Chapter 6


April 2004


Laurie Hughes looked up from her desk as her partner-in-crime from the past six years came in, a small, brown-haired five-year-old in tow. She smiled as she spotted the rose gold engagement ring with its brilliant diamond set at the center; with her exceptional good looks Julie Michaels had landed a wealthy suitor indeed. And not just any wealthy suitor, either. Mark Evans had proposed to her back in October. The Mark Evans, one of the two hottest boys ever to attend Chamberlain High.

"Hey, Julie," Laurie called out. "So, any last-minute details you need some help with?"

"No, it's all taken care of at this point," Julie replied. "Henry's been just amazing with all the work planning the wedding. And of course my parents and Mark's parents have just been having a ball."

"Is little Alex excited for the big day?" Laurie asked, offering a big, friendly grin to the small boy, who had been gazing around the room, almost like he was surveying it. His cool blue eyes quickly flicked left at the mention of his name, and he stared at her and said nothing.

"He's- he's a little shy," Julie explained. "Alex, you've heard about Miss Hughes, haven't you? Laurie?"

"Okay," Alex replied. He didn't smile, didn't wave. He just stood there and kept staring at Laurie. After almost a minute, he said, "You left your door unlocked. Your driver's door."

"On my- my car?" Laurie asked, startled. "Well, I guess maybe-"

"It's a blue Ford Taurus."

"You really know your details, don't you? That's impressive!" Laurie exclaimed.

"Yes." Alex continued to stand there, neither moving nor smiling, just watching Laurie, regarding her with a sort of bored curiosity.

"Alex isn't a big talker," Julie went on, "but he's smart. He and Richard are probably going to be taking some college-level classes in high school, maybe right from freshman year. That's what Mark and I are thinking."

"And how is Prince Charming these days?" Laurie grinned. "You still have that calendar, by the way?"

"Yes," Julie replied. She laughed, then added, "Mark got copies professionally made. I said it's a little ostentatious to hang up pictures of yourself, but he said he doesn't mind. He's full of himself, but in a good way."

Alex let go of his mother's hand and wandered off into the classroom, looking around, checking inside the cabinets he could reach. Julie started to tell him not to look in the cabinets, but Laurie waved it off. She had bigger things on her mind.

"So, tell me," Laurie said, lowering her voice. "What's the story with Mark proposing to you? You've kept this so secret, most people didn't know you were seeing anyone."

"I told you I was dating someone."

"But not Mark Evans, the ultimate hottie," Laurie replied. She grinned and lowered her voice some more. "So… seriously. What's the story?"

"He asked me out one day while I was at the YMCA. We started talking, and he was- he was so charming. I couldn't think of a reason to say no. He proposed last Halloween."

"What's he like?"

Julie blushed crimson and shifted in her chair. "What do you mean?"

Laurie glanced at Alex, who had stopped his exploring and simply stood at the far end of the classroom, watching them both. He stared right into her eyes, not moving, not smiling. Laurie shivered and quickly looked back at her friend.

"C'mon… you know. What's he… like? It's just like seeing him in that calendar, Julie. We might be teachers but we always hear things. And we can't ignore the obvious. I always heard Mark's out of this world."

"Well," Julie said, glancing self-consciously at Alex, "I mean…"

"Yes?" Laurie asked, smiling invitingly.

"He's unbelievable. Way better than he looks."

"You know I'm always open for stories," Laurie said invitingly, "and I'll keep any of it between us."

"I've told you a couple, Laurie," Julie insisted.

"Well, what about Mark, though?"

"He's amazing. Better than perfect." Julie paused, looking over at Alex. "We should talk about this when Alex isn't here, you know."

Not looking to be deterred, Laurie ventured, "So. Never gets boring with Mark, huh? Just like they say?"

"No. Never."

"You're so lucky," Laurie whispered, "I still can't believe it. I mean- I can, you know, but, it's hard to believe Mark ever proposed to anybody. It didn't seem like he was ever going to settle down, especially with a woman who's already got two kids. No offense."

"I'm just glad we met," Julie said. "He's the best thing that ever happened to me."

"All those years I heard about him," Laurie sighed. "So romantic, so handsome, so stunning with his shirt off. I still remember the first time I saw him in gym class like that- pretty sure school uniform for gym class included a shirt, but, it never stopped him or Henry."

"No," Julie smiled, "I don't think it ever did."

"How was the big night last fall?"

