CHAPTER 2
Having finished with nursing her son, James Benjamin, Candy lifted the newborn to her shoulder and began gently patting his back until she heard the slight burping noise before shifting him to cuddle against her chest as she gazed lovingly into his tiny angelic face. Much as had been the case since the night she gave birth to their son, she couldn't help but study him in loving amazement as she realized just how much a combination of, both, she and Jeremy the child truly was; a fact that couldn't be denied given the mixture of dark and reddish-brown that tinged the fine strands of hair that covered his small head, this was aside from the blue of his eyes. Having come to recognize the look her sister in law wore as she gazed upon her child, Jemma couldn't help but smile affectionately as she finished changing her newborn son;
"It never fails to amaze you, does it, Candy?"
Tearing her gaze away from her child, Candy lifted her head to question;
"What never fails to amaze me, Jemma?"
Her own features reflecting her adoration for her own child, Jemma could only smile;
"How, no matter how many times you look at your child you never cease to be amazed at the amount of love that you have or how much of a miracle you find him to be."
Cuddling her son closer as she rose from her chair to see to changing his diaper, Candy could only nod;
"You're right, he's such a little miracle, but it's not just that, it's also that, well, he's such a combination of, both, me and Jeremy. I know that he's a part of both of us, but I never expected that he would be such an epitome of the fact."
Unable to contain her amusement, Julie, who had just finished nursing her own child, found herself looking down into her daughter's face as she agreed;
"I know what you mean, Candy. I look at my little Lisa and can't help but marvel at that myself, even her hair looks like a cross between mine and Jason's, but I swear, some of the looks I've noticed seem to be right in line with her Daddy's."
Jemma found herself laughing lightly as she pointed out;
"I knew that when you and Jason named her Alissa Julietta that, somehow, we'd end up calling her 'Lisa'."
Amused by her sister in law's statement, Julie couldn't help but demand;
"And just what made you so sure of that, Jemma?"
Taking her son in her arms, Jemma glanced down into his cherubic face that bore such a striking resemblance to his older brother and father with the shock of dark hair and even darker eyes that he had been born with, before meeting Julie's questioning look with one of amusement as she quipped;
"Oh, I don't know, Julie. I mean considering that out of the five babies born in this family in the last year or so, the only one who goes by his given name is Jacob, I don't know why I would have suspected such a thing."
Whatever comment might have been made was forgotten as the back door opened as Aaron, Jason, and Jeremy hurried into the kitchen, eager to greet their wives and children. Jemma lifted her face to offer her husband a warm and loving smile as she greeted;
"Hello, my love. How was your day?"
Careful of the tiny bundle of their newborn son in her arms, Aaron leaned down to place his lips against hers in a slightly lingering kiss before lifting his head to respond;
"It wasn't too bad, sweetheart, although that greeting just made it considerably better."
Taking their son in his arms, Aaron cradled the baby against his chest as he smiled at their child and his voice softened;
"And how are you doing today, Alexander Gregory?"
Jason couldn't help but shake his head as he chuckled in amusement;
"Aaron, only you would want to name your son after Alexander the Great."
Annoyed with her brother's comment, Jemma defended hotly;
"JASON JONATHAN BOLT! I'll have you know that WE did not name OUR son after Alexander the Great. It just so happens that Alexander was Aaron's mother's maiden name, just like MacGregor was our mother's maiden name; THAT'S why we named our son Alexander Gregory. NOW, I think that you owe my husband an apology for that comment, Big Brother."
Recalling what Jeremy had told him of Candy's mood swings after Jamie's birth and his own experience with Julie's changing moods after their daughter's birth, given that it had only been a couple of weeks or so since Jemma had given birth Jason realized that he should have been more considerate of how she would take his statement; even if he was only saying it in jest to irritate his brother in law. His face reflecting his regret, Jason approached his sister and, placing his arm around her shoulders, offered;
"You're absolutely right, Pixie. I was wrong to say that, even jokingly."
Placing his hand on his brother in law's shoulder, Jason offered;
"Aaron, I apologize for what I said."
Aaron shrugged nonchalantly;
"It's alright, Jason, I hardly pay attention to anything you say anyway."
Despite himself, Jason couldn't help but laugh loudly, something that, judging by his daughter's cry, startled her awake. He wasn't surprised when his wife admonished;
"Jason, she was just beginning to fall asleep."
Jason offered her a look of contrition;
"I'm sorry, Julie sweet. Here, let me take her."
Taking his daughter into arms, Jason cradled the infant against his chest and lowered his voice considerably as he cooed;
"And how is Daddy's little love today, were you good for Mommy?"
