All characters that are from the TWILIGHT saga by Stephanie Meyer belong to Stephanie Meyer. All others belong to me. I do not receive profit for these stories except for the joyous enjoyment of reviews.
This story follows right after When I'm Gone: Third Installment to GONE Saga, so if you haven't read that one or the two before, please do.
The timeline of the story will coincide with Gabriel Michael Laskaris' growing up years, starting at Seth and Rosa's wedding day, April 12th and will progress from there.
AN: I'm giving everyone a fair warning -this is a long chapter plus it contains some lemon features. I would love to list the ages of kids like I usually do but there's so many of them in this chapter so please, check out the family tree, which is the fourth chapter. It's been updated and has all the ages and school grades of all the kids that appear in this chapter -mostly the Laskaris and Clearwater kiddos.
Please, read and enjoy then give me some joy by leaving a review!
Chapter Fifty-Three (12yrs old)
August, First Day of School
Forks Middle School
"Okay, baby," Leah zipped up the small brown leather backpack her daughter had picked out in an effort to be grown up despite having really liked a purple one with glittery butterflies, "Your class schedule is in your binder, along with your locker number and combination."
"Okay, mama," Emmie smiled into her mother's eyes even though she already knew all this -they had gone over it a dozen times already.
"Now, if anything happens, you tell your teachers, okay," Leah gently turned her by the shoulders, helping her slip her arms through the shoulder straps, making sure it was situated correctly before turning her around again, "Every one of them has our contact information and we'll come straight away, okay?"
"I'll be alright, mama," Emmie adjusted the straps to her backpack since it was tugging at the collar of her shirt, giving her mother a bright smile.
They were standing outside the administration office of Forks Middle School, having been asked by the principal and counselor to come in early for a pep-talk with Emmie. It wasn't very often they had an academic prodigy of the tender age of nine beginning their seventh grade curriculum and they wanted to make sure it would all go smoothly for the little girl.
Leah was crouched in front of Emmie, her heart beating hard as she straightened the little button-up white blouse with the round collar, her khaki pleated skirt held up by a brown leather belt, white knee high socks on her skinny legs and brown penny loafers on her small feet.
She had swept her dark hair back into a half ponytail, the dark tresses ending in the middle of her back with a white ribbon tied into a perfect bow resting on the crown of her head. Despite the grown up style of her outfit, Leah couldn't help but think her baby looked small and vulnerable and not at all ready for the treacherous waters that was a school full of pre-teens and teenagers.
"Embry will be right here when school's out, okay? He needs to sign you out before you leave the school grounds."
"I know, mama," Emmie smoothed her hands down the front of her new skirt, feeling very grown up in what she was wearing, "Principal Finn explained it would be for my safety because I'm younger than the other students."
"Exactly," Leah reached up to fix the white bow holding her hair back even though it didn't need fixing, "Make sure you sit right by the teacher's desk, okay? It'll be easier for them to keep an eye on you."
"Mama," Emmie reached out to touch her mother's face, little fingers stroking her defined jaw and high cheekbones, "Everything's going to be alright. Gabe will look after me -so will Vivi. Don't worry."
"Oh, baby, I'm not worried," Leah pulled her into her arms, kissing her cheek before pulling back to give her a bright smile, "Would you like me to walk you to your first class? Maybe I'll come in during your lunch period -"
"Mama," Emmie shook her head as she leaned in to give her mother a squeeze around her neck, whispering into her ear before letting go, "I'm going to be okay. Don't worry -please."
Letting out a breath, Leah fought back the urge to pick her little girl up and take her away from anything that could hurt her. She knew kids were cruel to each other, whether on purpose or not. It was the primary reason why she was so hesitant in leaving her baby here, surrounded by kids so much older than her who were more concerned with their own needs and wants, not at all caring for others' feelings.
"I'm not worried..." Emmie's pointed look had her revising her words, "Okay, I'll try not to worry," Leah cupped her long fingered hands around her baby's precious face, giving her a soft smile, "You enjoy your first day of school, okay, baby? I know you'll do great."
Emmie nodded, reaching up to wrap her fingers around her mother's slim wrists, "I will, mama. I'll make you and Daddy proud of me."
Leah chuckled softly, leaning forward to press a kiss against Emmie's forehead, her thumbs stroking across her cheekbones, delicately defined by the loss of baby fat over the last year, "We already are, baby."
Emmie's smile grew, skinny arms wrapping around her mother's waist as soon as she stood up, the round baby bump of her new baby brother or sister hard against her cheek, "I love you, mama."
"I love you too, baby," Leah ran her fingers through the silky strands of her daughter's hair, still reluctant at having to let her go but knowing she had no choice -her daughter was excited over this new phase in her life and she couldn't take it away from her, "How about you walk me to the front entrance? Unless you want me to go with you to find your locker."
Emmie shook her head as she stepped back, taking her mother's hand in her smaller one as they made their way towards the front entrance to the new school building she was now a student at, "I can find it on my own. I'll see you at home, okay?"
"Okay, baby," Leah let out a breath, straightening the thigh length black jersey knit top she wore with dark purple leggings and black mid-calve length boots, "See you at home, then. Love you."
"Love you too."
