A/N: As always, thanks for reading and reviewing! CW: mentions of past domestic abuse.
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Watching Teresa lift Charlotte into her arms and bringing her back to the table, he smiled at her little frown. She loved playing with other kids. Every time Wayne and Grace were over for game night, she always squeezed Maddie as soon as she saw her.
But today, his smile came as he registered just how much she looked so much like her mother. He could have sworn that he'd seen that same frown on her face more than a time or two when awoken a little too early. How was this moment even real? Watching everyone sing to Charlotte, dressed in her pink tutu and mini-flower crown, for her first birthday was somehow even more surreal! He couldn't believe their little girl was already a year old.
She wasn't the 7 pound, 3 ounce little baby they brought home from hospital anymore, but she would always be his baby. Watching his wife hold Charlotte up as she shrank back a bit from the noise of the singing while clapping her hands, he was having a hard time holding in their news. He couldn't wait to introduce their two new babies to their family soon.
This time, they knew it was coming. After they returned home from their anniversary vacation, Teresa made her announcement: "I'm finished with my birth control after this pack!" He nodded in understanding, and that was it. They didn't have any real conversation about it beyond Christmas. They didn't need to; they knew they wanted their family to grow.
A few months ago, after a stressful day at work, Teresa came home a little irritable. That wasn't entirely strange anymore. Once she assumed Agent Minnelli's former command, she was a lot less happy with her work. Being forced into a desk job seemed to kill her excitement for the work. He wanted to address it with her, but he wasn't exactly sure it was right. Her work was always a sore spot for her, and he didn't want to give the impression he thought she shouldn't be doing it.
In any case, she almost always warmed up after being home for just a little bit.
"Mommy, can I have pickles?"
"Sure, Annie."
He went to grab the fresh jar of pickles, but she beat him to it. He held his hand out, offering to open the jar, but she insisted on doing it herself.
"Son of a bitch!" She slammed a jar of pickles. "Why do they make everything so hard to open?"
"I'll get it!"
"I don't need a man to open a jar of pickles for me!"
A few minutes later, she left the pickle jar on the counter before wandering outside to fume some more. After he got the jar open, let Annie take what she wanted, and gave Charlotte a little piece that made her turn her nose up, he sought her out.
He wrapped his arm around her waist when he approached her standing and looking across the yard, blankly. "Are you okay? It was just pickles."
"Just pickles. Can't use my arm for shit, but it's just pickles!"
Of course, her injury was always on her mind. The nerve damage impacted her strength somewhat.
"Did something happen at work today, Teresa?"
She huffed. "Nothing ever fucking happens at work anymore unless I get a papercut or something!"
"Okay you just seem…"
Before he could finish that sentence, she turned to look at him. "I think I'm pregnant."
"What?"
She folded her arms over herself. "I need to take a test in the morning."
"Is that what put you in this mood?"
Her face fell. "No! I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
The next morning, she took the test. Sure enough, she was pregnant. Her wide smile when she saw the two lines told him exactly how she felt about that. She called her assistant and told her she was taking a personal day. She spent the day in his arms. Her new gig did have some perks.
Though their excitement turned to shock when Dr. Robbins detected two heartbeats at their first appointment.
He laughed nervously. "So, twins?"
"I guess so. Can't exactly send one back and keep the other."
"How are you feeling?"
She took his hand. "Like we're expanding our family and living the life we wanted."
He couldn't love her more. Not because he saw her as his baby vessel or something but because she was right: this is the life he wanted too.
Given the timing, they decided to just announce to their family and friends at Charlotte's party which would coincide with the 13th week. Her little belly was already starting to show, but she tended to wear loose shirts. Of course, they'd told the girls. Annie was excited to have more siblings–and this time, she hadn't asked about being sent away. Charlotte, who he wasn't sure understood, just clapped her little hands.
While everyone took the news well, he was a bit surprised to see Jimmy kiss Amanda after they announced this. He just grabbed her and kissed her. Why would he do that?
He looked to his mother and Paul, and they both looked confused. But when Jimmy moved back, Amanda wrapped her arms around him and grinned. Though they must have realized people were staring at them.
Jimmy took her hand. "We have news of our own."