Lifting his eyes and noticing the amused look that his brother in law wore, Jason demanded;
"Might I ask what you find so amusing, Aaron?"
Noticing that his son had fallen asleep in his arms, Aaron settled Alex in his bassinet before meeting Jason's look of curiosity with his own look of humor as he shook his head;
"Oh, nothing."
Crossing the room to where his older son and daughter were contentedly playing with their toys, Aaron couldn't help but feel his heart swell with the love he had for his children as, in unison, both Jacob and Amie looked up to greet their father with a slightly lopsided grin. Crawling to bars of the wooden railings that Aaron, Jason, and Jeremy had constructed to allow the twins, as well as the three newest additions to their family, freedom to play in a contained area without their parents worrying for their safety, Jacob, then Amie, pulled themselves up to stand as they eagerly held their small arms up in expectation. They found their hopes rewarded as their father leaned over the top of the wooden barrier to, easily, take both children into his arms as he turned to offer his brother in law;
"I just find it a little funny how you used to be so intimidated when you'd hold Amie and Jacob and how you found it so amusing that I was such a 'softy' when it came to my children. Yet, here you are, cooing to your own daughter, who, I might add, by all appearances, seems to have you wrapped around her little finger."
Hugging his son and daughter closer to him as Amie hugged his neck before placing her lips against her father's cheek to make a smacking sound, Aaron couldn't help but laugh;
"Face it, Jason, between what Amie and Lisa have inherited from their mothers and their aunts, we might as well face the fact that we're not going to be able to deny our daughters anything."
Having remained quiet as he greeted his wife before eagerly taking his son in his arms Jeremy shook his head as he quipped;
"Then I guess it's a lucky thing we had a son then, huh, Aaron?"
Her face reflecting her disbelief of her husband's question, Candy slapped the back of her hand across Jeremy's shoulder as she chastised;
"JEREMY BOLT! I can't believe you just said that all Jamie has to do is look at you and you're bending over backward just to get him to grin, which he can't really even do just yet."
Meeting each other's look of amusement, Julie and Jemma couldn't help but burst into laughter as Julie approached Jason to smile lovingly at their daughter before looking up into her husband's eyes as she offered him the same smile of love;
"Face it, Jason, my love, you won't be able to deny our little angel anything."
Placing his hand over his wife's, Jason could only smile in loving amusement as he reminded;
"Just like her mother, Julie sweet."
Giggling in amusement, Jemma approached her husband to take their son in her arms as she pointed out;
"And we know from experience that you can't deny our children, my love."
Chuckling in amusement as he lowered his head to kiss her cheek, Aaron ventured;
"Sweetheart, I can't deny YOU anything, it's hardly likely that I would be able to deny our children when I look at them and see you."
Engaged in a game of exchanging kisses with their son, Jemma laughed;
"With Amie, maybe, but, honey, you have to admit; there's simply no way that you could ever deny Jacob and Alex are your sons, they look exactly like you."
Aaron shook his head vehemently;
"Jemma love, I would never, and could never, deny any of our children, but when I look at them, I see you."
Looking into his daughter's eyes that reminded him so much of her mother's, Aaron shook his head as he stated in disbelief;
"I can't believe that Amie and Jacob are about to be a year old."
Laughing softly as the thought occurred to her, Candy remarked;
"One thing is for certain, Jemma, you definitely have a talent for giving your husband the ultimate birthday gift."
Jemma shook her head as she huffed;
"Just because I had the twins about three weeks after Aaron's birthday last year and about three weeks before his birthday this year...oh never mind, I think I see your point."
As if suddenly remembering, Aaron's eyes widened as he reached into his vest pocket before exclaiming;
"Speaking of birthdays, I received a note today from Josh in the latest shipment orders that he sent. He said that he'll be here in time for the twins' birthday and that he's eager to meet his new nephews and niece and that he's bringing a surprise."
Seeing the excitement brighten her eyes, Aaron knew that his wife was thrilled at the prospect of her brother being present for their children's first birthday, especially considering that it had been mutually agreed upon to celebrate, not just Amie and Jacob's first birthday, but to also celebrate the birth of the three new additions to the family. Any doubts that he, or anyone else, might have had to the contrary were soon put to rest as Jemma smiled brightly at her son as she jostled him a bit before exclaiming brightly;
"Do you hear that, little boy? Your Uncle Josh is coming home for a visit, he's not going to believe how much you and Amie have grown, or just how beautiful your brother and cousins are."
Jeremy's face reflected his curiosity as he pondered aloud;
"I wonder what surprise he's bringing."
