Jess barely knew what was happening when she reached the recovery room of the OBGYN unit at Med. Everyone had arrived and the halls were looking cluttered compared to every other day. Maggie had run off to the ER. Will hung around the NICU waiting for news. It seemed like another family affair. This hospital was quickly getting a reputation for the firehouse family being resident. There were rumours that they were going to build a new wing after the McHolland tribe seeing as though they spent so much time here.

Trudy, Donna, Naomi, Sylvie and Stella all sat huddled whispering about the demise of Jess. Not only Jess but her babies as well. Babies born that early were going to need a lot of help and Ivy-Quinn had already started causing trouble. The next few days were going to be critical and everyone knew it. The whole family were on tenterhooks. They knew the babies had strength and they knew that Mav had strength but Jess seemed frail. She was still in and out of consciousness. She heard snippets of information about the twins and about her.

No matter how hard Jess fought the inevitable the more she had regret and that was never real. She knew that in a matter of weeks she was due to be getting married. Mav had planned everything. Literally from venues to other peoples outfits. She needed to get out of this bed and to her babies bedsides. The babies had six weeks in there at least before they were going to be able to be discharged. She had overheard them this morning and then had dozed back off but they had restricted the amount of information they discussed in her room.

Kelly being the dutiful twin had never left her bedside. He refused to even leave to eat or sleep. He had the fold down bed which he used. Stella came in as a last resort.

Approaching with caution she looked at him curled in a ball in the bedside chair. She didn't want to disturb him right now. He was clutching at Jess' hand and wouldn't let go. She threw the blanket over him and practically screeched making Kelly fall out of the chair and on to the floor when she saw Jess raise her hand weakly to her lips in a shushing motion.

"Stella what the fuck are you screaming at?"

Stella smirks.

"That scream was enough to wake my comatose sister."

"Big bro I was already awake I was trying to get Stella to be quiet when she screeched at the sight of me watching her put the blanket over you."

Kelly turns and dives on the bed to give Jess a hug and then scrambles off the bed runs in to the waiting room taking the blanket with him and tripping over and sliding as he does. Shouts that Jess is awake when he arrives in style in the waiting room and then unceremoniously tries unwrapping the blanket.

"Somebody help me instead of sitting laughing."

Kelly moves around inadvertently tying the blanket around his feet further and further and getting angrier and more pissed off by the minute.

"Baby stay still and I will help." Stella volunteers seeing Kelly getting disheartened at the disappointment of wanting to be back with Jess but not being able to move.

Stella bends down and tries to help but in the process Kelly manages to kick Stella in the face. Stella falls back. Sylvie runs to her side. At that moment Dr Charles and Will walk in to update the family about the members stuck in Med for the foreseeable future. Stella, bleeding all over the floor, sees Dr Charles approaching and apologising runs off in the direction of the women's toilet. Sylvie follows close behind setting murmurs around the waiting room.

"Attacking your wife again Kelly. I mean come on we have discussed this before."

Kelly stands shell shocked for a few seconds before firing a retort.

"I'm not like that psycho you have on the inpatient ward who landed my twin in hospital."

Everyone stills as Kelly says the words.

Chris and Tom go to raise from their seats but Mallory shakes his head in a gesture which means leave well alone.

Dr Charles starts to walk to Kelly and grabs his arm pulling him to one side. Kelly tries to shrug his arm away and fails fantastically because Dr Charles whispers menacingly in his ear "Do you want me to split the other lip"

"No" Kelly says as his face visibly drains of colour.

Kelly follows on dutifully in to the side room. Dr Charles stood hands on hips in his pockets staring at Kelly. Kelly shifted uneasily from foot to foot waiting for Dr Charles to rip him a new arse hole.

"Kelly I know you are not Maverick's favourite fan at the moment but he has just been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder from the abuse he suffered as a child. Not only that he has flashbacks to when your sister lost their baby. He blames himself for that and his anxiety over the last weeks since Jess has been pregnant its brought back all that blame and self hatred. He loathes himself a lot like you did Kelly after your accident. That little boy you lost that you thought you could have saved. It wasn't your fault. The flashbacks and nightmares. You both have the same condition Kelly so please I implore you find some compassion. Potentially you could both help each other out of this."

Kelly stands and hangs his head in shame.

