Hours later, only a small fraction of the books have been picked up, though nothing has been put away. Guillermo is slowly shifting through the stacks of picked up books as Rupert, Selma, Peg and even Susan gather the tomes up and place them either on carts or in boxes for later sorting. Abe and Maggie had been helping, but with the twins waking up, Abe insisted that she at least try to nurse them and so they're both back upstairs when Manning walks in. He takes a quick look around and scowls.
"Where is she?" Manning demands. "And why is the tank mostly drained?"
"She's feeding the twins," Selma calmly replies as she puts the latest pile of books she was collecting on a cart before going to stand at the foot of the stairs.
"The earthquake broke a seal on Abe's tank so it had to be partially drained to prevent the glass from breaking," Rupert explains as he joins his wife.
"I let her come down here because Hodson said she needed help," Manning heatedly states. "If I knew she was going to pull this stunt, I would never have allowed it."
"So, you would have left her to commit suicide?" Peg asks as she takes up a position near her daughter.
"And the twins to starve to death?" Susan adds as she stands near Peg.
"No, of course not!" Manning replies in horror. "But I want to know her reasoning behind trying to destroy this place."
"I'm afraid that was mostly our fault," Selma sheepishly admits. "We took the twins up to the house and when she woke up and found them missing…well…I'm afraid she lost it."
"Lost it?" Manning nearly shrieks. "Is that what you call it? Do you have any idea how much damage she's done?"
"Actually, yes I do," Selma answers sadly. "She wants to help fix what she's damaged, but she needs her rest first. She's exhausted, physically, mentally and emotionally. Just leave her alone for now, please."
"No, now I need to talk to Abe about his tank," Manning growls, waving an arm wildly towards the aforementioned aquarium. "We're going to have to figure out what to do with him until it's fixed."
"I don't think you're going to convince him to leave Maggie," Rupert warns.
"I wasn't planning on it," Manning sighs. "But that bathtub is only going to do him so much good and only for a short while. He needs salt water to survive. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go up there."
"No," Rupert states as he tries to block the bottom of the stairs with his thin frame.
"Listen, I'm the director of this little circus and I'll damn well go anywhere I please," Manning snarls as Selma, Peg and Susan go and close ranks next to Rupert.
"Perhaps, Dr. Manning, if you could offer some sort assurance that you won't upset Maggie," Guillermo suggests from where he's sitting at his desk. "Then they will let you pass."
"What do you want?" Manning asks impatiently. "You want my word? Fine. I give you my word that I won't upset Mrs. Sapien."
"Not acceptable," Peg replies, her chin held high.
"Then what do you want?" Manning nearly shouts.
"A promise is all that we require," Susan answers serenely.
"Fine," Manning grumbles. "I promise not to upset Mrs. Sapien."
Manning isn't expecting the slight tremor that shakes the room or the gentle breeze that ruffles the loose papers lying around. As the Power of the promise wraps itself around him and the three Mages standing in front of him, even Manning can't fail to feel it. The look of shock and surprise on his face is rather gratifying to Maggie's relatives as they part so the director can go upstairs.
Casting nervous glances at the four people he just made a promise too, he quickly slips past them and all but runs up the stairs. He reaches the top of the stairs out of breath and he stops to rest for a moment until he notices Maggie's family following him up at a rather sedate pace. Wanting to put as much distance between himself and them he steps up to Abe's door and raps on it as fast as he can.
"You are not a failure as a mother," Abe states for what feels to be the millionth time. "You're a good mother."
"But I can't even feed them any more," she whimpers as Dylan looks at her in confusion while sucking down the formula in the bottle.
"Not yet you can't," he replies as he feeds Morgan. "But you did nurse them for five minutes each. That's much better than the one minute that you were able to produce last night. Your milk will return, Dr. Hodson said so. Has she been wrong yet?"
"No," she grumbles as she squirms around in bed, trying to get more comfortable.
"Then trust the doctor," he states from his spot next to her on the bed.
She doesn't answer him, but just slumps against the headboard. He concentrates on his daughter, fighting the frustration building up inside of him. He wants to shake her, yell at her and tell her to 'snap out of it.' But he knows that that will only make things worse, not better.