Shrugging nonchalantly as he settled his daughter in her bassinet, having fallen asleep in his arms, Jason softly ventured;
"Well, Jeremy, considering that we sent him telegrams after Jamie, Lisa, and Alex were born, and since it's Jacob and Amie's birthday, I'm sure he's bringing presents for the kids. You know Josh, he likes being a bit mysterious when it comes to surprising us."
Noticing that their son had fallen asleep as well, Jeremy settled the infant in his bassinet before demanding;
"Well, now that the little ones are settled, what's for supper? I'm starving."
Laughing as he settled Amie in her high chair while Jemma did the same with their son, Aaron turned to Jason;
"I told you, I knew that once he smelled what the girls were cooking he'd be chomping at the bit."
Due to the limitations that their conditions had forced upon them while they were expecting, Jemma, Candy, and Julie had found it easier to combine their resources jointly and had begun sharing the work of preparing the evening meals for their families jointly. Given that their house was the midway point between Jeremy and Candy's cabin and Jason and Julie's house, it made more sense to congregate at Aaron and Jemma's home, the exceptions being when Candy and, then, Julie gave birth. Even then, Julie and Jemma simply cooked the meals and then sent them with Jeremy and Benjamin when they stopped in on their way home. However, once they had recovered from giving birth, the three decided to combine their efforts and continue the trend, something that their husbands didn't have any objections to, especially since it gave their wives, sisters, and children a chance to bond closer together. Noticing her husband and brothers beginning to fill their plates as she and Julie fed Amie and Jacob, she furrowed her brow;
"Shouldn't we wait for Benjamin, Molly, and Christopher?"
Shaking his head, Jeremy advised;
"No, Pixie, it seems that they received a special invitation to join Lottie for dinner at her place and when the kids found out she was making their favorite caramel apple pie for dessert they were more than happy to go."
The concern for her grandfather evident in her eyes, Candy asked;
"How is Grandpa doing with the job?"
Noticing the slight pout his daughter wore as well as the stubborn position that she was taking when it came to accepting the food her aunt offered her and guessing the reason, Aaron took the bowl and spoon from his sister;
"No offense, Julie, but judging by the look she's giving me..."
Holding her hand up to halt the remainder of her brother's statement, Julie shook her head;
"No offense taken, Aaron. We all know that Amie is definitely a Daddy's girl, besides, I hope that Lisa is the same way about her daddy."
Offering his daughter a spoonful of food, Aaron cajoled;
"Come on, Baby Girl, let's get you fed; Daddy's supper can wait till you've had yours."
Satisfied that she was eating as she should, Aaron turned to Candy to offer;
"I can't say about the logging end of the operation, but as far as the mill goes, your grandfather is doing a wonderful job. I've only had one bookkeeper that impressed me as much as Benjamin does."
Tilting her head to the side in question, Candy demanded;
"Well if they were such a wonderful bookkeeper why aren't they still working for you, Aaron?"
Nodding towards Jemma, Aaron couldn't help but chuckle;
"Because I married her and we have three children who need their mommy with them, that's why."
Seeing her blush with embarrassment, Aaron offered;
"I didn't mean to tease you, Candy, but in all seriousness, Benjamin, outside of Jemma, is one of the best bookkeepers that I've ever seen."
Swallowing the bite of food he had taken, Jason nodded his agreement;
"Aaron's right, Candy, I was a bit worried after Josh left, but your grandfather took less than a day to familiarize himself with the operation and what he needed to know. Mind you, that was on top of having learned everything he needed to know at the mill."
It wasn't hard to miss her nervousness as Candy demanded;
"So the arrangement is working out well?"
Although it had been agreed upon before Josh's departure and had been implemented just beforehand, Candy still worried over her grandfather settling into his position as the Head Bookkeeper for, both, the logging camp and the mill. Although it had been more than four months and Benjamin seemed to be doing well in the position, Candy couldn't help but worry that he would become dissatisfied and leave Seattle again, even though he had made it quite clear that he wanted nothing more than to remain in Seattle with his grandchildren and great-grandson. Noticing how she was fidgeting with her hands, Jeremy gently placed his hand over hers as he offered quietly;
"Candy heart, Benjamin is doing just fine, he loves the work and, quite frankly, makes it look easy, something that we all know it's not. But, aside from that, are you forgetting that he told us, in no uncertain terms, that he intends to live here, with us, for the rest of his life. Not only doesn't he want to leave you, Christopher, or Molly, again, but if he were to leave I think we'd have to check his luggage to make sure he didn't try to sneak Jamie away with him. Stop worrying, hun."
Mulling over everything that she had heard, Candy nodded;
"You're right, I'm just worrying for nothing, it's just that..."
