Author's Notes: Sorry guys, it's another short one.
When they arrive at the charter flight building at the airport, the news vans are already there waiting for them. With a sighs of disgust and scowls all around, Maggie, Peg and Susan climb out of the car. The sky is overcast, but a good stiff breeze whips their hair around their faces as they make their way to the building.
When they go into the building the cameras have all been set up on tripods around the room against the walls and have been aimed at the door opposite to the one the women just came through, this one looks out to the tarmac. The reporters and cameramen turn to look at the new comers and some of the reporters look like they're about charge when a man in a security uniform steps between the women and them. Maggie gives a snort and mutters something that vaguely sounds like 'vultures' before heading over to the information desk off to the side of the room.
"They're in a holding pattern over the city," Maggie quietly tells her grandmothers after she comes back. "It seems they caught a tail wind and got here ahead of schedule."
Both of the grandmothers chuckle quietly to this news.
"Because of the fog, there's a delay of at least forty minutes," Maggie continues. "However, a wind has come out of the east and is starting to push it back, so they're hoping that it'll clear soon and they'll be able to land within the next hour. For security reasons, we need to wait for them in here."
"That's good to hear," Peg sighs with relief. "I was worried that the traffic on the bridge would make us late."
The three ladies take seats in a place where they have a good view of the back door. Maggie takes the time to call back to the house to let people know what's happening. Once that's accomplished, there's nothing more to do than sit and wait. The monotony and tension is broken every once and a while by a reporter trying to sneak past the security guard who obviously takes his job way to seriously.
As the minutes tick away, Maggie can almost sense her body making milk as her breasts get more and more full. She knows that she's already missed one feeding and that if she misses another one she feels like she just might explode. She's just about ready to go out to the car and use the battery operated pump to relieve some of the pressure when the lady behind the desk comes over to tell her that they've been given clearance to land.
Maggie can feel her heart starting to pound in her chest and her breath catching in her throat. She's not even aware that she's standing until she's about ten feet from the door and each of her grandmothers grabs an arm. They each take a hand and stand watch with her as the minutes drag by.
What seems to be an eternity later, a small plane can be seen pulling up to the edge of the tarmac near the building. Every nerve in Maggie's body seems to be standing on edge and if Peg and Susan weren't holding onto her arms, she probably would go charging out there. By the time the door on the side of the plane starts to open, Maggie is visibly shaking. Susan and Peg aren't doing much better and it's only the fact that they are all desperately clinging onto one another is what's keeping them from collapsing into heaps on the floor.
When her parents step out of the plane and onto the tarmac all three women let out a sob and a small part of Maggie's brain wonders if her trembling is being picked up on the Richter scale. Their short walk from the plane to the building seems to take forever. The lights on the cameras are turned on as the reporters get ready to do their jobs and it doesn't even register as her world shrinks down to watching her parents walk towards her.
When they finally step through the door, they blink until their eyes adjust to the bright lights being shined in their faces. Then they see their daughter and they stand there staring at each other for about two wild heartbeats before they launch themselves at each other. Maggie gets to her parents first with her grandmothers in a close second.
Hugs, kisses and tears are plenty as the cameras catch every second of from a multitude of angles. When the group hug finally breaks apart a multitude of microphones are stuffed in their faces and the stupidest question to come out of the annals of time is asked.
"How do you feel?"
"Like the luckiest people alive," Rupert answers for all of them.
With that, the reunited family all turns towards the exit and starts to wade through the reporters as they continue to try and ask questions, shouting to be heard over one another. Ron and Sharon flank the group and run interference with the reporters. Well, Ron does at any rate.
When they finally do manage to make it to the egress, Ron and Rupert are on the verge of punching a few cameramen and Maggie's about ready to give a couple reporters a Charlie Horse they won't soon forget. Instead, several of them get a case of the clumsies and end up tripping up the rest of the group of reporters and cameramen. As they break free of the throng and exit the building, a man in a dark suit steps out of a stretch limo sitting in the parking lot and opens the back door for them. He lifts his wrist to his mouth and talks into it.
"Wow, a stretch," Ron whistles. "Very nice."
"It's a loaner," Maggie replies as she starts to walk faster, dragging her parents with her. "Let's get in before the vultures get reorganized."
The man in the suit opens the trunk and the he and Ron stow the luggage while Rupert, Maggie and Selma take one bench in the back of the vehicle and Susan, Peg and Sharon take the one across from them. Ron sticks his head in and sees that despite Sharon trying to move over, there's no room for his large frame.
"Guess I'll sit up front with Junior," Ron states.
"No, Ron, I'll…," Sharon starts.
"No, Sharon, stay here with your family," Ron interrupts. "It won't be that long of a drive to the house. I'll be fine."
Before she can protest any further, Ron steps back and shuts the door. A few moments later both the front doors open and Ron and the suit climb into the front seat. Seconds later, the engine is turned over and they start to move. Once they are on their way, Rupert and Selma turn towards their daughter who's sitting between them.
"Ok, Magpie," her father says in a tone of voice that brooks no argument. "We didn't mention that you're married with kids in front of the reporters. Now what gives? Why couldn't we mention them? Does it have something to do with Abe's job?"