Several minutes later, the babies are fed and burped and Abe slides off of the bed and heads for the pile of diapers on the table. He grabs two and then returns to the bed, slipping back into place next to his wife without a word. He hands one of the diapers over and begins to change Morgan's diaper.
When she doesn't make any moves to do the same to Dylan, he looks over at her. She's trembling as she stares at the diaper, unable to move. He picks up brief images of wailing, squirming, half naked babies and of her losing her temper. It shakes him to the core while Dylan picks up on his mother's distress and starts to whimper.
"You can do it, Maggie," Abe tries to assure her, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Face your fears."
"NO!" she half screams half wails. "I can't do it!"
She shoves Dylan into his arms and launches herself off of the bed and then disappears into the bathroom a split second later. He stares at the closed door as the sound of sobbing filters into the bedroom. He closes both sets of eyelids for a few seconds as he regains his composure and calms down.
After getting Dylan settled back down, he quickly finishes changing Morgan and then does her brother. Once that's completed, he picks them up with the intention of placing them in the play pen and then going in to check on Maggie. But before he can accomplish this, someone knocks at the outer door. A quick 'check' lets him know it's Manning and he lets out a low groan involuntarily.
"Come in!" Abe calls out and turns to face the director as he steps through the door, the babies still in their father's arms.
"Is she around?" Manning asks, nervously looking around.
"She's in the bathroom," Abe answers with a head tilt just before his eyes get larger. "You made a promise to them?"
"They made me," Manning grumbles, looking a bit relieved. "They wouldn't let me up here until I promised that I wouldn't upset your wife. How long do you think she'll be in there?"
"I don't know," Abe replies, feeling old for the first time that he can remember. "She's crying again."
"What about this time?" Selma asks as she steps through the door.
"I tried to make her change Dylan's diaper," Abe states. "I got a lot of disturbing images before she locked herself in the bathroom."
"Have you tried going in there?" Selma inquires as she squeezes past Manning and Abe.
"I was about to just before Dr. Manning knocked on the door," Abe responds.
"Would you like me to go in?" Selma questions, silently noting Abe's poor color.
"Would you please?" Abe responds, much relieved.
"Of course," Selma replies with an understanding smile.
"When you're in there, see if you can get her to take her medicine," Abe requests. "It's on the counter next to the sink."
"Sure thing," Selma responds as she steps up to the bathroom door, opening the previously locked door without a problem.
Selma quietly shuts the door behind her and idly notes that Maggie has wedged herself between the wall and the toilet. Without a word, Selma finds a cup, fills it with water, gets a pill out of the bottle after reading the directions and then heads over to her daughter. Selma kneels down in front of Maggie and Maggie finally looks up at her with a tear stained face.
"Manning's here to take the babies, isn't he?" Maggie asks listlessly. "I can't blame him. I'm a horrible mother and I nearly destroyed the place."
"Take your medicine, Maggie," Selma gently instructs as she hands the cup and pill over and then watches intently as Maggie downs the capsule. "Manning only wants to talk to Abe about the tank."
With a heart wrenching moan, Maggie drops her head back down onto her knees and starts crying again. Selma retrieves the cup and places it off to the side before pulling her daughter towards her. After some readjusting, Maggie ends up with her head in her mother's lap while Selma strokes her hair.
"It's going to be alright, baby girl," the older woman whispers as the leg of her pants gets wet with tears. "It's going to be alright."
Abe watches Selma disappear through the bathroom door and then continues to stare at the closed portal for a good minute before handing the babies off to their great-grandmothers. After a brief flurry of clearing off a chair, Abe offers Manning a seat before cleaning and taking a spot himself. Ignoring the mess of bottles and formula, Manning launches into what now needs to be done for Abe's wellbeing.
The rest of Maggie's family heads back downstairs as Abe and Manning spend nearly an hour talking about what Abe will need and how best to achieve it. Several ideas are thrown around until one is settled on and plans are made for its implementation. Just as they're finishing up, Peg and Rupert return with the waking twins. Abe takes a quick look around and groans when he realizes there are no clean bottles again.
"Oh dear," Abe sighs as he picks up one of the bottles. "I'm afraid I'll need to ask Dr. Hodson where she got these."
"Why don't you just clean them in the sink?" Manning asks, perplexed.