He looked at his wife. While she didn't say anything, her eyes gave her away. Whatever it was he was about to say, she knew what it was.
"Amanda and I are in a committed relationship. We have been together for a while–almost a year now–and I think it's time the world knows I've found a wonderful girl…and that…well, I hope that someday something like this is in the cards for us too!"
Amanda didn't say anything audible, but he could've sworn he saw her mouth move to "I love you" as she brought her hand to his cheek and kissed him.
Looking at Teresa, he could tell she looked surprised but not panicked. She definitely knew this was coming, so why didn't she say anything?
Mom sighed, letting her head fall into her hands. She got up and walked over toward Amanda, pulling her away.
Unsurprisingly, every guest not staying at their home this weekend peeled off pretty quickly after that. He overheard Evan teling Teresa to call if she needed him as he hugged her before leaving.
He followed Teresa as she gave Charlotte her second bath of the day. In this weather, they could all use it.
"So, how long did you know?"
"Know what?"
"Come on. You knew they were dating!"
"For about three hours. I just found out today."
"Really?"
She sighed. "I suspected something was up. When they came for the shower, I bumped into Amanda leaving his room one morning. We never talked about it. There was nothing to talk about! Earlier, I heard her in his room, so I took a bit of time to talk to him."
"Unbelievable!"
"What?"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"When could I have said anything? And what's there to tell? It's not our business."
"It is most definitely our business." He pointed toward the hallway. "Your brother planted a kiss on my sister in public and said something along the lines of what? He wants her to have his kids?"
"I don't think that's what he said."
"Now, you tell me they've been dating for over a year! When this goes to hell, it's definitely going to affect us."
"They're in love."
He guffawed at his wife's response. He'd never known her to be a sappy romantic.
"What's so funny?"
"Give me a break!"
"They've been seeing each other for a year." Big sister mode must have kicked in because suddenly, she was irritated. "And what is it? Do you think Jimmy isn't good enough for Amanda?"
"I never said that."
"No, but your tone is implying it!"
"If it really is this serious, then why are they just now telling us?"
"Because he is serious about her. He wants to marry her. He's worried that he won't be good enough. And you of all people should understand how intimidating it can be to feel as though you don't meet others' expectations!"
"What does that mean?"
"It means you were extremely nervous to meet your family for the first time because you didn't think you'd meet their standards, even now that you're a successful businessman. Imagine how Jimmy feels!"
"That's different!"
"No, it's not! Jimmy is terrified that people won't approve, but he took a big step today."
"Sure he did. I need to talk to him."
"About what exactly?"
"About all of this."
She sighed. "No, you need to stay out of it."
"Stay out of it? Doesn't seem like you stayed out of it."
"Well, Jimmy and I have a different relationship than you and Amanda. If she needs your counsel, she will seek you out."
"You're right. I should talk to her."
"No! Stay out of it! And while we are on the subject: you don't get to police your sisters' sexuality or make choices about their lives for them. The same applies to our daughters if you were wondering."
"I'm not trying to make any choices or police anyone's sexuality! You're saying I should stay out of this, but it's perfectly okay when Jimmy comes to me with veiled threats about you?"
"He what?"
"Yeah, he gave me a whole talking to–but that's okay when it's about you? I should just take that, but not question his intentions or let him know what my expectations are as to my sister?"
She turned to face him as Charlotte splashed away without a care in the world. "Patrick, what did he say?"
"He warned me about hurting you."
She closed her eyes. "I should've pieced it together with how he reacted to the Angela situation."
"What?"
"It doesn't matter. It's nothing."
The pained look in her eyes painted a different picture. "What doesn't matter?"
She sighed. "Do you remember the Mikey guy I told you about?"
"Yeah."
"Jimmy…he looked up to Mikey a lot. He wanted to be just like him. He was a good football player, so a lot of the kids in our neighborhood did. But with Jimmy, it was different. He was like his older brother."
"He has two older brothers."
"I know. Maybe it would be more fair to say like a father figure. He wanted to do everything Mikey did. Sometimes, when Mikey took me out to the movies or something, he'd take Jimmy too. He even took him to games or got him good seats to watch him play. Jimmy loved Mikey. He even said he wanted to come live with us when we got married."