Wiping Jacob's chin, Jemma turned to her sister in law;
"Outside of Molly, Christopher, and now, Jamie, and of course all of us, Benjamin is your family and you want him close?"
Seeing Candy's nod of agreement, Jemma continued;
"Candy, that's only natural."
Candy sighed in relief that her family understood her need to have her grandfather remain close as she began enjoying her meal as well. Once everyone's hunger had been satisfied Jemma, Candy, and Julie cleared the table while Jeremy tended to the three youngest children while Jason helped Aaron bathe Jacob and Amie before dressing them for bed. Once he had finished drying off Jacob, Jason took the towel that he was using to tousle the boy's hair, causing his nephew to laugh as he glanced at Aaron to offer;
"You know, the boys really do look a lot like you."
Slipping her nightgown over her head, Aaron took the small brush from the dresser to bring order to his daughter's curls as he ventured;
"I can't deny that Jacob and Alex look like me, but you can see their mother in them too, just like you can see some of me in Amie."
Studying his nephew a bit closer as the child offered his uncle a lopsided grin, Jason couldn't help but laugh;
"Now that you mention it, I can see a glint of mischief in Jacob's eyes that reminds me a lot of Pixie when she was little."
Nodding as he lifted Amie in his arms, Aaron agreed;
"I can see that. Tell me something, the way the three of you have always talked about it, I've always pictured Jemma as being a happy baby; was she?"
Noticing a hint of recollection in his brother in law's eyes, Aaron realized that he had, perhaps, asked a sensitive question. His assumption was soon proven correct as Jason explained;
"For the most part, yes, Pixie was a very happy baby. Although, when Mother died, it was almost as if she knew what was going on."
His brow furrowing in puzzlement of his brother in law's statement, Aaron demanded;
"What do you mean, Jason?"
Taking his nephew in his arms, Jason sighed as he confided;
"Just after Mother died, as most babies will do, Jemma would cry and look for Mother. But, she only did that for a very short time, I remember the day that we buried Mother, Father had insisted on keeping Pixie with him after she had passed, he seemed to want all of us near him as much as possible, but with Pixie, well I suppose that he might have felt she was a strong connection to Mother, especially since she resembled her so much. Anyway, the day we buried mother, it was as if Pixie knew what was happening."
Shocked by his brother in law's statement, Aaron's eyes widened in disbelief;
"Jason, that just can't be possible. I mean, Jemma was just a few months old when your mother died."
Nodding, Jason confirmed;
"She was less than a year old, she had just begun to take steps on her own. But, Aaron, I'm telling you, Jemma KNEW what was going on. As they were lowering the casket into the grave Jemma reached her arms out and called; 'Mama', then when the final prayer was said, she just laid her head against Father's shoulder, cried a bit and then went to sleep; after that, she never called for Mother again. It was about two weeks before we heard her laugh or even saw a smile, but one evening Father was sitting in his chair and began crying. Normally, we tried to keep Pixie entertained in the evenings so Father could rest, we wanted to make things as easy on him as we could, we knew that, as hard as losing Mother was for us, it had to be much worse for Father. This particular evening, Jeremy had fallen while I was out chopping wood for the wood box and Josh turned his back for one minute, which was all it took for Pixie to toddle her way over to Father. When I went outside, he had been in tears, when I walked back inside, he was holding Jemma on his lap, tickling her to make her giggle, which made him laugh."
Shaking his head, Jason met his brother in law's look of astonishment with his own look of blunt honesty;
"Aaron, I swear to you, I don't think that Father could have gone on if it had not been for Pixie and when we lost Father, I don't know if the three of us would have gone on without her."
Hearing the sound of laughter coming from the kitchen as they began making their way downstairs, Jason begged;
"Please, whatever you do, don't say anything about what I just told you. We tried to make sure that Jemma grew up as happy as possible and I don't want her depressed by thinking about it now, especially when she's so happy."
Shaking his head, Aaron agreed;
"No, Jason, I won't say anything; the last thing I want is for her to be unhappy."
Joining everyone in the kitchen, Jason placed Jacob in his mother's arms as he took his daughter from her bassinet before turning to his wife to venture;
"Julie sweet, don't you think it's about time that we take our little angel home and put her to bed?"
Taking his son in his arms, Jeremy nodded as he ventured;
"I think it's about time for Candy and me to get Jamie home too. Besides, I'm sure that Benjamin, Christopher, and Molly will be waiting for us."
Approaching his sister, Jeremy kissed her on the cheek as he offered;
"Supper was great, as usual, Pixie. Thank you for having us over."
Jemma couldn't help but giggle;
"Jeremy, you're always over, but you're most certainly welcome; as usual."