"For one, I have no dish soap," Abe answers, looking at the director. "And two, I hardly think the bathroom sink is the most sanitary place to clean the bottles."
"Who said anything about using the bathroom sink?" Manning inquires, really confused now. "I'm talking about the kitchen sink."
"I really don't think the twins will wait for me to go all the way down to the kitchens to get the bottles cleaned," Abe replies. "Besides, I believe the cooks tend get a tad cranky if people just come wandering into the kitchens."
"I wasn't talking about that kitchen," Manning responds, now exasperated. "I was talking about your kitchen."
Abe stares at Manning with his head tilted to the side for a moment and then his eyes open really wide. He nearly leaps out of his chair and shoots across the room to the small alcove next to the bathroom. He glances briefly into the area before charging into the bathroom.
He barely registers the fact that Maggie is lying on the floor with her head in her mother's lap as he quickly crosses the room. He barely stops in time before he drops down to his knees. Maggie only looks up at him when he starts to pull her into his arms.
"So, Manning's taken the twins and you've come to comfort me," she states in a dead voice.
"No, Manning hasn't taken the twins and I'm not here to comfort you," he happily replies as he gets her securely into his arms. "I'm going to show you what Manning had made for us."
Before she can say anything, he stands up and carries her out of the bathroom. When he reenters the bedroom, Susan is there looking a bit flustered.
"What is going on?" Susan demands of Rupert. "Why did you call me up here?"
"Follow me," Abe instructs as he heads for the alcove again.
"Where did that door come from?" Maggie asks after Abe steps into the secluded spot, staring at the door on the far side. "What's on the other side?"
"Open it and find out," Abe urges as he sets her feet first onto the floor.
She hesitantly steps towards the door, slowly reaches for it and before she touches it, looks back over her shoulder at Abe. He smiles and nods encouragingly to her. Too exhausted to use her powers to 'check' what's on the other side, she hesitantly reaches for the door handle and then slowly turns the knob.
With a shaking hand, she pushes the door open and stares into darkness. Abe quietly steps up behind her, reaches around her, finds the light switch on the wall and flips it. As the lights flood the room her breath catches in her throat. She can feel her eyes grow very wide while her hand covers her mouth in surprise as she gapes in pure wonder.
She slowly walks into a room that's about twenty feet by thirty feet that is a combination family room, dining room and kitchen. Abe gently pushes her farther in so that the others can get through the door as well. Manning brings up the rear and watches a bit nervously as Abe, Maggie and her family spread out throughout the room.
The kitchen is closest and the first area to be explored. It's not a very big kitchen, but it has all the essential appliances and the cabinets are stocked with spices, dishes, pots and pans and dry goods while cooking and eating utensils are found in the drawers. The refrigerator is on, but the only things in it are ice cubes in the tray under the maker.
Next it's onto the dining room which consists of a round oak table with four chairs around it. It's Selma who pulls the two halves of the table apart to find the spare leaf folded up inside of it.
Finally they move onto the family room area. There's a love seat and an over stuffed chair with ottoman facing an entertainment center that contains what looks to be a thirty-two inch screen TV, a DVD/VCR combination machine, a Tivo and a small stereo system. Off to the side is a very large bookcase that's empty.
It's only after examining the bookcase that Maggie notices the doors. She opens the first one and it's a closet. The second one reveals a bathroom complete with towels and all the necessary toiletries. The third reveals a large nursery with a crib, glider rocker with a glider footrest and a combination changing table dresser. There's even a stack of diapers waiting to be used along with wipes and baby powder. The final door leads out to the hallway that goes to the spiral staircase. After shutting the last door, Maggie turns towards Manning with confusion written across her face.
"What is this?" she asks.
"It's your apartment," Manning answers. "I had it built for you and the kids. I figured you wouldn't always be up at the house so I thought this might do for those times you don't want to go back up there."
"She and the babies are supposed to live here?" Susan butts in, a look of horror on her face. "This will never do. It's much too small. There are no windows. How are the babies to get fresh air with no windows? And the lighting in here…"
"It's perfect," Maggie interrupts, looking Manning straight in the eye. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," he replies.
Author's notes: Hey, what do you know? I'm still alive. Sorry about the long wait. Sometimes it sucks being a responsible adult. grin Well, enjoy and at some point I will finish this story.