"Okay. Jimmy really liked your first boyfriend. What does that have to do with anything?"
"Like our dad, Mikey was a drinker." She paused, almost like she was unsure of whether to tell the next part of this story. Though thinking through what she just said, it hit him like a gut punch when he realized what was about to come next. "Like our dad, Mikey hit me sometimes when he was drinking."
"Oh my…Teresa…" His heart fell into the pit of his stomach as his head went light.
"I…don't worry about it. I'm fine."
"No, that's not okay." Did Jimmy think he was capable of something like that?
"Jimmy didn't know. Well, none of the boys did. One day, Mikey was over after drinking. He was upset that I'd laughed at another guy's joke. I don't even remember what the joke was. It's just that at that point, I knew how he would react. It must have been really funny because I laughed anyway. I remember trying to explain myself to him when he body slammed me against the wall. Jimmy had been sitting there playing Nintendo, and I remember looking at him while Mikey had pressed against the wall telling me…well, telling me exactly how I'd disappointed him. Let's just say that."
He could only imagine what he told her as he reflexively clenched and released his own fist. He'd never met him, and by no means was he a violent man, but he was ready to commit acts of violence over something he'd done 20 years ago.
"I saw the confusion, the hurt, and the rage just pass through Jimmy's eyes like he'd just lost his hero. The next thing I knew, Jimmy was up off that beanbag wailing on Mikey and telling him: 'Don't you fucking touch my sister. I'll kill you.' He shoved Jimmy back and stormed out."
She stopped to wipe a tear from her eye as Charlotte splashed around in her chair, clearly unaware that her mother just dropped a bombshell. He took the moment to kneel beside her and place his hand on her back.
"Honey, I'm so sorry."
She nodded. "'I'm going to kill him, Reese.' That's what Jimmy said after he ran and grabbed his baseball bat. I had to stop him. I told him it wasn't worth it. Even though I begged him to let it go, he told Stan and Tommy later. Tommy asked me what I wanted them to do. And at the time, I was in deep with Mikey. I knew his flowers, trinket, and apology would be coming because he loved me and didn't mean to hurt me. He never did. After all, it was my fault for not following the rules. I told them to leave it…only, I don't think they did. Mikey became extremely skittish around my brothers. But the whole time, I was so upset that I'd let Jimmy see that and ruined how he saw Mikey. Now, I know it was all dumb, but…"
She trailed off. There was a moment of silence as he took that story in, thinking of an even smaller version of Teresa being about.
Suddenly, Jimmy's entire demeanor made sense. They had hit it off before he thought he was doing something that would hurt his sister. He didn't want his sister hurt—and that was based on another experience where he felt powerless in the moment to help her.
"I'm so sorry that happened to you, and I hope you know that none of that was your fault. There was nothing dumb about being a young woman put into an unbelievable situation like that because you wanted to be loved and maybe had ideas about love that left you not knowing what to expect."
Taking her face into his palm, he used his thumb to wipe the tears falling from her eyes as her eyes slowly met his. "Yeah, I know."
A lot had changed in these last two years for a moment like this to happen. He held her heart and her trust. He would never betray either.
"I guess Jimmy's talk with me makes more sense now, and I guess I don't need to have that kind of talk with him. I'm just…I'm sorry. I'm still in shock."
"It's okay. Just don't make a thing of it. I don't talk about it, and I don't even think about it really."
He wondered if that was true. A lot went into being the woman that she became.
"Okay."
"Even if I don't need him talking to my husband on my behalf, Jimmy is protective because there was a point in my life where I didn't realize that I needed protection. I don't need it anymore. I found a guy who I love who would never hurt me or our girls. He would never try to mold us into something we are not."
She kissed his palm. "That's a pretty low bar that I will happily continue to clear."
"You're right. It is. You're so much more than that. It's why I had the same reaction as you when I found out about them. I was worried about what would happen if it went sideways, but…and I know you don't know Jimmy well, but I can see it. He's serious about this. He's serious about Amanda."
"I believe your assessment of the situation. I just hope that it doesn't."
"If they break up, we'll deal with it when it comes to that, but he showed me the ring he put on layaway for her. He's serious about this. From her reaction when he kissed her, she is too."