Emmie watched with a smile as her mother walked out, staying where she was to wave at her every time she turned to look back, which was a total of five times before she had to turn the corner towards the parking lot.
Dropping her arm, she bit her lip as she turned around to survey the view before her -not many kids were present due to it being a little under an hour before first bell but it didn't keep her from feeling a little nervous. The principal had assured her mama they had done their best to place her in the same classes as her other sixth grade classmates so she could at least know a person or two, hoping it would help integrate her into her new routine.
What Emmie didn't bother to tell them was it didn't really matter -she wasn't friends with any of her classmates, some of them having been a little mean to her while others just didn't know how to treat her. She supposed she couldn't blame their inability to comprehend how someone her age could be just as smart, or in most cases, smarter than them.
Finding the locker she had been assigned, she reached up towards the lock, the tips of her fingers barely touching the dial.
She fell back on her heels with a sigh. She knew they had installed the half lockers four feet off the ground to cut down on bullying (apparently some teenagers thought it funny to shove kids into the full sized ones and lock them in) but now there was no way for her to be able to even open said locker, even if she stood on her tiptoes and stretched as far as she could.
Sometimes people's stupidity made her want to cry.
"Aren't you in the wrong place, kid? The playground's two streets down where the elementary school is at."
Emmie turned around, tilting her head back to look into the face of some pimply boy jock, if the football jacket he wore was anything to go by, "Is it the one you like to play in?"
The boy's friend -also a pimply faced jock with a football jacket -laughed as he slapped his friend's arm, "Will you look at that? She fights back."
"You're a smart-mouthed brat, uh?"
"You should never pose your opinion as a question," Emmie tilted her head to the side, dark hair spilling over her shoulder, "Makes you seem witless."
Emmie stood her ground even though it was a bit scary when the boy stepped towards her -what kind of person found it acceptable to intimidate a kid half their size?
"Hey, back off."
She made sure not to let it show how grateful she was when her brother stepped between the boy and her, forcing him to take a step back as he sneered, "Playing hero to the nerds, Gabe?"
Gabe's eyebrow arched up, face impassive as he poked the guy's chest with his index finger, "She's my little sister, numbnut. You pick on her, you answer to me. Got it?"
The boy threw up his hands in a show of surrender, taking another step back, "Sorry, dude. Didn't know she was your sister."
"Yeah, man," his friend shrugged as if it weren't a big deal, "No harm, no foul."
Gabe scowled at both of them, "Does picking on a little kid make you feel like a man? You're pathetic, James."
"I'll show you pathetic."
"Is there a problem here, gentlemen?"
They all turned, the principal walking towards them as the foyer started filling up with arriving students.
"No, Principal Finn," the pimply faced bully shook his head, shoving his fisted hands into the pockets of his jacket, "No problem. Gabe was just introducing us to his sister."
"Is that so," Principal Finn's face showed his doubts as he stopped beside them, "Go on to your class, Mr. Simmons. I don't want to see you in the hallway."
"Yes, sir," he nodded, slapping his friend's arm with the back of his hand as he smirked at Gabe, "Let's go, Chad. See you at practice, Gabe."
Gabe didn't respond, watching them walk away before turning to look down at Emmie, giving her a smile to let her know it would be okay, "You alright, sis?"
She nodded, one end of her ribbon tickling the top of her ear, "You should know -numbnut is not an actual word."
Principal Finn shook his head with a small chuckle, giving Gabe a pat on the back before he continued on his routine morning walk through the school grounds, putting a stop to any disruptive behavior.
"It may not be an actual word but that's what he is," Gabe opened the locker next to hers, pushing his gym bag into it before he grabbed his backpack where he kept a new set of notebooks and pens -he had had an early morning football team meeting, "You need anything from your locker?"
Emmie shook her head, thumbs hooked into the straps of her backpack, "I have everything I need in my backpack -I just wanted to give the combination a try but I can't reach it."
Gabe looked down at her, realizing for the first time she was shorter than most kids her age -hell, even Zak, who was younger than her, was about two inches taller, "I can open it for you if you want."
Emmie shook her head again, "There's nothing in there so what's the point? Besides, if I can't reach it by myself, then I can't use it -you won't always be around to open it for me."
"So you're going to carry all your books all the time," Gabe closed his locker, clicking the lock in place, "That's gonna suck big time."
Emmie shrugged, giggling as Gabe playfully pushed her head down to reach behind her and opened her backpack, pulling out her brand new binder, "What are you doing?"
"Getting your schedule," Gabe tickled the back of her neck, grinning at her giggles -he'd known since she was a bitty baby it was her ticklish spot, "That way, I'll see when I can help you switch out your books, otherwise you'll break your back."
Emmie rolled her eyes, about to tell him the statistical improbabilities of such a thing happening when a familiar voice stopped her, "Hi Emmie!"
Both Emmie and Gabe grinned as Vivi approached them from across the foyer. She was a favorite of theirs, although for completely different reasons.
"Hi Vivi!"
"How's your first day of seventh grade going?"
"So far," Emmie lifted a shoulder as Gabe pulled out her class schedule from her purple binder, "It's been enlightening."
Vivi giggled, looking over at Gabe to give him a shy smile, "How has your day been so far?"