"Perfect," Julie replied, blushing a little. "The baby's due in July, but luckily it's not going to mess up the dress for the wedding."

"I'm so jealous. So jealous, Julie." Laurie couldn't even help admitting it. She gripped her friend's arm. "Congrats, you lucky girl. I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks," Julie smiled. "Remember, I want you there."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Laurie replied.

"I gotta shit, Mom," Alex announced, walking up to them. He stared solemnly at the two women. "Are you done talking about fucking now?"

"What- huh?" Laurie gasped, visibly stunned. "What was that?"

"Alex!" Julie exclaimed. "Where'd you learn to talk like that?"

"Just words, Mom," Alex replied unapologetically. "The dictionary."

"Well- your father and I will be having a talk about this when we get home, and I don't want to hear you use that word again!"

"Fucking? Laurie keeps asking about Dad."

"Alex, that's not appropriate, and it's not polite to listen to other people's conversations!"

"But you and Dad fuck."

"That- you aren't supposed to say that word, Alex!" Julie exclaimed, becoming increasingly flustered.

"Okay, Mom."

"It's all right," Laurie assured them. She looked down at Alex, seeing the blue eyes, the wavy locks of auburn brown hair, and suddenly, she wondered. "Julie, when was Alex born again?"

"1999," Julie answered. "He's a handful. And- I guess he's been learning some words he shouldn't be."

"So you started dating Mark, and Alex came along, or-?"

That last question was a cheap shot, but the way Julie's eyes widened and her pale cheeks suddenly flushed deep crimson said it had hit home.

"Oh- no, I mean- I already had Alex when Mark was born- I mean, when Mark and I started dating."

"Okay," Laurie allowed. "I bet Mark makes a great dad, though."

"He does," Julie agreed. "Alex, are you ready to go?"

"I told you I had to shit," Alex replied, sounding not just annoyed, but impatiently annoyed, like he was talking to a child.

"Alex, we don't say that!"

"Dad talks like that," Alex replied. "He says men talk like that."

"Well, that doesn't mean that you can. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Can you say goodbye to Ms. Hughes?"

Alex turned his gaze on Laurie again, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop. He stared at her for second after second, saying nothing. Those were predator's eyes, Laurie realized, hunter's eyes. The eyes of a shark.

Yet they looked exactly like Mark Evans' eyes, just as that looked exactly like Mark Evans' hair. Even the way the locks waved back and forth when air from the vents hit them was the same!

"Bye," Alex said, clearly not caring at all.

"Bye, Alex," Laurie replied with a smile. "Say hi to your Dad for me!"

"Okay."

"See you," Julie said. "Don't stay too late."

"I won't," Laurie promised. "See you in the morning."

After Julie and her handsome little toddler departed, Laurie sat at her desk wrestling with the biggest rush of envy she'd ever known in her life. Mark Evans. Her friend and colleague Julie was marrying Mark Evans, the biggest, the strongest, the most perfect guy ever to pass through this high school. Romantic ladies' man, promiscuous lover and superstar athlete. Mark Evans, the one and only.

There was the question, though, of where Alex had come from. That kept Laurie thinking long after the rush of jealousy had passed.

Julie had gotten pregnant with Alex somewhere in 1998, while Mark Evans was in one of her classes here at Chamberlain. He'd never done more than go to class with her, not so far as anyone knew… but Julie had lived a private life back then, private enough that if she'd started dating Mark in secret, nobody would've known.

Fast forward to- was it May 1999? Julie gives birth early and the baby barely makes it, but miraculously recovers after a day or two in special care. Mark and Henry Evans had been the self-appointed emissaries from school to the hospital, expressing concern about Julie and professing to be bringing good wishes on behalf of all her students. Cards had been signed and brought for her.

If I remember right, kids were wondering whose the baby was, and a rumor started that it was Mark's. Then suddenly all the really popular kids shut that down.

And then there was little Alex with his unnerving cold gaze, his cool blue eyes, his handsome face, his wavy auburn hair. If he wasn't Mark's son, his dad must've looked a lot like Mark. And Laurie wondered. She had some doubts.

Julie said she had started dating Mark so after he'd finished high school. But that awkward, flustered denial, the way she'd tried to insist she only started seeing Mark after he graduated…

And she had supposedly conceived Alex due to some other, unmentioned, virtually-nonexistent guy, someone who just happened to look exactly like Mark, all while the biggest hunk in history was sitting there, bulging arms, wavy locks, cool blue eyes and designer clothes, always in the front row of her classroom? Mark, irresistible, stunning, handsome Mark, really had nothing to do with it the little boy who looked just like him?