"Actually, yes, it has a lot to do with Abe's job," Maggie answers.
"What, exactly, does he do for the government?" Selma asks.
"That's a little hard to explain," Maggie replies vaguely. "Let's just say he does pest removal."
"Why can't you tell us?" Rupert demands.
"I think it would be best if you met him first," Maggie responds shrinking down in her seat. "Once you meet him, a lot of things will become clear."
"Like why your limo driver looks like he works for the feds," Selma replies.
"The driver is one of Abe's co-workers," Maggie tells them.
"Why is one of your husband's co-workers driving us home from the airport?" Rupert inquires.
"Because this is his boss's limo," Maggie explains.
"Please tell me you didn't borrow this car from Manning," Sharon gasps.
"He offered, no strings attached," Maggie informs her after turning her attention across the way. "Every once and a while he likes to throw everyone for a loop by acting like a human being."
"I'll believe that when I see it," Sharon sneers.
"Like that time in Australia?" Peg asks, an eyebrow quirked higher than the other.
"How did you know about that?" Maggie demands.
"Or what about the sirens at the karaoke bar?" Susan inquires.
"Now that was her fault," Maggie harshly answers, pointing at Sharon.
"I didn't tell the sirens to show up there," Sharon shoots back.
"No, but you're the one who insisted we go to a karaoke bar," Maggie reminds her.
"Excuse me!" Selma nearly yells. "I think we're getting a bit off topic here. Now I want an explanation about Abe and I want it now."
"I told you he's really tall, has eyes so blue you want to swim in them and he can read my mind," Maggie reminds her.
"So what else can you tell us about him?" Rupert questions.
"I think it would be best if you just met Abe," Maggie replies. "I think a lot of things will be explained once you meet him."
"That's for sure," Peg chuckles.
Before Rupert and Selma can ask Peg what she means, she goes into the story of how she and Steven first met Abe and Maggie, managing to avoid any descriptions of the merman. Most of the car trip is taken up by Selma's mother telling them about finding the file hidden in the desk, her and Steven's first visit, their uninvited return and witnessing the twin's birth.
"So, you really believe Abe can read your mind?" Selma jokingly asks Maggie as the limo drives past the front gate.
"I know he can," Maggie answers seriously. "When you meet him, you'll understand."
By the time the limo pulls up to the front door, Rupert and Selma are extremely curious about their son-in-law. But the group of people waiting on the front door step distracts them from any further questions. Considering the size of both families and that having them all there to greet the returning couple upon their arrival would be too overwhelming for Rupert and Selma. Instead of over seventy people waiting on the front steps, only the seven siblings wait as the limo pulls up to the front door.
Sharon, Susan, Peg and Maggie all get out before Rupert and Selma manage to climb out, but once they do, they get mobbed by their respective brothers and sisters. Maggie slips past the happy throng, goes into the house and immediately heads for the parlor.
Once there she finds the breast pump already assembled and waiting for her. She quickly relieves the pressure that's been building up for over an hour in her breasts. With a sigh of relief, she turns off the pump and starts to disassemble it only to be stopped by a familiar pair of gloved hands on the end of blue arms.
She smiles up at Abe and he gently kisses her just before handing her the nursing pillow. She quietly chuckles as she puts the pump down on the table and then gets the pillow in place while he brings her the babies and then he takes care of the pump. She's so happy right now that even Manning entering the room can't dim her beaming face.
"You're parents are almost ready to come in," he tells her in an officious tone. "Are you ready?"
"See if Steven and the others can hold them off for a little bit longer, please," she requests. "I'd like to get the twins fed before they come in and meet them."
"How much longer?" he asks.
"Do you think they can keep them busy for another ten minutes?" she counter asks.
"Knowing your family, they could probably keep them busy until Doomsday," he grumbles just before exiting the room.
"I get the impression that Manning doesn't like my family," she jokes, poorly stopping the smirk trying to escape.
"They do take a little getting used to," Abe replies with an answering smile to which she sticks her tongue out at him. "Stick that tongue out again and you're parents are going to be waiting a lot longer than ten minutes."
"Beast," she mutters playfully, but keeping her tongue where it belongs, just in case he's not joking.
About ten minutes later, Manning reenters the room to check on them and sees everything is set. He leaves and less than a minute later he shows Maggie's parents into the room. Maggie is sitting in a chair where they can clearly see her holding two wiggling bundles.
They immediately cross the room and take the babies from her. Maggie stands as they push the blankets out of the way and then stop and stare at the little ones staring back at them.
"The blue one is Dylan and the green one is Morgan," Maggie tells them.
"Why are they blue and green?" Rupert asks in confusion. "Was there a reason you put makeup on the babies?"
"It's not makeup, Daddy," Maggie explains. "That's their natural coloring."
"But why are they blue and green?" Selma questions just as perplexed as her husband.
"I'm afraid that would be my doing," a soft masculine voice from behind them says.
Rupert and Selma turn around and gasp, only managing not to drop the babies out of pure instinct. They stare at Abe who was hiding behind the door wearing only his shorts.
"Mom, Daddy, meet Abe," Maggie introduces. "My husband."