"Well," Gabe pulled a notebook from his backpack along with a pen, scrawling down his sister's schedule on the inside cover before returning it to her binder then to her backpack, "My kid sister's already correcting me and my teammates are acting like jerks."
Vivi grimaced, giving Emmie an encouraging smile, "Don't worry, Emmie. We'll look out for you."
"I'm not worried," Emmie took a step back as soon as Gabe zipped up her backpack, "Mama has all the teachers looking out for me as well so it shouldn't be difficult to adjust."
"Well, depends on who's doing the adjusting," Gabe gently cuffed her chin before pulling her into his side, his hand on her shoulder as he took Vivi's hand in his free one, "She's got history first. Want to come with me to walk her to class?"
Vivi nodded, a pink blush staining her cheeks, "No problem. My English class is right across from Mr. Benson's anyway. I can show you to your next class if you want, Emmie."
The nine year old shook her head, "No, thank you Vivi. I was supplied a map of the school along with my schedule. I plotted all my classes and the quickest routes to get to each one in the five minutes allotted between them. I should be fine."
Stopping outside Emmie's class, Gabe gave her a one armed hug, "Word of advice, sis. Be a genius just don't sound like one."
Emmie gave him a quizzical look, not sure why that was advice, "Why not?"
"It makes people feel stupid and they don't like it."
Emmie stared up at her brother, blinking big blue eyes at him, "I don't have the power to make people feel stupid unless they already think they are. In that case, I don't see why I should let other people's insecurities dictate my behavior."
Gabe gave Vivi a long suffering look, blue eyes slightly glazed as he whispered under his breath, "That's what I'm talking about."
Vivi laughed, bumping her shoulder against Gabe's, "Leave her alone. I think she's brilliant and shouldn't hide it."
Emmie grinned up at the girl she had idolized since she was old enough to play with dolls, "Thank you Vivi."
Gabe forced himself not to roll his eyes as the first bell rang, the crowd in the hallway swelling as everyone made their way to their first period class, "Go on in before all the front row seats are taken."
"Will I see you at lunch?"
Gabe gave his little sister a smile, reaching out to tug at her hair, "You can sit with us. Enjoy your class, okay?"
"I will."
Just as he was about to turn to say good-bye to Vivi -his own classroom several doors down -Emmie piped up before darting into her history class, "I won't tell Marc you two are holding hands again."
September 3rd
Forks High School
It was lunch time and he didn't really feel like sitting with his fellow baseball teammates, instead opting to sit outside. He'd found himself a shaded spot beside the library, the forest line stretching out some feet away from where he was.
Marc let out a sigh as he sat on the low ledge of a barren flowerbed, leaning back until his shoulder blades touched the wall. His backpack was on the ground between his feet, his sack lunch on his lap.
Staring out into the forest, his nose wrinkled at the faint scent of a bobcat, his stomach growling but he wasn't going to be able to go in search of heartier sustenance in the middle of a school day so he opened the brown paper bag that held his roast beef sandwich along with a Twinkie and fudge brownie, knowing he would have to settle due to having practice after school let out, then homework after that.
Ninth grade was going to bite.
Taking a healthy bite of his sandwich, he leaned his head back against the wall, slowly chewing as he listened to the voices of his schoolmates, most of them hanging out in the courtyard during the one hour lunch break they had. He knew his fellow baseball teammates tended to hang out by the picnic tables catty-cornered to where the cheerleaders hung out but didn't bother to see if his absence had been noted.
A faint familiar scent tickled his nose but he didn't bother to look around, not even when an equally familiar voice spoke up some feet beside him, "Why aren't you hanging out with your friends?"
"They have nothing of interest to talk about," Marc bit into his sandwich, the corner of his mouth lifting into a smile as he chewed, the hot radish mustard bringing out the taste in the roast beef and sharp cheddar cheese.
"What topics of conversation interest you?"
Swallowing, he uncapped his sports drink, taking a healthy gulp before answering, his eyes studying the forest line, "Literature, art, baseball. Sometime even politics."
She giggled and he couldn't help smiling at the sound -it sounded just the way he remembered, "I can see why you find them boring, then. I'm sure they don't have much of an opinion concerning the political climate of today."
Marc laughed at that, biting into his sandwich as a snack box appeared in his peripheral vision along with the one question he'd missed the past seven years, "Animal cracker?"
Swallowing what he had in his mouth, he looked up at the familiar brown eyes, grinning as he sifted through the crackers until he found the rhinoceros one, "Haven't had these since you left."
"You should have had your aunt buy you some," she moved to sit next to him, placing her messenger bag beside her.
Marc shook his head as he bit the head off, looking her over as he mentally cataloged what was different and what had remained the same, "Wouldn't have been the same. How was Florida?"
"Sunny," she gave him a big smile, her golden blond hair swept from her face and held with a black headband, "We had a house near the beach so I spent a lot of time there."
"Explains the tan," Marc took another cookie from the box, making sure he left behind the monkeys, just in case they were still her favorite, "So how come you're back?"
"My parents got a divorce," she looked down at the sandwich she had pulled out of her own lunch sack, digging the toe of her black Mary Jane shoes into the grass as she explained further, "Mom wanted to come back since her parents are still here...I decided to come with her."
