting her into his arms.

"I don't think I should go to school tomorrow," she insisted.

"Yeah me neither," Paige said.

"Me too!" Julia cried.

"Sorry guys. Nice try," Carter said beginning to walk up the stairs.

"It is so unfair Dad! Julia, Gabriel, and Adrian don't have to go to school!" Paige whined.

"They will in time," John said as he opened the door to Paige's room, the first on the landing.

Paige sighed. "Fine. But when Julia and Ruthie are old enough to date you better be giving their boyfriends the same looks you give mine."

"Goodnight Paige," Carter said kissing his daughter on the head.

"Goodnight Daddy. Goodnight Mo...," Paige quickly stopped herself having no intellect of the conversation that went on between her father and Lucy in the living room during dinner. "Goodnight Luce." She hugged Lucy around the neck and went into her bedroom to prepare for bed.

"I already have a boyfriend," Ruthie sang skipping into her bedroom, a few feet away from her sisters.

"You what?" John asked in an oh-you-better-not-Ruthie-JaNae-Carter voice.

"I do Daddy," Ruthie insisted climbing into bed with her teddy bear. "He's really unique. He doesn't like football like other men."

"His name wouldn't happen to be Dave would it?" Lucy laughed at Ruthie's crush.

"David Malucci," Ruthie nodded proudly.

"Honey Dave isn't a person that is boyfriend enough material for you," Carter said shaking his head at the ridiculousness of his daughters idea of a heartthrob.

"Everyone is a person Daddy. And I'm just kidding I was only in love with Dave for a little bit but I don't like yucky boys like Ruthie and Bella do."

Ruthie's face immediately saddened at the mention of her sister.

"I miss Bella Mommy," Ruthie said not trying to hide the name anymore as she looked straight at Lucy with tears in her eyes.

"It's okay Ruthabee. It'll be okay," Lucy whispered coming up to the bed and taking the little girl into her arms as she cried softly into her shoulder. After a while the tears stopped and she looked up at Lucy, the thought of Bella pushed out of her mind again.

"Mommy can we go to McDonalds after school tomorrow?" she asked.

"We'll see Ruthie," Lucy laughed and kissed her on the head.

"Goodnight Princess," Carter whispered giving his daughter a kiss on the head too.

"Night night," she whispered as John turned out her light.

"Is it too weird for you?" Lucy asked as she headed down to the nursery with John.

"Not at all," he whispered reaching down and grabbing Lucy's hand. He pushed open the door of the nursery to see the triplets already in there babbling to each other as they played with the 'Thomas the Train' train set they had gotten from Liz for Christmas.

"Hey guys. Time for bed," Carter said bending down to their height.

"No play?" Julia asked coming up to him and hugging him around the neck.

"No more play," he said giving her a kiss on the nose and handing her to Lucy so she could put on her pjs.

"Daddy look at this one," Gabe said handing him a train which had a bright light on the front.

"Impressive Gabe," he smiled.

"Okay baby. Do you want fishes or Snow White tonight?" Lucy asked Julia as she rummaged through one of the drawers in their dresser.

"Fishy!" Julia cried. Lucy changed her and giggled as she grabbed onto her hair.

"No play?" Julia asked again as she eyed her brothers. John had changed Gabriel into his Shrek pjs and Adrian into his dinosaur ones. Gabriel was already in his crib sucking on his stuffed rabbit's ear and getting sleepy.

"Tomorrow little girl," Lucy couldn't help but laugh at her pouty face. Lucy started to tickle her little belly as she giggled happily trying to get her back.

"Come on Adrian it's time to sleep," Carter tried coaxing a fussy boy to bed.

"Play!" he cried on the verge of tears.

"Adrian Michael," John sighed. He looked over towards Lucy and Julia who were still at it. Then the light bulb went off in his head. "Adrian, Julia's going sleepy but she's having fun."

Lucy set Julia in her crib and turned to Adrian.

"Go get Mommy," he urged him. Saying it was a little weird. Finally admitting to himself that this was in fact okay felt good. He didn't have to tell him more then once. He ran up to Lucy and attacked her legs. She swung him around and played with him for a little while until he finally gave in and allowed her to set him in his crib.

"Night night babies," Lucy whispered before her and Carter turned off the light and headed towards Carters room.

"Goodnight John," Lucy stood up on her tiptoes and gave him a light kiss on the lips before beginning to head downstairs. A wave of emotion out of no where hit Carter. He flashbacked to the nights that Lucy had held him and whispered sweet things to him before he fell asleep. He reached out and touched her arm. She turned around and faced him. He smiled and brought her into his arms. He gave her a kiss on the head and looked into her eyes.

"Stay with me."