"I had no idea my sister lost a baby in Afghanistan. She never told me and neither did Maverick. I can't bear it when she holds things back from me. How far gone was she?"

"Sixteen weeks she was carrying a set of twins. A boy and a girl but it was in her psych evaluation after she had the operation that she had been sent stateside and no one ever discussed the fact that she had been carrying twins. No one had ever had the balls to tell her. Mav has found out tonight and when he saw Ivy-Quinn it bought back all the memories of Jess losing the babies. It also brought back memories of when Jess pushed him away and didn't want him around when she had her accident and lost them. Mav has been fighting with the guilt of telling Jess for weeks about the twins. I don't know how he found out but I did some digging and it wasn't difficult to find out the truth. Tonight Maverick had a mental breakdown due to guilt of losing the babies and he thought due to his lack of self worth that he wasn't enough to be able to take care of the quads and protect them from the same fate as the twins from years ago. He has been clinging on to Alexander and Eliza and wrapping them in cotton wool since he found out they were his. The way he saw it he could only protect them if they were by his side at all times. That is why he pulled them out of nursery without Jess knowing. He has been taking time off work. He didn't tell Jess because he didn't want her to have him sectioned for being an over protective dad. He wants to get better and that's why for the last six months since Jess went back to work he has been engaging in counselling and although progress has been made sometimes the flashbacks win over his mind and control him and that's how the incident happened tonight. Maverick had a nightmare that the quads were going to die. It took him back to those dreadful days back in Afghanistan. It also transpires that Mav has found out who his birth mother is and you are not going to guess who it is. Alongside that Maverick has just found out that Chris and Tom are his adopted brothers and Mallory is his biological cousin."

"Who is Mavericks Mother Dr Charles? Does she pose a threat to this family? To my sister and her future? And to the whole family unit?"

"I am not sure I should be telling you this Kelly but I will for your peace of mind. Maverick's birth mother is Camille Voight. When she had Maverick she went under cover as a single mother living in a rough neighbourhood. That was when she met Hank and as her superior he told her that they had to get married. A real marriage so as to convince her druggie neighbours and the underworld that Hank was really one of them. They did that and Hank and Camille decided that because the undercover operation was going to be lasting a lot longer than they thought that they would give Maverick over to the authorities for adoption as it would be inappropriate for him to remain there when they were being initiated in to the underworld and the Mexican cartel. Unfortunately the cover got blown for both Hank and Camille and someone else got sent in. Can you guess who?"

"Yes. The wicked witch that we all call Upton."

"Got it in one Kelly and that's why there were hits put on your family. This has been going on for years. The BIA and SOJs had no clue. Upton played her part well. I know she did a real number on your family but Kelly I have to warn you she has teamed up with Voight. And in her sessions from the penitentiary she has said in alleged jest that and I quote "revenge will be mine with that family" so all I am going to say is be warned for something big coming your way and I do believe its Jess and Maverick that the next hit is going to be on. Keep a close eye on them Kelly they are going to need you even more now."

"How am I going to be able to look Jess in the eye knowing what I know about her twins. What did they do with the babies bodies?"

"They were shipped back to the USA courtesy of the BIA in order for a proper burial when the time came that Jess and Maverick should find out about them."

"How long has this been of public knowledge to people outside of the family and how long has Maverick known about the twins?"

"He has known a week. But Kelly you need to know it wasn't from me that he found out. Upton reached out to him. I don't know how she managed it. Friends in high places I am assuming what with her being an ex cop I guess she still has links."

"This is going to kill my sister when she finds out. And you realise I am going to have to tell her right?"

"Kelly let Maverick speak to her first he at least deserves the opportunity to be honest with her especially with their upcoming nuptials. They have to have closure and they cant do that as a couple and draw on each others strength if you interfere at every little disagreement."

"Ok tell him he gets three weeks. If he hasn't told her about the twins or Upton by the day of the wedding I will make sure she doesn't marry him despite her wishes to go ahead with it."

"Ok that's done. And Kelly you are going to need to warn the others about Upton. There will be extra measures in place around the quads as I have arranged that with Mary P especially after the incident with Upton."

"Ok I will give the family the heads up."

"No need son we heard everything" Mouch says through the closed door.

"AAAHHHH FFFFUUUUCCCCCKKKK"

"Less of the fucking expletives son."