"I'm sorry about your parents," Marc gently bumped his shoulder against hers in what was meant as a comforting gesture, "That must really suck."
She lifted a shoulder in a shrug, taking a small bite out of her sandwich, the silence comfortable as they both ate, the box of animal crackers sitting between them to be shared.
"So you play baseball, uh," she gestured towards his windbreaker, smiling as he nodded, "Yeah. I made it into the junior varsity team. What about you?"
"I'm trying out for the swim team this Saturday," she wrapped her sandwich, having eaten half of it and feeling full, "I think I may look into track as well -I used to run with my dad in the mornings on the beach."
The bell rang, signaling the end of their lunch hour, the noise level increasing as food was thrown away, conversations continuing as everyone made their way to their fourth period class.
"Can I walk you to class," Marc asked as he stood up, picking up his backpack as he unwrapped his fudge brownie, breaking it in half and offering it to her.
"Thanks," she took it as she lifted the strap of her bag over her head, the bag resting on her hip as they made their way around the library towards the courtyard, "I have biology with Mr. Banner."
"So do I," he grinned down at her as they made their way to their class, "Want to be lab partners?"
"That would be fun."
They walked in silence, eating the last of the brownie as they reached their class. Reaching out, he stopped her with a hand on her arm, smiling down into her velvet brown eyes, "I'm glad you're back, Betty."
She smiled up at him, nudging his side with her elbow, "I told you I would be, remember?"
October 26th
10:42 AM
They had celebrated his thirtieth birthday by going out dancing, Sue having offered to keep Marc, Vivi and two year old Carlos for the night. It had been a great night, filled with laughter and teasing, both of them enjoying the time together without the children since there were few of them in their day to day life.
They returned to their empty house around one in the morning, Seth keeping them up for another six hours without a complaint from Rose. They had finally collapsed around seven in the morning, both of them sated and deeply satisfied as they drifted off to sleep in each others' arms.
It was for that reason Seth was somewhat confused over the extremely erotic dream unfolding -extremely erotic because, not only was it happening to him but he was also standing unnoticed as he observed what was happening to him.
He watched as Rose slid her hands down his chest, a shiver running down his back at the sensation of her nails lightly dragging down the muscles of his stomach, her long hair spilling like silk over his chest as she drew invisible designs on his hot skin with the tip of her tongue.
He could feel his heart beating fast, the fire in his veins growing hotter with each touch and watching it all happening had his body so tight it was painful.
She dipped her tongue into his belly button, her hands moving down to stroke the muscles of his thighs and suddenly, he knew what she was planning on doing, the groan he let out waking him up to find out his dream wasn't really a dream.
The feel of her tongue moving over the blunt head of his cock had him letting out another groan as he slid his fingers into her hair, rubbing his thumb against her jaw as she worked on swallowing him whole.
He screwed his eyes shut, hips lifting without permission as she sucked him, letting out a hum that vibrated him to the very core, his hand fisting in her hair as she worked him over. He was about ready to lose it but this wasn't how he wanted to come -he needed to be deep inside her where he belonged so he gently tugged her head back, almost giving in to the begging look she gave him as her whispered words brushed against the wet skin of his need for her, "Please let me finish."
"I want to finish inside you," Seth growled as he moved to roll her onto her back but her small hands on his chest stopped him, his heart lurching hard against his ribs as she gave him a smile full of promise, "Fine but I call the shots."
"You always do, baby," Seth fell back onto the mattress as she moved to straddle him, his dick finding its way into her wet pussy without any guidance.
The tight, wet heat of her core sucked him in deep, his stomach quivering as she tilted her pelvis, her fingers digging into his chest for purchase. He slid his hands up her sides, easily covering her generous breasts which he now believed were especially made for his big hands.
Pulling and twisting at her sensitive nipples, he watched with hooded eyes as she threw her head back, a moan escaping her as she rode him, her hips moving in a rhythm meant to draw out the pleasure awaiting them.
"You're so fucking beautiful," he muttered, his voice ragged as he lifted his hips off the bed to push himself deep into her as she came down on him, her dark hair spilling down her sweat-slicked back, "I want you to come around me, baby."
Rose shook her head, her breathing fast and choppy as she grinded into him before lifting up then bringing herself back down, "Not yet...I need...Oh dios! Necesito mas."
Gripping her small waist in his hands, he tilted her forward before burying both hands in her hair and pulling her down, his teeth biting down on her bottom lip before he pushed his tongue into her waiting mouth, her arms wrapping around his head as the new position forced her to move with slower yet deeper strokes.
"Fuck, Rosie," he growled, pulling her head back as he moved his mouth down her throat, sucking hard at the sweet tasting skin stretched over her collarbone as he planted his other hand on her ass, grinding her pelvis against his, "You're so fucking hot and tight..."
Rose moaned, her elbows digging into his shoulders, the new position giving her new leverage to undulate against him, both of them now straining to reach nirvana together.
Digging his fingers into her thighs, he spread them wider before grabbing on to her hips, her inner muscles clamping hard against him as she tumbled over the edge, dragging his own release along with hers as he exploded deep inside her with a shout of exultation.