Following their brother's example, Jason kissed Jemma's forehead as he ventured;
"A wonderful meal as always, Baby Sister."
Shaking her head in amusement, Jemma retorted;
"And you, too, Big Brother, are welcome."
Offering her sister in law a knowing smile, Julie speculated;
"I'm guessing that we'll be discussing the menu tomorrow?"
Her face mirroring her puzzlement, Jemma demanded;
"What menu?"
Already having guessed what Julie was about to say, Candy remarked;
"The menu that you want to have for when Josh arrives."
Rolling her eyes sarcastically, Jemma quipped;
"Very funny you two. I hope you all have a pleasant walk home, I need to tend to Alex and then Aaron and I need to put our children to bed. Good night."
Laughing at their sister's slight embarrassment, Jeremy and Jason waved as Candy and Julie bid goodnight before pulling the door closed behind them as they left. Noticing the look of concern on her husband's face as she sighed tiredly, Jemma rushed to assure him;
I promise, love, I'm fine, just a little bit tired, that's all."
Taking Jacob from her, Aaron suggested;
"Sweetheart, why don't we take these three upstairs? You tend to Alex and get him settled while I keep these two occupied then we'll get them settled for the night?"
Seeing that their youngest child was beginning to fuss, Jemma soothed as she lifted him from his bassinet;
"It's alright, my little love, Mommy's here. We'll go upstairs and give you a nice bath, then Mommy will feed you and get you all settled."
A short time later, Aaron had Amie and Jacob on the floor of the nursery, playing with them, while Jemma nursed Alex. Once she had him fed, comfortable, and settled, Jemma joined her husband for, what had become, their nightly ritual with their older children since they had begun standing and taking steps on their own. Aaron still found it hard to believe that, just shy of year old, Jacob and Amie were already standing on their own and even taking steps. However, as Lottie reminded him when they began doing so, he soon realized he shouldn't have been shocked;
"Oh come on Aaron, you know the old saying don't you? When a baby, or in this case, babies, begin doing everything ahead of time it's because they're hurrying to get out of the way because a new baby is on the way."
Once Jemma began to show, as had Candy and Julie, it became obvious that, since they were now beginning to crawl, keeping up with the twins was going to prove somewhat difficult for Jemma, even with Julie and Candy's help. That being the case, Aaron, Jason, and Jeremy had concluded that some way would need to be devised of allowing the twins room to play and explore in a safe area, yet preventing them from having free roam of the house. Finally, after having wracked their brains for several days, the answer came to Aaron. After he explained his idea to Jason and Jeremy, the three, with the help of Harve, Aaron's foreman, set about constructing the barrier that, while giving the twins room to play and crawl, kept them confined to a specific area under their mother's and aunts' watchful eyes. He soon found his thoughts brought back to the present as he noticed the glow of happiness in his wife's eyes as she took her place on the floor across from him before encouraging their children;
"Who wants to come to Mommy?"
Aaron couldn't help but find amusement in his children's actions as Jacob and Amie glanced at each other as if deciding whose turn it was for their mother's attention before Jacob crawled off to be swept up in her waiting arms as Amie turned to smile at her father before holding her arms up expectantly as she opened and closed her small fists. Having come to understand the meaning behind the gesture, Aaron held his hands out to his daughter as she grasped his fingers to pull herself to stand before trying to take a shaky step that soon found her wobbling before falling on her backside as he encouraged;
"Come on, Princess, you can do it, give it another try."
Glancing at his son and wife, Aaron couldn't help but observe as he stated rather than asked;
"I take it that you're thrilled over the idea of Josh coming home for a visit."
Although she had considered trying to act blasé about the prospect, Jemma realized that trying to hide the fact of how pleased she was at the prospect of her brother's visit was useless. Finally, she laughed lightly as she sighed in resignation;
"There's no sense in trying to deny it; yes I am."
Pinning him with her eyes, which were filled with amusement, Jemma pointed out;
"You know me way too well, my love. I'm just anxious for him to see Alex, Jamie, and Lisa, and to see how much Jacob and Amie have grown."
Nodding, Aaron supplied;
"And to satisfy yourself that Josh is really doing alright."
Seeing the look of shock in her eyes at his statement, Aaron shrugged lightly;
"As you said, sweetheart, I know you VERY well."
Before either could say anything more, Jacob, who had been holding onto his mother's hands, just as his sister was their father's, lifted his right foot and, although a bit wobbly, balanced on his left foot before bringing his right foot down slightly ahead of his left foot without falling. Jemma's eyes widened in astonishment as she watched him repeat the same steps, this time with his left foot, before turning loose of his mother's hands to cross the short distance to plop next to his sister in front of Aaron to giggle in glee at his triumph. Lifting her eyes to meet her husband's Jemma demanded excitedly;
"Honey, did you see what he just did?