A bit of distance from that moment, he could see that Teresa's assessment was probably right. Amanda was surprised, but then incredibly happy when Jimmy very publicly let everyone know they were in a relationship. After all, Amanda had her heart set on matching at Chicago Children's Hospital…which now made a lot of sense. She wanted to be with her boyfriend.
Now, he felt both incredibly foolish for his reaction.
"Teresa, I'm sorry for how I reacted. I can't believe that I made you relive that. I trust your judgment when it comes to your brothers, and I need to learn to trust my sister more."
"She just needs you to believe she's capable of making her own choices. That's how it works best. I should know. I raised three of those little Lisbon punks."
He chuckled at that, even though he caught how she leaned into him a bit more with the mention of the third brother who wasn't here today. He gained three siblings, but she lost one. Even if he didn't factor into their conversations much anymore, he knew she still lit prayer candles for him.
He kissed her forehead. "I'm going to check on Annie."
He stood to leave. Before opening the door, he looked back at her–at both of his girls. Once again, he wondered how anyone could want to hurt them. "Teresa?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
"I love you too."
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He found Annie sitting in the living room with mom and Maisie.
"Daddy, can I stay up late tonight?"
"Why do you want to stay up late?"
Maisie lowered her phone. "Well, I told the sprout we could do some night drills followed by some night swimming if you're cool with it. We used to do it at home because it's so hot in the summertime."
"How late are we talking?"
Annie jumped up. "Til midnight!"
He grinned, and he noticed that his mom had the same reaction. He planted his hand in her hair. She was growing up so fast. Inevitable, but a part of him wished that would stop.
"Annie, my girl, I doubt you will be swimming until midnight. Let's see what mommy thinks first." No, she would be long asleep before then.
Annie nodded as Maisie plastered a grin to her face. "Hey Patrick?"
"Hmm?"
"Teresa doesn't happen to have a sister, does she? I'm currently single, and well…"
"Maisie!"
Without any context and the mouth of a seven year old, Annie huffed.
"No. It's just my Aunt Karen, but she's married to Uncle Stan, and I think she likes boys. But maybe…do you have crushes on girls, Aunt Karen?"
Karen started choking on the drink she was sipping. He coughed, suddenly wishing they'd not explained what a "crush" meant while also being thankful that they'd explained no further than a person can have a crush on whoever.
He squatted to her eye level as he did when they had something serious to cover. "Annie, we don't go around asking people questions like that."
"Why not? It's nothing to be ashamed of!"
He honestly believed his girls needed to be strong, bold, and empowered. But sometimes, he felt like Annie might be a little too bold.
"But that's something personal. People talk about that kind of stuff when they want to. It's not something we walk around asking."
"But if it's nothing to be ashamed of, then why do people care?"
Maisie interjected. "Sprout, it's nothing to be ashamed of, but sometimes, people ask that kind of question because they want to be mean. And sometimes, we don't know if that's why people are asking."
"But you don't care, do you?"
"Not really, but I made a choice a long time ago to tell people just like your Uncle Evan or your friend Jamie's dads. Like your dad is saying, it's something that's very personal. You should always let people tell you if they want."
"Sorry, Aunt Karen."
Karen nodded. "It's okay. I do only like boys, and I am married to your Uncle Stan. I don't think he'd like it if I married your Aunt Maisie."
"No, he probably wouldn't." She nodded thoughtfully. "And Stan Jr. would be sad."
He remembered Teresa's words upstairs. He didn't need to police his daughters' sexualities. Annie was young, but she was starting to make observations and ask questions. As far as he knew, she just thought they were questions everyone asked and things everyone said. Even the crush thing was more of a curiosity after she overheard some third grade girls talking on the playground.
"Paddy." Mom motioned him toward the kitchen.
He followed her into the kitchen as Annie re-joined Maisie on the couch. He hoped she wasn't too upset about what had happened.
For some reason, he felt the need to be on the defensive. "Mom, I didn't know."
"Paddy, I know that. I just wanted to let you know that I talked to Amanda about keeping this away from your family."
"What do you mean?"
"If things don't work out between them, we are still family. So, if anything happens between them, they need to find a way to end on good terms."
"Right."
"I just wanted you to know that."
