PART 17

"Daddy, daddy" the children exclaimed when they saw their father waiting for them at the front of the school. Vaughn had his arms wide open to gather them all in a huge hug, The felt warm inside holding his boys so close to him again.

"Where's mummy? Can we go see her?" Collin requested right away first.

"Yeah I want to see her too" the other twin claimed his mother too, anxious to see her again.

"Dad? Is mum ok? And the baby?"

"Yes Alex" Vaughn replied once he had cuddled his little bunch. "I saw her already this morning, she and the baby are fine just like granpa said. Come on let's go pick her up!" he said and took the twins schoolbags.

"Really? So she's going to come home with us?"

"Yes Timmy, she's coming home with us!"

The boys and Vaughn drove to hospital to pick Sydney up, She was indeed feeling much better the doctor announced. Her condition was very good except for the weight that was troubling her in her movements thus lots of rest were in order for the mother, even more than before. The boys nodded their head attentively listening tot he words of the doctor, telling them to take good care of her and not to stress her. Especially Oliver felt very concerned about that and whispered something into his mother's ears inaudible to the rest of the group. Vaughn lovingly watched his wife held their second born in her arms.

The nurse soon brought a board with papers that the doctor signed with a smile, releasing Sydney from hospital.

Later that day

"Mummy, can I come sit with you?"

"Of course sweetie. You don't need to ask me this"

"But the doctor said you should rest, so I..."

"I am resting! See, I'm on my bed with feet up and reading a book"

"Oh!"

"Come on over here Timmy" he tiptoed over to the bed and climbed over his mother's lap to sit next to her. She protectively put her arm around her son and continued her lecture.

"Whatcha reading mummy?"

"It's a police drama. A very good book and full of suspense! You should go grab one too, so we can read together" It didn't take Tim more than a minute to be back at his mother's side.

"I got MONKEY SEE, MONKEY DO!"

"Sweetie, you know that one by heart already"

"I know, but I still like it and I want you to read it for me"

Sydney rolled her eyes "Please mummy" Tim knew how to act around his mother as he pulled his lip and begged her with his puppy green eyes, just like Vaughn would do, when he wanted something from her.

"Ok, sweetie but only once. I see it's getting late and you gotta go to school tomorrow. Which reminds me, did you do your homework with daddy?"

"Uh-huh"

"And everything is ok?"

"Uh-huh" Tim looked impatiently through the book.

"How's Collin's reading going at class?"

"Today it was ok. He only made like 5 mistakes"

"Oh and how was your spelling test?"

"I got 19 right out of 20! I only misspelled DECISION. That's such a stupid word!"

"No it is not Timmy, you did a good job and I'm proud of you"

"I know, can we read the story now?" he claimed again impatiently for his mother to start the story of the monkey and his journey where he would escape out of the zoo.

Sydney laid the book into her lap while Tim rested his head against her shoulder lying sideways towards her with his hand on her belly. They started reading the book in rhymes together, smiling all the way through the lecture. Halfway through Timmy exclaimed one part joyfully "Monkey see, monkey run" as Sydney turned onto the next page that showed a big open mouth from a crocodile and a scared monkey trying to escape from the sharp teeth. He giggled so loud as Sydney had started tickling him on his waist.

"No stop it mummy that tickles!" he squealed.

"I know, that's why I am doing it!" she mocked.

"That's not fair!" he protested in return and tried hard to tickle his mother for awhile.

"Shouldn't we finish that book of yours'" she asked giving his nose a little touch with her index finger as they tried to calm down, catching up on a regular breath.

"I guess so..." he shrugged sitting back down again as before "What was that?" he gapped with his eyes wide open at his mother.

"That was the baby" Sydney informed her son with a smile "Your baby brother or baby sister just gave me a kick"

"A kick? Why?" he asked not really getting it. Why would a baby kick his mother?

"Well it's not such kind of a kick Timmy. It only means that the baby moved inside" she took his hand and placed it back, covering it with her own. "Feel it?"

"Cool!" he bounced of the bed and ran into the hallway "Hey guys, the baby's moving!"

"WHAT? We're trying to watch hockey down here Tim!" Oliver grunted.

"He said the baby's moving you nut!" Alex shot back at his brother. All at once they suddenly all grasped the information and everybody hurried to the stairs, wanting to make their way upwards with Vaughn right behind them.

"The baby moved?" Vaughn still asked in amazement and Sydney nodded. Each of the boys took their turn, feeling the baby move in their mother's belly.

"This is so cool, I gotta tell this Thomas at school tomorrow, he's going to be so jealous" Alex said proudly.

"Yeah, me too" Oliver returned "We tell him together, right Alex?"

"Right!"

"The girls in school asked me if I can take her to school once or if they may come see and play with her"

"Her? What makes you think you're going to have a sister?" Vaughn wanted to know. He was sprawled next to Sydney's side with a protective hand over her middle.

"I don't know, the girls said so"

"But we don't know if it's a boy or a girl Alex, and we don't wanna know it. We want to have it as a surprise just like we did with all of you"

He shrugged "Whatever it is, I don't care but a sister would be cooler"

"Really?" that got his parents' and brothers' attention.

"How's that?" Alex head turned into a red shape as he fidgeted with his fingers "Nothing, it just is"

"That's so not true!" Oliver blurted out "I know why he's this way!"

"No you don't!"

"Yes I do! There is this girl in 5th grade..."

"Shut up!" Alex tried to stop his brother.

"Last year they were in the same grade but since Alex skipped a grade she constantly looks at him in the break. Their lockers are even next to each other." Oliver was mean and pulled his tongue out at Alex.