What are the odds of that?

Laurie tried to picture it, then- Mark Evans, the high school superstar, in bed with Julie Evans on some Friday afternoon in senior year. Both of them naked, sweaty, making love and enjoying every second of it. Maybe enjoying it a little too much, because if a scene like that had happened back in October '98, Laurie had a pretty good idea where Alex Michaels had really come from. Oh, yes. A great idea.

Damn it. Mark's better than perfect. You're luckier than you even know, Julie. You have no idea. And you tried telling me you didn't like him with his shirt off! You got a lot more than that. Damn, that must be fun.

Only thing Laurie didn't completely envy about it was the kid, Alex. Those cold, almost predatory eyes, the way he'd listened in on the teachers' conversation, swore without hesitating. How he'd said Laurie had forgotten to lock her car door. It was unnerving. But then Alex would probably warm up and get more sociable as he grew up. More sociable, more athletic, and oh, man, more romantic.

How couldn't he? Mark Evans was his dad.

ΩΩΩΩΩ

Alex was silent until Julie was buckling him in. He looked at her with those cool, deep eyes, so like his father's, and said calmly, "Mom, why do you and Dad fuck?"

"Alex-"

"I saw you and Dad on Halloween last year. You didn't close the door all the way."

"Well, Alex-"

"It's how I'm here, isn't it?"

Julie sighed. She hadn't imagined having this talk when Alex was five. "Yes, Alex, your father and I had sex. I got pregnant one night and you were born the next year."

"Was it fun?"

"Wh-"

"When you and Dad fucked. Was it fun?"

"Alex, you can't talk like that."

The boy's crisp blue eyes went hard and cold. "Why?" he asked, making it sound like a challenge.

"Because it's inappropriate."

"Okay, Mom." Alex blinked, and that cold look went away, if Julie hadn't just imagined it in the first place. Her firstborn smiled warmly and held out his arms. "I love you, Mom."

Feeling relieved in spite of herself, Julie smiled back, making sure Alex saw it, and hugged him. His little body was so small, so light, and yet so strong and sturdy for his age. Already he was going around bare-chested and boasting of his muscles.

As the wonderful, perfect, amazing first child of a young teacher and Mark Evans, the Chamberlain High superstar, Alex was meant to be a confident, athletic boy. That part of things pleased Mark greatly as Alex progressed. His coarse language, somehow, must have filtered down to his son.

Yes. That was it. Mark just used some rough language, was all, and Alex, with his gifted memory and intelligence, had figured out how to use the words.

That, and Mark and I forgot to close the bedroom door last Halloween, Julie thought with real embarrassment as she got her car moving.

ΩΩΩΩΩ

When they got home, Alex and Richard just looked at each other, offering no smiles or greetings, but then they ran off to their room readily enough. They did that kind of thing all the time, just never speaking, like they knew what each of them was thinking already. It was strange, but Julie had little time to dwell on it as her fiancée swept her into his arms.

"I love you," he said in his deep, manly voice. He kissed her on the lips, and Julie closed her eyes, still thinking back to that day in her classroom.

"I love you," Julie answered him, gazing up at the cool, crisp blue eyes that he'd given to Alex.

"Everything okay over at school?"

"Laurie Hughes thinks you had something to do with Alex."

"I did," Mark said with a laugh, gently caressing Julie's swelling belly with one hand.

"I just hope no one else figures it out," Julie went on.

"Pretty soon it won't matter. They can't prove anything. They wouldn't understand love can't wait, anyway. I was dying without you, Julie. We needed a kid right away. I don't think I knew what I was doing… I was really young. But, I think on some level I knew we needed proof we'd always be together. So I, you know… made a 'mistake' because… I was meant to."

"I'm glad it happened," Julie said suddenly. "I'm glad. Alex is a blessing."

"He is," Mark agreed. "I love him more than anything. More than anybody."

"But… while I was talking with Laurie…"

"Yes?" Mark's hands were on the move, one slipping under her shirt, going for her chest, the other caressing her ass.

"Well… Alex said… he swore…"

"Mm, what'd he say?" Mark kissed Julie's neck, put both hands under her shirt now. Between kisses he added, "We should go upstairs."

Trying to think coherently, to focus on the now-distant event, Julie managed, "He said we fuck…"

Mark laughed softly. "We do. Good for him. Now we don't need to give him The Talk."