"Okay. I'm not worried about that. I talked to Teresa, and I think we agree that we will just have to wait and see what happens. We can deal with things as they come. Are you okay with her dating Jimmy?"
She scoffed. "You've never seen the boys, or men, she's brought home. Jimmy is employed, self-sufficient, and somewhat family-oriented. I mean, he comes out to see his sister and her family. Some of what she's brought home…yikes!"
"So you approve of Jimmy?"
"Well, I mean as much as any parent's approval is needed I guess. I must confess I don't really know him. The four of us are having dinner tonight, and we were pretty clear that he's welcome to visit in Vegas. It's a good time for us to get to know him."
"It's just that I get the impression from my wife that…"
"That Jimmy was afraid to reveal their relationship because he thought we wouldn't approve."
"Amanda told you all of that."
She rolled her eyes. "Paddy…"
"Right. We're psychics."
She laughed. "Yeah, psychics who are so shitty that these two carried on a secret relationship for a year without us knowing!"
He laughed at that. "I mean, we had other stuff going on, right?"
"Exactly. You didn't think I'd be upset about this, did you?"
"Honestly, I wasn't sure." He paused for a moment thinking of the conversation he had with his wife upstairs. "Jimmy is a good man, but I was worried that it could cause a rift between me and Teresa. I don't think I need to worry about that."
"I would say not. You two love each other. You may not always agree with the other, but you're going to find your way through it." She smiled. "Which brings me to what I actually want to talk to you about."
"Oh?"
"It seems I have two new grand babies on the way?"
"Yeah. I hope you don't need an accounting for that because we aren't actually sure when…you know."
She smacked his arm. "Don't get cute with your mother, especially when she's about to tell you that the grandparents have booked an evening getaway for the parents."
"Evening getaway?"
"Yes. There's a hotel in town that Paul found. Beautiful suites with an in suite jacuzzi tub."
"The McKinley?"
"Yes! That's the one! We booked you guys there tonight to get some time alone. Do you know it?"
"I was staying there when I met Teresa." It was also the first place they made love, but she didn't need to hear that.
"Ah! Well, you're booked there tonight for some time alone! Paul and I will watch after the kids."
"But Stan and Jimmy…"
"We also got Stan and Karen a room there."
He blinked. That place wasn't cheap. "Really?"
"Really. They need a break too, especially poor Karen. I'm surprised she's still making trips this far along! And Jimmy…well, we are having dinner with them tonight. I'm sure he's preoccupied with Amanda in any case."
A dark thought ran through his mind. As carefree and easygoing as Paul was with money, that must have made him an easy mark for dad. Nearly as soon as he thought it, he chastised himself for even having the thought. Kindness wasn't the weakness dad always said it was. He'd learned that through his life.
"I'll run it by Teresa."
"Hmm. Yeah. To be clear, your parents are telling you to go outside and play. We are kicking you out."
"Do you remember the time you told me to go outside and play and I found the livestock?"
She touched her forehead. "Yes, and bathing you was an absolute nightmare! I had to just take the hose to you…"
"And let me pretend I was in a car wash." They finished the sentence together before they both started laughing. Hard times didn't always equate to bad times.
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As promised, mom and Paul pushed the four of them out by 5pm. After getting checked into their rooms and settled, they met at the hotel restaurant.
He couldn't say he missed this food as Teresa's cooking–and now his own–was much better. But it was nice to have Stan and Karen as dinner companions here tonight. Finishing their dinner, they melted off to their own rooms.
When they were back in their room, Teresa gave him the look.
"Well, Mrs. Jane, I'm not sure what you're planning to get up to tonight, but I will tell you that I've had a rather long day."
She laughed. "Well, then Mr. Jane, I think that means we should turn in early. I'm glad I brought the pajamas that cover me from head to toe."
"Okay, let's not get too crazy."
"Me? I'm cool and calm. Just going to go get those pajamas on now."
She started to dart away from him, but he grabbed her in his arms. "No need for pajamas when your husband was just teasing."
He pulled her back into his chest, kissing her neck and shoulder as she melted back into him.
"You remember the first time we were here?"
"How could I ever forget that?"
"I mean, I'd like to think we've had better nights since then."