Struggling to catch his breath, he kept his arms wrapped tight around her, their sweat slicked skin slowly cooling as they laid in the middle of their king size bed, the intoxicating scent of cherry blossoms and sea salt heavy in the air.
"Wow," the word came out as an exhale as Seth was finally able to hear something other than the rushing blood forced from his fast beating heart, "That's one hell of a way to wake me up, babe."
Her tired giggle was soft against his skin, long hair draped over his arm and shoulder, "Happy morning after your birthday."
Seth chuckled, turning his head to press a kiss against her forehead, gently stroking her hair away from her face, "I'd sell my soul for every morning to be after my birthday."
Her laughter made his heart skip, the fell of her so close to him they almost defied the laws of physics giving him an inner peace because he knew she was happy -truly happy.
Shifting her head from his chest to his shoulder to make it easier to look into his eyes, she touched her fingertips to his bottom lip as she whispered, "We don't have many mornings alone so I thought I'd take advantage of it."
"You mean take advantage of me," Seth teased, his laughter deep as her face flushed a rosy hue, "You sure did me in, baby."
Rose's hazel eyes brightened with a teasing glint, "Really? There's nothing else left, not even a teeny, tiny bit?"
His chest vibrated with laughter as he rolled her onto her back, covering her petite body with his much larger one.
"Maybe I can find a bit more somewhere...that is, if you're interested."
"Oh, yes."
November 12th
The whole thing had happened so fast, they barely had enough time to make it to the hospital, the on-call doctor showing up just in time to catch the newest Laskaris member as he made his debut into this crazy world they all called home.
The transition into a private post-partum room had gone smoothly, Leah falling asleep soon after showering and feeding their newborn. Rick, on the other hand, was walking the room, his attention completely riveted on the six pound baby bundled in a blue quilt of soft cotton he cradled in his arms.
He was in awe of every tiny feature in his son's face, from the barely there eyebrows to the bright blue of his eyes but what had him almost giddy was the soft blond hair covering his tiny head. It seemed, with this one, his genes had won out completely. Leah herself had mentioned the possibility of their baby being his own little clone, so to speak but he supposed only time would tell.
Looking over at the clock, he recalled Sue having mentioned coming after lunch time to bring in the kids so they could all meet their new baby brother. Due to being seven of them, Rick had made sure to speak to the nurse in charge to get permission to bring them all in and she had been kind enough -although surprised at the number -to acquiesce.
He stopped at the foot of the bed, watching his wife sleep for a few minutes before a soft gurgle got his attention again, eyes dropping to the tiny face of his son, who was wide awake and quietly sucking on a tiny fist, "Hey kyrio. I'm your Daddy, but you know that, right?"
The newborn stopped sucking for a few seconds, blinking his blue eyes a couple of times, his small body jolting lightly at the sound of a knock at the room's door.
Rick chuckled quietly as Sue's voice admonished from the other side of the door, "You need to be quiet, okay? Your mama might be sleeping."
He moved to sit on the rocking chair supplied as part of the room's furniture, grinning as the door slowly swung open, the kids coming in, making noise in their attempt to be quiet.
"Daddy," Tyra ran over to him, her brothers and sisters right behind her. Sue the last to approach, Xavier asleep in her arms, "Is it the baby?"
"Sure is, moro," Rick leaned forward to rest his forearms on his thighs, the baby in his arms as his kids crowded around him, Tyra sounding somewhat disappointed when she saw his eyes, "Their blue too."
"Yes," Rick smiled at her, long fingers gently removing the little knit cap on his head, "But his hair is just like yours."
Tyra gasped, her fingers carefully touching his head as Alyx and Andrey -who were leaning against his thigh by the baby's feet -touched the little toes exposed by the open blanket, "His toes are tiny."
"What's his name," Emmie asked as she watched her new baby brother kick his legs, the twins giggling as they kept catching and tugging at his toes.
"Your mom hasn't said yet," Rick smiled as he looked from Emmie to Zak, studying his serious face as he studied the baby over Tyra's head, "What do you think, Zak?"
Blue eyes looked up to meet his, mouth tilting into a slight smile, "He's gonna look like you."
He chuckled, watching as Gabriel reached out to touch a finger to a tiny hand, little fingers wrapping around it, "More than likely."
The baby let out a cry as he tucked his legs into his tummy, his twin brothers having changed tactics, their fingers tickling the soft soles of his feet.
"Andrey, Alyx," Rick gave them the look they knew very well meant business, "Babies don't like having their feet tickled."
"Mama says we did," Andrey tilted his head to the side, his little face adorably quizzical, "All the time."
"She tickled us and we laughed," Alyx lifted his shoulders as he pulled at his ear, bumping into Andrey as he tried to stand on one foot.
"Yeah, well, you two are unique," Rick teased, catching movement from the bed out of the corner of his eye -looked like his beautiful wife was waking up.
"What that mean," Alyx asked as he gave a little hop, bumping against Rick's knee and jostling the baby, who apparently didn't take too kindly to being moved about in such a way.
Xavier woke with a start at the sound of screaming, blue eyes blinking as he looked around, his face lighting up as Leah pushed herself into a sitting position, "Mama!"