"Uh-"

Mark paused. "It's okay, Julie. I already talked about it with him. He saw us last Halloween, right? Door was cracked?"

"Yeah." Julie shook her head. "Yeah, but- but he's five, and-"

"I don't care," Mark told her softly, lovingly. "He's our son."

"But-"

"If he can't swear when he hits 6th grade he won't be at the top of the heap. He's just getting early practice."

"You- did you-"

Mark's hands skillfully unclasped Julie's bra, slid it away, dropped it to the floor. Both hands were back on her chest again, and the kisses were getting better, heavier.

"You realize he could be a man at twelve? They grow up fast."

"I-"

"You worry about him, because you care." Mark kissed her. "You care so much. But he's just on his way to being a man. He's okay. I promise."

"Okay, but-"

"I got more donations to make," Mark said quietly. "I need to donate. If I'm not having kids I'm going crazy." He laughed. "I think senior year did something to me. So…" the hands slipped back under Julie's shirt. "I think I know how we can… pass the time… with the boys in their room…"

Julie wanted twelve kids with Mark, not two. It drove her crazy that she had to wait so long for the next. Building their family was going so slow! But Mark was with her, and he always would be. No longer worried about Alex at all, Julie focused her mind on other things.

"Let's get upstairs."

ΩΩΩΩΩ

The accident with Henry back in December had seemed like a serious problem at first, and originally Gwen, so used to solving her problems directly, had wanted to get rid of the consequence. But Henry Evans, the one guy whose passion and fitness and badassery matched hers, talked Gwen out of it.

When she'd told him the news, Henry had driven down from Maine to see her that night. No hesitation. He had left town less than an hour after he learned Gwen was pregnant. They'd stayed up fucking well into the morning just to relieve the tension, vying for dominance as usual, then fell into an exhausted sleep that lasted well into the afternoon.

They'd argued. Gwen had wanted an abortion. Her career and her fitness goals couldn't allow a baby. But Henry, for some reason, had wanted the baby very much. He'd talked romantically for hours about how this was clearly a sign they were meant to be together, that two professional gym-goers like them would make one strong, handsome, amazing boy. He'd tenderly made love to Gwen and asked, quietly, that she give their son a chance.

Gwen had never heard anyone speak so gently to her, so sincerely. So many of the cocky, arrogant jocks she'd slept with would have run for the hills the minute they'd learned they'd made a mistake. So many of them would have refused to deal with the consequences and left Gwen to face them alone. But not Henry Evans. He'd come to see her immediately, made sure she knew he cared, and had pledged his support to her for as long as their boy needed.

It wasn't clear why Henry talked of the baby in exclusively male terms. Henry got confused when Gwen asked, not seeming to understand the question. Maybe he was freaking out inside somewhere, and his mind had settled on "It's going to be a boy" to give some certainty to the situation, something to fixate on.

They went and saw Tyler and told him what was going on. Henry made this impassioned speech about how none of this should impact Gwen's career, Premiere is lucky to have her, she can model as much as she wants. "She's beautiful one month in," Henry had said, pacing the tiled floor of Tyler's office, "and she'll be beautiful nine months in. She can model the whole time. And I'll model with her. That's my son and I want us to start modeling together."

Faced with the clear ultimatum of either Gwen gets every accommodation or Henry and Mark leave, Tyler had immediately agreed, said "Let's work something out." Henry and Gwen then picked and chose the brands they most wanted to model for, what magazines. Gwen found she actually wanted to do nude modeling more, especially with Henry. It made her feel sexy and alive, even as the baby started growing inside her, making her body change and react.

That Henry and Gwen ended up using the bedroom-scene studios to have sex constantly between shoots surprised no one. Tyler had told them to go right ahead, eager as he was to keep the young couple around. Henry had fussed some about not actually being at home, but Gwen had made sure the sheets were of the finest silk, the mattress and pillows brought directly from the Waldorf-Astoria.

Left with precious little to bitch about, Henry had agreed to Gwen's suggestion that they both just shut up and fuck, and they'd had fun on their breaks ever since.

ΩΩΩΩΩ

After luring Henry back to her place one afternoon, Gwen wrestled with him for dominance and won it for over an hour. It turned out that if Henry got the "best fucking blowjob of my entire life" right at the start, he'd have a much harder time arguing or fighting back. He'd just lie there and let Gwen do what she wanted.