Nodding as he picked up their son, Aaron confirmed;
"Yes, darlin, I most certainly did."
Aaron couldn't help but tickle him as he praised;
"That's Daddy's big boy."
Noticing the irritated look that their daughter wore Jemma found she could only laugh as Amie huffed before rolling onto her knees to crawl over to her father's leg, which she used to brace herself as she pushed herself up on her feet. Jemma and Aaron watched with bated breath as she teetered from one foot to the other as she found her balance before taking a hesitant step on her own, and then another until she crossed the space to fall into Jemma's arms as she looked up at her mother to giggle as Jemma gushed;
"Would you look at what Mommy's baby girl did all by herself."
Aaron couldn't help but remark in astonishment;
"Jemma love, you do realize what our son and daughter just did, don't you?
Hugging their daughter close as she kissed the child's cheek, Jemma nodded as she answered eagerly;
"Yes, honey I do. Our babies just took their first steps all on their own, without our help or falling."
Happy over their children's latest achievement, Jemma couldn't help but laugh;
"And they did it before they were a year old. Now, if we can just get them to start saying; 'Mommy and Daddy'."
Even though he hated to bring the enjoyment that he and Jemma were experiencing with their children's latest accomplishment to an end when the clock downstairs chimed the hour, Aaron reluctantly reminded;
"Sweetheart, it's their bedtime."
Seeing the slight disappointment in her eyes, Aaron nodded;
"I know, love, I wish we could stay like this with them for hours. But, remember what we discussed? Even if it means keeping each other on track, we have to stick with our decision."
One aspect of parenting that Aaron and Jemma had agreed to be adamant about was keeping their children on a schedule, especially when it came to their bedtime. Sighing in resignation, knowing that her husband was right, Jemma nodded as Aaron rose from the floor to help her up as they took their children in their arms to settle them in their cribs. Following the tradition that they had set, Jemma tucked one in while Aaron tucked in the other before both bid the twins goodnight. Once she was certain that Jacob was settled and seeing that he was almost asleep, she turned to make certain that Amie had her blankie and her favorite ragdoll which, of course, was a present from one of her father's business trips, Jemma bid quietly;
"Goodnight, angel, Mommy and Daddy love you."
Moving aside, Jemma couldn't help but smile in quiet satisfaction as she watched her husband ensure that their daughter was settled for the night, something she found immense pleasure in, especially as she remembered just how much almost all of Seattle doubted his ability to be a good husband, let alone a father. Given that she and Lottie were the ones who had no qualms about his capabilities in both fields, Jemma couldn't deny the satisfaction that she felt each time she saw her husband with their children or when she would happen to hear someone remark to the effect of just how wonderful a husband and father Aaron turned out to be. However, watching her husband now as he pushed the dark hair that bore such a strong resemblance to his own from their son's forehead as the boy sighed contentedly in his sleep, Jemma felt her heart swell with love and pride as he offered softly;
"Goodnight, son. Daddy and Mommy love you."
Moving to Amie's crib, Aaron leaned his arm against the rail before reaching in to touch the tip of her nose with his finger, something that found the infant giggling a bit before reaching up to grab her father's hand in both of hers. Although she had done so since birth, Aaron still couldn't help but feel moved by his daughter's actions as she held his hand firmly in her small grasp, much like she did his heart. Shaking his head in amazement of the fact that two such small beings could mean so much to him and Jemma, Aaron offered his daughter a smile as she released his hand allowing him to adjust her blanket.
"Goodnight, princess, Daddy and Mommy love you."
Stepping away from the cribs Aaron placed his arm around Jemma's shoulders as they made their way to the nursery door when both suddenly stopped short as they heard;
"DA, DA, DA"
followed by;
"MA, MA, MA."
Turning to stare at each other in shock, Jemma and Aaron, in unison, turned to look at their daughter in astonishment as they retraced their steps to their daughter's bedside as Aaron asked quietly;
"Amie, princess, can you say that again for Daddy and Mommy?"
Although it was only seconds it seemed like an eternity as Amie waved her small fists before yawning as she looked at her parents to repeat;
"DA, DA, DA."
Aaron couldn't prevent the broad smile of pride that lifted the corners of his mouth as he pulled Jemma closer to him to ask;
"Princess, who is this?"
Jemma wanted to laugh at the look of disbelief that their daughter gave her father, but soon found herself bringing her hands up to cover her mouth in shocked pleasure as Amie clearly stated;
"MA, MA, MA."