"Do you have anything in your pocket to get me out of this shit with a hormonal psycho pregnant police officer mother who will literally hunt anyone down who hurts anyone in this family….? NO?!"

"Guess you're shit out of luck mate. Have fun."

Dr Charles opens the door and Mouch and Herrmann fall through the opening door and Will stands close by when Maggie passes by and grabs his bottom. Will looks around and smiles. He places his hand in his coat pocket and finds a note telling him to meet in the broom closet in an hour when they have their breaks. Will smirks and crumples the note up throwing it to the waste paper bin. Naomi seeing what Will does goes afterwards and picks up the note opening it and showing Jay and making a shushing sound.

Will goes in to the side room and finds Stella sitting next to Jess with her head buried in the blanket with Jess' hand resting on her head. Sylvie sits next to her stroking her back.

"You have to tell him. He will hate you for not telling him."

"Jess sshhh"

"Ok well I came to check on the patient but I am guessing it should be you I'm checking on Stella. Anything you want to share?"

"Well done Jessica now the whole family is going to know without giving me a chance to get it confirmed."

"Oh fuck. Stella baby are you pregnant again?"

"It would seem so."

"YYYYYEEEEESSSSSSSS I am going to have another baby." Kelly picks Stella up swinging her round the room in a very energetic but unlike Kelly manner.

"Cat is definitely out of the bag now. No going back."

"Erm Stella did you take some of those paracetamol in my bag at the firehouse?"

"Yeah why…?"

"You need to go get a scan then."

"Why Jess what's wrong?"

"ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST….." is heard coming from the doorway as Trudy walks in holding her rounded tummy.

"Mom what is going on why are you singing that and why is Jess evidently nervous about telling me something. Okay one of you bloody well spill the beans."

"Well Stella we all thought they were paracetamol but it turns out that they were fertility drugs that Jess had taken from Donnas cabinet when she had gone round there months ago to drop off some paperwork to Wallace."

"Mum, Donna, Naomi, Sylvie and I all took the drugs on more than one occasion and are all having multiple pregnancies."

"Oh flipping hell" then comes a thud where Kelly has hit the floor with realisation that this could be an interesting pregnancy.

Laughs pealed out through the side room.

"Right then everyone back to business I need to talk to Jess. Everyone out please."

"She's my sister…." Rang out collectively from the room as they were all ushered out in to the hallway.

"Ok will spit it out."

"Spit what out Jess?"

"What was so important that you have kicked my family out when you know they are all going to find out later."

"Its Maggie."

"What about her?"

"I want to ask her to marry me."

"WWWWHHHHHAAAAATTTTTTTTT. Wait when did this happen."

"About three months ago but she completes me and I wanted your suggestion on how I could woo her and make the proposal really romantic?"

"How about the centennial wheel at Navy pier?"

"That would be amazing. Thanks jess. Anyway back to business. How you feeling? Any pain? Tenderness? Fever?"

"Slight niggle where you did the operation but other than that nothing."

"Ok then regular painkillers and rest. We will get you down to NICU to see those beautiful babies of yours"

"Thanks Doc."

Will leaves the room whistling a happy tune causing everyone to look around at him as he exits the ward. Naomi and Jay look at him and begin to follow in stealth mode. Naomi sticking out like a sore thumb goes to hide behind the pillar as Will spots her. However Jay was hidden well and Will had no reason to expect he was being followed.

"Mommy." Two little voices ring out.

"Babies?" Alexander asks pointing to Jess' tummy.

"Baby boy come here and let mommy see you, and you baby girl." Eliza turns to clutch at her dad's legs.

"Its ok baby girl daddy will still be here. Go see mommy and give her that special Eliza hug you give everyone."

"Ok daddy." Eliza toddles off to her mommy and climbs up on to the bed carefully so as not to hurt her mom. Alexander sat on one side and Eliza on the other.

"Mommy. Eye?" Eliza says

"Mommy hurt it earlier baby but its fine because look I can still wink."

Maverick stands looking at the sight in front of him. His wife. His twins. This should have happened years ago. It was cruelly taken from him. From them. And he already knows what he must do.

The person responsible for all that pain all those years ago stood close by knowing that the future was bleak if Maverick was to ever find out what had happened that day all those years ago in Helmand province.

It was going to break him but he would recover when he had exacted his revenge. This he would never see coming though. And it was the last thing the person ever wanted to do.