Still, Henry Evans wasn't going to just let that kind of competitive spirit go un-answered, so he paid the favor back and had Gwen his way for quite a while. Only after they'd both exhausted each other completely did they actually do much talking about what had happened.

Best part was, they didn't have to worry about pills or protection or any of that shit anymore. Gwen was having her first kid so the 'worst' consequence had already happened.

"I didn't think I'd get pregnant," Gwen admitted. They were both lying there, staring vacantly up at the ceiling, trying to cool off.

"Yeah," Henry sighed. "I guess we forgot."

"Why do you want me to have him so bad?" Gwen asked curiously.

"Destiny," Henry said quietly.

"What?"

"Destiny. I never had a kid before. But I- Gwen, I can't stop thinking that this was meant to happen. Me, having my first kid now, with you." He put one arm around her shoulders, and the other went to her smooth, suntanned belly. He began massaging the tan skin gently.

"Our boy's in there," Gwen said, smiling at him. "So who's gonna tell him he happened the night we met? Me or you?"

Henry flashed a charming smile at her. "How about both of us?"

"I'd like that." Gwen closed her eyes as Henry leaned in and kissed her.

"I love how fucking competitive we are," Henry said reflectively. "We're gonna have a strong boy. I mean, he'll be strong as hell. Competitive, athletic, and no way he won't be blond."

Gwen laughed. "He's gonna love it when he finds out he was a one-night-stand accident."

"He wasn't an accident, though," Henry said, still massaging her belly, moving his hand in little circles. "I never forgot the pills before. Never. And one night, when I met you, I forgot. I think I was supposed to forget. When something's meant to be, that means it isn't by accident."

"So romantic."

"Being in love does that to a guy."

"So muscular."

"Thanks." Henry grinned. "I do my best."

"It's not bad."

"When's our boy due?"

"September, they think," Gwen said. "When he starts getting really big, I want you in for every shoot. I want you with me."

"Nude modeling fucking kicks ass," Henry enthused.

"Okay, well, some of it we'll have to wear clothes."

"Yeah, I know. But Mark and I only do shorts, underwear, swimming shit. You know how the babes love it."

"Well, that's kinda how we met, isn't it?"

"Yep. I don't regret a thing. I'm glad we're together."

"Thanks for talking to Tyler like you did," Gwen told him. "I wasn't that sure what was gonna happen next. He can be a bitch sometimes."

"Didn't you guys-"

"Yeah, but he's not half as good as you. Not even close. It'd embarrass him if he showed up for a nude shoot and saw how big you are, Henry. That's probably why he stays out of the studio when you and Mark are there most of the time." Gwen paused. "Gonna be tough doing shoots while this kid's inside of me."

"It'll just be nine months," Henry said. "And when the big day comes, I'll be there. No matter what happens, I'll be there with you when he's born."

"I'll try and gross you out as much as possible."

"My brother's got a baby due in April," Henry answered. "I've heard plenty about it from him."

"I'm gonna fucking have the strongest, most badass boy there's ever been," Gwen declared. "And it'll be fucking disgusting when he comes out. You realize that?"

"I won't mind." Henry gently poked her belly button. "When he's born, I wanna be with you. I know that's gonna be tough. I'm his dad, and… I think this is all the proof I needed anyway."

"Proof of what?"

"That I wanna be with you for the rest of my life."

She looked at him then, and Henry gazed back with those cool blue eyes, seeming to stare deep into her soul. Wordlessly, he rolled over so they lay belly to belly. When he started, the stuff about work, and the kid, and whatever just went away like they'd never existed. Henry had that effect every time.

"Oh… fuck…" Gwen sighed, dropping her head back on the sheets. Henry had won this round. She hated losing to anybody, even Henry, but he'd won this one.

"Gwen Larsson," Henry breathed, gazing down at her, "will you marry me?"

ΩΩΩΩΩ

The next morning, Henry enjoyed himself immensely upstairs with Gwen before eating a protein-heavy breakfast to help him start the day. He sat there naked at the table and Gwen gave him head like he'd never experienced before. Lisa had been amazing, but Gwen made Henry forget his own name. He had her on the kitchen counter, the kitchen floor, and up against the apartment door after that, all at her request.

After all, Henry was playing the role of the love-struck young suitor. It was mildly irritating to pay any attention to what his partner wanted, but if it meant getting this much pleasure for himself, Henry was fine with it. Gwen was serving her purpose and beyond that, it didn't really matter. He'd dispose of her after she had done her job, just like Lisa. The rest was detail.