Swallowing the lump of emotion that had found its way to her throat, Jemma couldn't help but shake her head as she wiped a tear of happiness from her eyes;
"I guess since Jacob took his first steps before she did, Amie decided that she wasn't going to let him upstage her by being the first one to say their first words too."
Chuckling in amusement at her observation as he noticed their daughter had fallen asleep, Aaron agreed;
"Well, I knew that if they took after you they would be highly intelligent, this just proves that theory right, love. Come on, I think we should take a page out of our children's book and get some rest."
Watching her as she brushed her hair as they prepared for bed, once she finished and had risen from her chair to pull back the covers of their bed, Aaron came up behind her to wrap his arms around her waist, as he ventured;
"Not that I'm not glad of the fact but you certainly are the picture of happiness, you know that don't you, Jemma darlin."
Turning in her husband's embrace, Jemma placed her hands against his chest as she lifted her eyes to meet his as her smile brightened;
"And just why shouldn't I be; I'm a very fortunate woman you know? I have three beautiful children, two of whom had major milestones tonight, mind you before they are a year old, my brother is coming home for a visit, and."
laying her head against his chest, she offered softly;
"I'm married to a man who is a wonderful husband, a wonderful father, and who I happen to be very much in love with."
Holding her close, Aaron laid his cheek against the top of her head as she replied;
"Well, that's a rather amazing coincidence, especially since I'm married to a woman who is as smart as she is beautiful, an amazing mother, the best wife that any man could ever hope or pray for, and I happen to be very much in love with her also."
Sighing contentedly before lifting her eyes to meet her husband's, Jemma observed;
"Let's face it, Aaron love, we have been very blessed; we have each other, we have our children, and we have our family."
Nodding his agreement as he noticed her trying to stifle a yawn behind her hand, Aaron suggested;
"Yes, sweetheart, me most definitely are that. Now, I don't know about you, but I'm worn out, why don't we see about our own rest for tonight?"
Once they were settled in their bed, as usual, with Jemma being held close against her husband's side, she began hesitantly;
"Aaron, could I ask you a question?"
His eyes closed, he simply nodded;
"I don't see why not, love. What is it?"
Rolling onto her stomach to brace her arm across his chest as she rested her chin on her hand, Jemma queried;
"I know that we don't really talk about it, but how is Josh doing in this position; really?"
Opening his eyes to study the concern in hers, Aaron brought the hand from behind his head to push the stray tendrils of long hair behind her shoulder as he offered;
"Sweetheart, I promise you he is doing just fine with it. As a matter of fact, Mr. Thorndyke wrote me to tell me just how impressed he is with Josh's obvious and natural talent for the work; he seems to have taken a liking to Josh and thinks that he's got a very bright future ahead of him."
Seeing the bittersweet expression that she wore at his news, Aaron used the arm laying across her back to pull her a bit closer as he touched her cheek;
"Jemma, I know what you're thinking and, sweetheart, we discussed this, remember?"
Noticing how her eyes slid to the side to avoid making contact with his, Aaron hooked his finger under her chin to bring her eyes back to meet his as he chastised lightly;
"Jemma Elysia!"
Unable to miss the look of guilt in the emerald depths of her eyes, Aaron admonished lightly;
"Darlin, we talked about this before Josh left for San Francisco. I know that you and Josh are close and I know that you miss him, but you know that he has to find his own path to happiness. Sweetheart, do you remember how he stood up for us to be able to get married? Well, he let you find your way to happiness and now it's your turn to do the same for him."
While he hated seeing the look of guilt in her eyes that his words had caused, Aaron knew it had been a necessary evil. Knowing her heart as he did, Aaron wasn't surprised when his wife nodded;
"I know, and I'm sorry, I guess that sometimes my selfishness rears its ugly head."
Shaking his head, Aaron chuckled as he placed his hand against her cheek;
"Jemma darlin, there is nothing about you that is ugly, and I don't believe that it's all selfishness, at least not how you think it is. I think that you just want to make sure that the people you love are happy, and you want to keep them near you to make sure of that fact, not to mention making sure that they're safe."
Jemma felt her guilt evaporating as she looped her arms about her husband's neck before kissing him soundly. Wrapping his arms around her, Aaron demanded;
"Not that I'm complaining and I certainly don't mind, but just what was that for?
Caressing his cheek with the back of her fingers, Jemma's eyes filled with love as the corners of her mouth lifted slightly;
"Maybe because I happen to be very thankful for the fact you're my husband, not to mention the father of my children. And, I can't help but think just how silly some people are."
His perplexity reflected in his eyes, Aaron questioned;
"What do you mean by 'silly', sweetheart?"