"Hi baby," she smiled as he stretched out his arms for her, giving her mother a reassuring nod she was okay with taking him as Rick worked at calming down their baby, "Did you miss me?"
Xavier nodded, snuggling into her side as Tyra made shushing noises to her baby brother, Gabriel moving to the side of the bed, climbing up to sit on the side at Leah's invitation, "Dad doesn't know the baby's name."
Leah chuckled as she pulled him into her side, pressing a kiss on his forehead, long fingers ruffling his hair, "I haven't told him, that's why."
"Did you name all of us, mama," Zak's quiet voice had all their attention as he sat by Leah's feet, Tyra skipping over for help to join him, his arms loose around her to keep her from falling.
"I did, yes," Leah smiled as Emmie climbed up on the other side of the end of the bed, the twins crowding in beside her hip as Xavier moved higher up the bed to rest his head on her shoulder, "Normally, I talk to your dad about ideas for names but this time, I thought to keep it a secret."
"It's not gonna be another weird name, is it," Gabe teased, laughing when Emmie gave his arm a pinch, "Oh, come on, Emmie. I'm the only one with a normal name...although Alyx and Andrey is a close second but you, Zak, Ty and Avy...strange."
"What's so strange about Zakery," Zak asked his older brother with a quirk of his eyebrow, "There's a kid in my class with the same name."
"It's the spelling, dude," Gabe gave his brother his 'duh' look, "No one spells it z-a-k-e-r-y."
"I have a reason for giving each and every one of you your names," Leah spoke up, diverting what could have been an argument, although Zak never argued -even when Alyx and Andrey had colored his aquarium's water purple with food coloring, thus killing two of his prized fish, "For example, Zakery. Your name is a variation of your dad's youngest brother's name, Zarek, and your middle name is after my dad. You, Emmie, are named after his mom, Erato, and his sister, Amery, not to mention his brothers Erasmus and Evan."
"Why is my middle name Rachel?"
Sue watched as Rick and Leah shared a secret smile before she answered, "Your Aunt Rachel did a big favor for your father and he thought it would be the best way to say thank you."
"What about us, mama," Alyx scrambled onto his knees, almost knocking Andrey off the bed, "Why is our names Andrey and Alyx and Niko and Milo?"
Leah laughed as she reached out to gently tug him to sit on his bottom, moving slightly to the side for Andrey to find a secure spot, "I named you two after his brother Andreus –Andrey, your middle name Niko is for your Daddy's first little boy and Alyx, your Daddy's father was named Milo."
"And me, mama?"
Leah smiled at her sweet little girl, leaning forward to gently stroke her blond fringe from her eyes, "You are named after your uncles Tymek, Tymon and Tyron."
Brown-green eyes widened as she wiggled out of Zak's hold to kneel by her mother's stretched out legs, "All three of them?"
Sue could see the surprise on her son-in-law's face, feeling surprise herself he hadn't known Leah's reasoning behind her children's unique names.
"Yes –all three of them. Your middle name is for his brother Kristos and Xavier is for his brother Xerxes."
"What about me, mama," the hurt look in Gabriel's blue eyes stabbed straight into Leah's heart, "Why am I not named after dad's brothers?"
"I didn't know their names when you were born," Leah reached up to run her fingers through his hair, "So I named you after two angels. Gabriel: the angel of mercy and bringer of good news. Michael: the angel of justice and fighter of truth."
She pulled his head down until their foreheads touched, whispering softly enough for only him to hear as she looked into his blue eyes, "You saved me, Gabriel...your name reminds me every time I hear it."
Sue swallowed back a sob, looking over her shoulder at the soft knock on the door, everyone laughing at Rose's uncharacteristic squeal as she walked in, Seth behind her holding a large bouquet of tiger lilies and white daisies along with dozens of helium balloons.
"No one move," Rose held out her hands, quickly pulling her bag off and taking out her digital camera, "This is perfect!"
They laughed as Sue moved out of the family picture shot, blinking back tears as she watched her daughter amidst her children, Rick standing behind Emmie with their newborn baby cradled in his arms.
"Wait," Emmie held out her hands as her aunt kept snapping pictures, turning to look at her mama, "We don't know the baby's name yet."
More laughter, Leah giving Rick a smile full of joyful peace as he gently settled their new baby in her arms, Xavier sucking his thumb as he leaned down to look into the big blue eyes looking up at his mama, his own arm still wrapped around her neck.
"Everyone," Leah let out a sigh of contentment, the feel of Rick's fingers under her hair stroking her neck relaxing her in a way she didn't know she needed, "This is your little brother, your grandson, your nephew…" she looked up into Rick's eyes and Sue was able to see how the world shrunk around them, leaving everyone else outside its boundaries…it was like looking in through a window, "Your son –Erick Micah Laskaris."
Thanksgiving Day
They were at the Clearwater's, being their place was the biggest of the three choices and even then, Seth had to move the armchairs, long couch, coffee table, and side tables into his study to make room for the rental tables and twenty-five chairs.
The smells coming from the kitchen where Leah, Sue, Meg (Embry's mother) and Jiao –she had showed up early to help with the preparations –was permeating the entire house, causing Seth's stomach to grumble and his mouth to water. Outside, the sounds of squeals and screams were accompanied by laughter as Rick and Embry worked together to entertain the older kids with a game of touch football.