Now, it was his turn to laugh. "Yes, you sure know how to work me over good. I suppose that's how we keep making this happen."
He slid his hand to her belly, and they stood there for a moment until she spoke. "Do you want to get in the tub?"
She was biting her lip as she shifted slightly and met his eyes. Without a doubt, she was also thinking of their first adventure here.
"I didn't exactly bring the supplies for that."
No, they had both packed rather quickly.
She shrugged as she brought her hand to her belly, placing it on top of his. "I didn't say we had to have sex in the jaccuzi. I just want to be in your arms in a nice, soothing bath. That's all I want tonight, Patrick. I just want to be with you, with your undivided attention."
"You always have my undivided attention." He pressed a long kiss on her throat. "Then, let's make that happen."
He got the jacuzzi going as she changed. When she joined him wearing her green bikini, he couldn't help himself. He was so giddy with excitement. She was so beautiful, especially with the little pudge forming in her belly. He expected this kind of excitement would end, but it never did. He hoped it never would.
"You're gawking at me again, babe."
"I am, but I was taken by your beauty. And the fact that you are starting to show."
She looked down. "Ugh! I know."
"Honey, you know how this works. They're going to grow bigger until you quite literally feel like you will pop."
She laughed softly. "That's not what I meant. I put on two shirts this morning, and they were both riding up. I wasn't ready to put away my normal clothes again already." She brought her hand to her belly. "But I can't wait for them to grow. I already want to meet them."
He motioned her over to him. "Me too."
"You should go change."
"I think this is a swimsuit optional type of place."
"Of course it is, but your poor clothed wife might become scandalized."
"I'm sure she's scandalized often by her husband's hijinks." She laughed.
In the end, he didn't wear a bathing suit…and neither did she. Well, at least not the top. She cited chafing, but he didn't really mind.
When she started to yawn, he knew it was just a matter of time before she would be asleep. So, they got out and got ready for bed.
He heard her groan as he wrapped the towel around her. "What is it?"
"My boobs are sore from that damn bra I wore all day."
"Was the chafing that bad?"
"Chafing and I guess just the pregnancy thing. Did you bring an extra shirt?"
Not really. "Yes."
She smiled at him sweetly. "Could I wear it for bed?"
She did the same when she was pregnant with Charlotte. She didn't always like being exposed and said that his shirts were loose enough to be comfortable. He pretended to be completely aloof to the fact that she also liked wearing his shirts because she loved his scent.
Handing her his t-shirt, he smiled as he thought about the first night they slept here together. She'd worn his shirt that night too. There was no way either of them had any idea that night that this would work out–especially not like this. In two years, his life had changed and moved in many different directions that he cherished because of the woman before him. She'd made his life so meaningful.
He watched as she slid it over her head. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. He loved her so much.
She turned back, probably noticing his stare.
"What is it?"
"You look good in my shirt."
"You've always liked giving me your shirts."
"Of course." He reached out, pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ears. "I promised you everything. I meant it."
"I know you did."
He felt his cock growing hard. But from her yawns, he knew she was tired.
"Why don't you go get in bed? I'll come tuck you in in a minute."
"Patrick Jane!"
"What?"
"You're going to come tuck me in right now."
"But…I…" she reached in and kissed him, sliding her hand beneath the towel secured at his waist and making it fall to the floor.
"I know what you were going to do. I never said I was too tired for this." He groaned as she palmed his penis. Every nerve ending in his body was on fire.
Without hesitation, he was pulling her to their bed before he pulled that shirt over her head. He got in bed first so she could straddle him.
"Come here, baby."
Just like he wanted, she climbed on top of him. He started rubbing her body, trying to find the right rhythm for tonight. He'd come to enjoy this part of the experience: figuring out exactly what she needed and desired. She kissed him deeply before abruptly settling back to sit on his belly.
"What is it?"
"Were you really going to bring me to the place where we first made love only to hold out on me?"
He swallowed thickly. "Not holding out."
"You don't want your poor pregnant wife?"
Seeing her grin, though, he realized she was teasing him. "I thought you were ready for bed!"
"I'm always ready for bed. Have you seen what my husband looks like?" She laughed as he pulled her down for a kiss.
He loved her so much. He could never hold back from her.