"I told you to shut up, you're such a baby!" The two started to run around the bedroom. Alex chasing Oliver over the bed and around with the others watching the scene playfully.

"Her name is Savi." Oliver kept on with his torture. "She has brown eyes and long brown hair that she keeps on swooshing like that" he moved his head as if he had long hair to loosen them "She has a mirror in her locker so she can always put her hair straight for Alex"

"That's not true! You're a liar!"

"I am not! And she needs an excuse now to come see him. When Alex has the baby they'll go all coochy coo around him and then the whole school will sing Alex and Savi, sitting in the tree, KISSING"

"You're so dumb you know that?" Alex pushed Oliver of their parents' bed. "You don't understand anything! I hate you!" with that said, he stomped out of the room, his footsteps of the wooden stairs echoed through the hallway.

"Oliver you know what you did was not very nice" Sydney informed him.

"But I didn't do anything, I only said the truth!" he defended himself.

"Yeah probably, but sometimes the truth can hurt someone. I'm sure your brother wanted to keep that information to himself"

"So now you're mad at me again?"

"No we're not" Vaughn joined in "We're not yelling or anything at you. We're only trying to make you understand that you might have hurt Alex' feelings and that was not very nice of you as his brother. Maybe he really likes that girl but he doesn't want anybody to know it"

"But everybody knows it. It's not a secret!" he lifted his hands up in the air with exasperation.

"Yeah we know it mum" Collin said after he had followed their conversation "She's very celeb at school and many want to be friends with her. Even that Alyssa in our grade, huh?" Tim simply nodded "But Savi will never let her be her friend, right?" Both Tim and Oliver nodded this time.

"I have no clue why he likes her" Oliver said in disgust "She's always dressed in pink or light blue, just like a girl and talks about her Barbie's and dolls and what else do I know girl stuff. Really that is so girlish! I hope we're going to have a brother 'cause I'll never every play with a doll! Forget it!"

Oliver proclaimed sternly and also left the room leaving the wondering parents with the twins nestled between them.

A couple of minutes of silence passed until Sydney wanted to know from them what they'd like it to be.

"So you'd also rather have a brother than a sister"

"I don't care mummy" Tim said with a smile as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah me neither"

"Just a healthy baby, just like you said, right mummy?" Sydney nodded and smiled at her youngest sweetness.

"Two less to worry about" Vaughn sighed "One day I'm going to kill these two upstairs!"

"You can't do this Vaughn!"

"What? Why not?"

"First I'm pregnant, you can't do this to your pregnant wife, second I need you to go through labour and if you are in prison that won't be much of help to be and third what would I do without you in my life and five kids with me?"

"Well then I guess I have to keep them alive, huh?"

"Yes please" she grinned.

Vaughn's head got closer to her until their lips met in a sweet and tender kiss. The twins twisted their face in disgust "Eew, we better get out of here too" Collin screeched.

"Yeah do that! And tell your other brothers to get pjs on, teeth cleaned and into bed. I'll check up on you in 10, so you better be in bed!"

"Ohhhh....!!!!" They protested from their room, complaining why they always had to go to bed early? Why they could never stay up late? Why they could never do what they wanted? And many other procrastination.

The couple was finally on their own again not taking in their children's complaints. After so many years they were totally immune.

"Hey I got something for you" Vaughn announced with a large grin on his face.

"Really? What is it?"

"Uh-huh! You have to wait and see!"

"Wait? I don't wanna wait" she pouted stubbornly.

Vaughn walked up to their large drawer that stood opposite of the bed and opened the top drawer where he retrieved a small package wrapped into a gift with little yellow ducks all over the paper.

"Close your eyes and promise me not to cheat" Reluctantly she had to play along with her husband, excited about what was going to come next.

Once he had the package in his hands, he tiptoed back to the bed and sat right in front of her since he wouldn't want to miss out on the face she was going to have in a couple of seconds. He placed it into her lap and felt him kiss her belly before he said, "Ok, open your eyes!"

Vaughn had to grin at the expression of surprise on her face together with the large smile and soon was all over it. She stared at her husband who had the same plastered smile on his face just like she did. His shining eyes looking into hers with so much love and happiness. She was lost for a minute just sitting there and staring at her loving husband.

"Come on Syd. Open it" he cheered, just like a three year old one would do.

"Oh, yeah the package" she got out of her reverie, 1,000 miles away from the place, yet so close. She tore the paper off and gasped at the tiny gifts that were inside. There were two jumpers, each different from one another but still the same. She held one up and read out loud.

"I'm Ben, mummy's little angel" was printed in light blue color at the front.

"I'm Sarah-Louise, daddy's little angel" was printed this time in a soft pinkish color. "Michael!" Was all that Sydney could say right then. It left her out of words, so Vaughn decided to speak for her.

"I know Syd, we haven't talked about names yet but I thought about it a lot recently. I think it is about time we choose a name for that little one in here" he said innocently, patting her rounded belly. "Cause I can't wait for our baby to be here with us"

"Neither can I..." she paused thinking "Ben Vaughn... that sounds ok with me. I like that name and I think it would fit perfectly"

"Yeah? And what about Sarah-Louise? Well... of course it would only be our little Sarah to us. Sarah Vaughn?" he had this hopeless face again.

"I like that one too. Sarah Vaughn sounds great. She would be one rotten spoiled little girl though"

"Yeah I know..." Vaughn wrinkled his nose... "But Ben would be too" giving his wife a wink.

"I guess so... I love you Michael"

"I love you too"