Inside, the younger ones –mainly Tyra, Xavier and Carlos –entertained themselves with puzzles and coloring books. Rose herself was on baby rocking duty and that's how Seth found her as he walked in through the front door, a bag of last minute needed groceries in one arm, a bouquet of wild flowers in his other hand.
Closing the door with his foot, he smiled at the sight of his wife as she bounced his two week old nephew, her husky voice low as she talked to the blue eyed baby, his tiny fingers wrapped around one of hers.
"Collin called," Seth walked through the living room, stopping to easily lift up his two year old son as the little boy ran down the hallway to wrap his arms around his legs, "Hey little man. You having fun with your cousins?"
Carlos nodded, hazel eyes bright as he hugged his father's neck before turning to look at his mother, pointing a tiny finger, "Baby?"
"Yep, that's your baby cousin Erick," Seth buzzed his soft check, grinning at the peals of laughter as his little boy tucked his chin in, "Where are your other cousins?"
Carlos twisted to point down the hallway before turning to point at Erick again, "Baby play?"
"Ah, buddy, your cousin can't play yet," Seth walked into the kitchen, placing the paper bag in a counter, giving the wild flowers to his mother, "Thought they'd look good as table decorations."
Sue chuckled as she took them from him, dropping a kiss on her grandson's small nose, "Your daddy's silly, isn't he?"
Carlos giggled as he agreed with his whole body, belly laughs escaping him as Seth tickled him, "What do you mean I'm silly, uh?"
"No," Carlos squealed, laughing and wiggling to be put down. As soon as Seth set him on the floor, he took off running down the hallway, "No tickles!"
Chuckling, Seth hung his car keys on the key rings they kept on the wall above the phone, "Need any help, ma?"
"No," Sue shook her head as she moved around her daughter, the four women having found a rhythm, none of them getting in each others' way, "We're fine. Have you heard from Lian?"
"Yeah, Collin called. Their plane just landed thirty minutes ago. They should all be here in an hour or so."
"Just in time," Leah grinned over her shoulder at her little brother, finishing the batch of garlic mashed potatoes she had been working on, "The turkey has another hour to go."
"So I have to be tortured with these delicious Thanksgiving smells and Lian just gets to walk in and eat?"
Leah laughed as she covered the mash potatoes, moving them aside as Meg pulled out a batch of biscuits from the baking oven, "Pretty much."
"I always knew he was your favorite."
Her carefree laughter made him grin as he continued to tease her, "You were never any good at hiding it. I'm gonna go into the living room with my wife where I'm appreciated."
Leah grinned as he turned to walk away, knowing he would hear her as she muttered under her breath, "Don't be too sure about that."
Shaking his head, he looked around the living room, finally catching sight of Rose sitting on the loveseat he had moved up against the wall beside the fireplace. He could tell Erick was asleep –Rose wasn't rocking him anymore which was only necessary to get him to fall asleep –in her arms as she gently traced his tiny features with a single finger, the look on her face as she watched him sleep oddly familiar.
"Oh no," Seth muttered as he moved around the long table, carefully sitting beside her as she looked up at him, her beautiful hazel eyes bright, "I know that look on your face, Rose."
"What look?"
"You want another baby."
He watched her full lips spread into a beautiful smile as she looked down at her nephew, tracing his nose, "He's so beautiful…and tiny."
The sound of shrieking was all the warning they got before Xavier and Carlos came running down the hallway with Tyra chasing behind them, "Yeah, but in a year or two they turn into that."
Rose giggled as she watched her son and his cousins running around the long table, Carlos crawling under to keep away from Tyra as Xavier –giggling the entire time –toddled off into the kitchen, "Mama! Mama!"
"It may be," Rose looked over at Seth, her bottom lip poking out in a pout, "But it takes an entire year for them to get there."
Seth let out a chuckle as he moved into her space, placing his arm around her shoulders as he looked down at his nephew's sleeping face, his large hand covering the tiny blond haired head, "He is cute."
Rose nodded, moving her head to place a soft kiss on his jaw, her whispered words in his ear causing a shiver to skate down his spine, "Remember how much fun it was to make one?"
"Remember how much fun it was to push it out," Seth teased her, running his fingers through her hair as he tilted his head back to kiss the soft spot behind her ear, his hot breath causing her skin to flush, "If I recall, you told me you'd kill me if I ever got you pregnant again."
Rose giggled, tilting her head to the side to give him easier access as he placed tiny biting kisses down her neck, "Well, I retract my threat."
"You do, uh," Seth's tongue darted out to get a taste of her sweet smelling kiss, dropping his hand from his nephew's head to land on her thigh, his thumb rubbing slow circles against the silk fabric of her skirt, "Well, in that case…I suppose I'm amenable to the idea."
Rose bit her bottom lip, turning her head to look into his brown-green eyes, "So that means you're persuadable?"
Seth hummed in agreement, lightly rubbing his mouth over hers as he slid his hand under her skirt, the soft velvet of her skin against his calloused fingertips making both of them shiver, "Definitely persuadable…in a year or two."
"What," Rose's eyes widened in surprise as she pulled away from him, "Why so long?"
