With three happy and healthy kids - and two more on the way - and a great life on Alpha Centauri (thank God life wasn't as chaotic as it had been while they were in space), John and Maureen were pretty damn happy. The pregnancy had been entirely unexpected but Maureen wasn't shocked when the ultrasound revealed they were having twins, mostly due to her age and previous pregnancies. The Robinson family (and Don) couldn't wait to meet the newest, youngest members in a few months. Maureen groaned as she lowered herself onto the couch but sighed in relief as she got comfortable. "Everything okay?" John checked.
She raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms. "How many times are you going to ask me that, John? I'm seven months pregnant, not sick."
"Seven months pregnant with twins at your age - ," he trailed off at the look on her face. "Sorry. I'm just worried, okay?
Maureen scowled at him and then pursed her lips. "You don't have to treat me like glass - I'm not going to break," she reminded her husband.
"Sue me for worrying about your health," he teased as he sat down next to her and his hand wandered to her stomach. He didn't have to wait for long - one of the babies kicked just minutes later.
Maureen grunted. "I will be so glad when these soccer players are out in the real world. Kids, you're kicking the hell out of Mommy's insides. Relax, please. Go to sleep - I beg of you."
He chortled as the other baby also started kicking, awakened by their twin. "Oops?"
The thunderous look on Maureen's face didn't disappoint. "These kids - and you - are lucky I love them. I'm going to kick your ass for getting me pregnant again - with multiples - once these kids are out."
John laughed again. "I look forward to it." He leaned down and placed his ear on her stomach. "You hear that, kids? Your mama's going to kick my ass." The babies responded to their father's voice by kicking even more. He moved back up and kissed his wife. "Love you all too. Just a few months to go, and then we're in the clear for sleepless nights."
"You're sleeping just fine. I haven't had a good night's rest in weeks," she reminded him. Maureen yawned, hating the exhaustion that came with the third trimester. "Speaking of, I need a nap. Fuck." With John's help, she got off the couch and headed to their bedroom.
They were in the final countdown for the twins' arrival now, and they were mostly prepared (neither of them had been able to come up with names, although Judy, Penny, and Will kept throwing them out in an effort to help).
The sound of crying pierced through the baby monitor, and both Maureen and John groaned. "Maybe we should take Judy up on her offer to baby-sit," she mumbled as she forced herself out of bed.
"Sleep would be excellent." Five weeks into life with two newborns, and they were both exhausted to no one's surprise.
They walked into the nursery and found both babies crying. John picked up the oldest twin while Maureen grabbed the other one. "Hey, Alice, what's wrong, huh? Are you hungry or do you need your diaper changed?" Maureen cooed.
"Hi, MIss Elta. What's wrong with you?" John asked.
Maureen placed Alice on the changing table and changed her diaper before sitting down in the rocking chair to calm her back to sleep. She checked the time, unsurprised to find it was four in the morning. "Like clockwork. You want to go hang out with your big sisters and brother tomorrow, give Daddy and I some time to sleep for more than an hour at a time? They love you so very much. We do too but neither of us can think straight."
John cooed at Elta as he fed her, thankful that both babies had calmed. "Five kids, and all of them put us through a different kind of hell," he mused.
Maureen chuckled as she continued to rock Alice. "True. But that's every pregnancy and baby were different." Alice's eyes closed and Maureen sighed. She set her down in the crib and made her way to John's side. She placed her chin on his shoulder and grabbed one of Elta's hands. "You're a daddy's girl, aren't you?" Which was surprising since John had ended up naming Alice and she chose Elta. But they were already forming different personalities and it was so nice watching them grow. And thank God these two were their last babies - five kids were enough, and two at once was so much more work than either of them expected.
John burped Elta then placed her in her crib before rejoining Maureen. They returned to their bedroom wide awake and he turned on some music, loud enough so only they could hear. "Let's go," he told her.
"You want to dance now?" Maureen chuckled and the two of them began slow dancing around their room. They headed back to bed after two songs, knowing Alice and Elta would wake them up again before the sun came up.
Yeah, the Robinsons were pretty damn happy now and had a semi-peaceful life, which is all they could ask for. John and Maureen had worked through the tough times in their marriage and wouldn't go to that dark place again - they'd make sure of it. And they'd continue to love and spoil all five of their children.