Offering her husband a smile filled with love and pride, Jemma explained;
"Oh, I was just thinking about how everyone tends to think that you only see the negative in everything, but all I've ever seen you do is try to find the positive in everything."
Cupping her face in his hands, Aaron returned the kiss before shifting her to his side as he chuckled;
"Jemma darlin, I love how your mind works. Of course I see the positive in you, I love everything that there is about you. Now, since we have a son who will be looking for a midnight snack in just a bit, I think that we should get some sleep, don't you?"
Once they were settled and comfortable, Jemma found herself drifting off to sleep, despite her curiosity being piqued as to just what her brother's 'surprise' was going to be.
After Julie had tended to their daughter, Jason took charge of changing and settling Lisa to give his wife a chance to prepare for bed. Having just settled the infant in her bassinet next to their bed and hearing the washroom door open and close as Julie emerged, Jason wasn't shocked when she asked;
"Jason, did you see the look on Jemma's face when Aaron told us about Josh's visit?"
Nodding as he removed his boots and began making his own preparations for bed, Jason pointed out;
"Well, you know that Josh and Pixie are close, darling, so I wasn't shocked by how pleased she is at the prospect that he'll be here in time for Amie and Jacob's birthday as well as to meet Alex, Lisa, and Jamie."
Taking up her brush, Julie pondered;
"I do wonder though, what do you think the 'surprise' is?"
Shrugging as he made his way to the washroom, Jason ventured;
"As I said earlier, Julie sweet, Josh likes the element of surprise, he's probably just bringing some extravagant gifts for the children and he wants to build the suspense. I'm sure there's nothing to it more than that."
Watching his reflection as he disappeared behind the washroom door, Julie focused on her own image in the mirror as she began running the brush through her silvery gold hair just before issuing;
"We shall see, Jason love, we shall see."
As Jeremy had suspected, Benjamin, Molly, and Christopher were waiting for them when they reached their cabin. Candy was relieved that, after offering her a hug and kiss goodnight, her brother and sister had asked that their grandfather and brother in law tuck them in, leaving Candy free to tend to her and Jeremy's son. She had just finished nursing Jamie and was in the process of changing his diaper when Jeremy entered their bedroom to advise;
"Okay, they're all tucked in for the night, they must have had a good time with Benjamin and Lottie, they were asleep in no time."
Approaching his wife, Jeremy took their son in his arms as he offered;
"Would you like to go get ready for bed while I settle him?"
Nodding, thankful for his thoughtfulness, Candy began undressing as Jeremy kicked his boots off and began stripping his shirt from his back before grabbing his towel from the hook as he made his way to the washbasin. Noticing the look on her face in the mirror as she stared at his bare back, Jeremy couldn't help but grin mischievously at her in the mirror as he reminded her;
"You know, Candy heart, as I recall, it's seeing that look in your eyes that that helped lead to the little guy that's sleeping in the cradle next to our bed."
Candy couldn't help but blush before dismissively waving her hand;
"Now, Jeremy James Bolt, you know good and well that we can't even think of that; at least not for a couple of more weeks. Coming to stand behind him after he had finished washing the dust and dirt of the day away, she took his green towel from his hands as she began wiping the water from his back before standing in front of him to do the same to his chest as she looked into his eyes;
"Jeremy, honey, what do you think Josh's 'big surprise' really is?"
Lifting his shoulders slightly as he enjoyed his wife's ministrations, Jeremy ventured;
"Sweetheart, like Jason said, he probably bought some elaborate gifts for Amie and Jacob's birthday and each of the babies. Not to mention considering that Jason and Julie just celebrated their first anniversary, ours is coming up, Pixie's birthday, and her and Aaron's anniversary, he just might have decided to celebrate everything while he's here. Josh likes being a little mysterious when he plans a surprise; it heightens the anticipation for him."
Kissing the tip of her nose, Jeremy shook his head;
"I'm sure that's all there is to it, Candy love. Now, how about we get some sleep before Jamie decides he's hungry again. The way that boy is growing that could be any minute now."
Dimming the lamp on their dresser, Candy checked on their son to make certain he settled and sleeping soundly she climbed into their bed. As had become their habit since they were married, Jeremy pulled Candy against him to kiss her soundly before laying back, his arm firmly around her as he sighed contentedly before bidding;
"Goodnight, Candy love."
Snuggling a bit closer, Candy replied;
"Goodnight, my darling love."
Although she could tell Jeremy had drifted off to sleep quite easily, especially given the even rise and fall she felt beneath her cheek and hand, Candy couldn't help but wonder to herself;
'I wonder just what Josh's surprise REALY is."
Deciding that letting the matter plague her mind would prove futile, Candy closed her eyes and joined her husband in finding her rest.