"It'll be easier to handle a baby if Carlos is a little older," Seth bit back laughter at the look on his wife's face –she looked downright devastated, "Don't you think?"
Looking down at her nephew as he let out a soft mewl, she gently bounced him until he settled back down, "Is the timeline negotiable?"
"Mhm," Seth tucked his hand between her knees, his thumb tracking distracting circles against the inside of her thigh, "Well that depends."
Rose looked into his eyes, flushing at the heat she saw in them as he slowly –very slowly –tucked her hair behind her ear, stroking it down her back, "On what?"
Seth gave her his famous panty-dropping smile as he cupped the back of her head to pull her closer, "On what you're negotiating with."
He swallowed her giggle, his mouth moving over hers in a slow quest to conquer, his tongue teasing the corners of her mouth until she opened for him. He kept the kiss slow and sweet, his tongue moving over hers, the taste of her causing a series of fires to ignite deep inside him. Pulling her in closer, he squeezed her thigh as the kiss deepened, both of them lost to everything but each other.
"Seriously? You're feeling up your wife while she's holding my baby?"
They broke apart, Rose's face flushing a bright pink as Leah stood a couple of feet away, hands on her fists, toe tapping the floor, eyes twinkling despite the scowl on her face.
"What," Seth shrugged, fighting back the smile threatening to emerge, knowing his Rose wouldn't appreciate him seeing the humor in the whole thing, "It's his fault."
"Oh, my baby's to blame for this now?"
"Well, yeah," Seth leaned back into the couch with a shrug, "He gave Rose baby fever."
Leah's head fell back as she laughed, little Erick stirring awake in Rose's arms, blinking big blue eyes before he let out a high pitched cry.
"That's him complaining of your lies," Leah moved to take him from her sister-in-law, her brown-green eyes dancing as she teased them, "He doesn't appreciate you using him as an excuse to get frisky."
Rose's blush turned from pink to an alarming red, the back of her hand colliding with Seth's chest at his next words, "I never need an excuse to get frisky."
"Seth!"
Seth and Leah laughed, Rose biting her bottom lip as he pulled her into his side, "Sorry, baby, but it's true. Hell, even you –"
"Not funny," she interrupted what was sure to be an embarrassing revelation of her initiating sex with her husband, "Keep talking and you're not getting any."
Seth shut his mouth with a snap, eyes wide as he looked over at his sister, chuckling as she sadly shook her head at him, "She's got you whipped, Seth."
Seth shrugged, rubbing his hand up and down his wife's arm but not saying anything as Leah laughed, moving down the hall towards the study as Erick's cries intensified in volume.
"I don't appreciate you making jokes about our sex life," Rose whispered fiercely at him, trying to hold herself rigid as he closed his arms around him but it wasn't easy to dissuade herself from melting into him.
"I was just teasing, baby," Seth nuzzled her neck, squeezing her hip as he rubbed her arm with his other hand, "Come on –she's my sister. If I recall, she was the one to help you out in understanding sex."
Rose wrinkled her nose, finally letting herself relax into him as she crossed her legs, placing a small hand on his thigh as she tilted her head back to look into his eyes, "Actually, your mother helped me out with that. Your sister confused me with her birds and the bees talk."
Seth almost choked, his forehead resting against hers as his entire body shook with laughter, "She…she tried…she tried giving –oh my god!"
Rose giggled as she snuggled into him, her fingers playing with the inseam of his dark jeans, "She made no sense, talking about birds and bees pollinating and how women were flowers and fields."
Seth was having a hard time breathing, he was laughing so hard. Burying his face into her neck, he worked at controlling his mirth as he tightened his arms around her.
Resting her head against his, she smiled as she breathed him in, loving the way his very scent had her humming, body and soul, "I didn't find it that funny, Seth."
Taking a deep breath, Seth finally found a modicum of calm within him to stop laughing as he pulled back to look into her eyes, "Of course you didn't, baby. That talk is meant for boys. It's supposed to help them understand the consequences of sex."
"Oh," Rose blinked, Seth smiling at the adorably innocent look on her face, "Is there a talk for girls?"
"Yeah," Seth thumbed her bottom lip, their nose touching as he moved in to kiss her, "The one my mother gave you."
Their smiles melted into a kiss, his finger caressing her face before slipping into her hair. Pulling back enough for them to breathe, he gave her a teasing smile, "You know, later tonight…we can introduce my bee to your flower."
Rose stared at him for a few seconds, her eyes widening as she realized what he meant, his mouth closing over hers and swallowing her words, his arm around her waist practically pulling her into his lap.
"So that's what Paul meant about you two being a porn video in the making."
"Julian!"
Seth and Rose broke apart, the front door closing as the last guests to their Thanksgiving dinner walked into their living room, Lian rubbing his arm where his wife had hit him.
"About time you got here," Seth decided it would be in his best interests if he didn't respond to his cousin's teasing words, giving his wife's bottom a slight smack as she stood up, "Dinner should be ready soon."
Lian grinned at the flushed look on Rose's face, Julie's warning glare letting him know he was going to suffer if he continued teasing them about their make-out show, "Well, then, what are we waiting for? Let's eat!"