After showering, shaving and finally getting dressed, Henry bade a 'fond' farewell to his fiancée, wishing all the while that he didn't have to spend so much time lavishing her with bullshit. The pleasure made it all worth it in the end, but he'd never had to do so much to lie to a partner before. He and Gwen made sex into an intense workout, a battle for dominance, and that was fun as hell, but having to pretend at great length that he truly loved her was not.

Time to go home and tell Mom and Dad I got somebody pregnant again, Henry thought with a smile, heading down the stairs from Gwen's place.

"Hey, hey, lover boy," Mark jeered, snickering as Henry spun around to look at the doorway he was standing in.

"Mark," Henry said, trying to keep his voice level. "You said you were waiting outside."

"I decided I wanted to wait inside," Mark said, shrugging one massive shoulder. He grinned. "And man, was it worth it. You two were right up against the door one time. Sounded like a couple of animals."

"It was great," Henry admitted.

"Yeah, and I heard," Mark laughed. "You love her so much, you fuck her brains out because you love her so much, huh? She's the only one for you? 'I've been waiting for you all my life, I just didn't know it'?"

Henry lunged for Mark then, but his brother just darted out of the way.

"Mr. Romantic finally showed up, and he's got blond hair!"

"Fuck you, Mark!"

"I think Gwen already did that, Romeo!"

It was impossible to retaliate without hurting Mark seriously. Nothing short of a hospital trip could stop Mark when he got going like this. They went outside, Mark drove his Excursion and laughed gleefully about every lie Henry had told this morning, while Henry tried to focus on the happy ache in his balls. Thinking of that helped him tune Mark out, but every now and then he took a swing anyway. What the hell. They were only brothers.

ΩΩΩΩΩ

Henry delighted in the performance he put on at dinner the night he and Mark got home. He had planned it meticulously in his mind, always keeping with his personal belief in being scientific as hell. You left no details to chance. You did it all right the first time.

That was how Henry had gotten rid of that twerp Richard and gotten away with it. That was how he had won that early battle and saved Mark from himself. And that was why, to the end of his life, he'd always get what he wanted. As for Susan and Wallace? Lying to them was easy. It had become a cakewalk a long time ago. They believed everything.

"Mom, Dad," Henry said with apparent caution, "I need to tell you something."

"Sure, Henry," Susan said agreeably. "What's up?"

"I'm dating this model, and I got her pregnant," Henry sighed. "Gwen's due this September." He paused, then seemed to manage a smile. "But that's not so bad, you know."

"It's not?" Wallace asked curiously.

"No," Henry said, smiling happily now. "I asked Gwen to marry me last night. She said yes."

"Oh, Henry!" Susan exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "That's wonderful!"

"Yeah," Henry nodded. "I was kinda surprised, you know, when Gwen told me. It made me think of Lisa… and our baby…" Henry shook his head, seemingly shaking off memories. "I'm happier with Gwen than I ever thought I'd be. I'm so happy I could have another kid now. I'm not- I'm not just some kid in high school anymore. I'm a man now and I can have this kid and he can be mine once Gwen and I get married."

"Julie's due in July," Mark observed.

"Mark, we talked about this."

"What, Who Can Make Babies The Fastest? I love that game!"

"Henry, Mom and Dad are right there!"

"Yeah? I bet they love getting to be official grandparents!"

"Mark," Susan chided, "why didn't you tell us about your first baby?"

"Julie's really sensitive," Mark insisted. "I used to be her student, after all. She's happy she's pregnant but she's worried about how things will look. We're having to be careful with the wedding planning. She wants the dress to make it look like she isn't due in three months."

"I can't believe I did it again," Henry sighed, shaking his head and looking down at his steak. "Well, at least this time I'm getting married."

"So it's not really a mistake when you think about it," Mark said. "She's the one for you, so you guys are gonna be having more kids soon anyway."

"Hear that, Wallace?" Susan asked, reaching across a corner of the table and taking her husband's hand. "We're about to be grandparents."

"Gwen knows I have a lot to do up here first," Henry went on.

"When do we get to meet her?" Susan asked.

"Soon, Mom. She knows all about Mark and Julie, so she's gonna wait a little bit while I get Mark's party planned out." Henry laughed. "It's gonna be wild."

"Where's that gonna be?" Wallace asked.

"The Cadiz place," Henry said. "Drew Cadiz's house, I mean," he said. "Big man on the Florida State campus came back and bought himself a house. I called and asked if he knew anybody who could host the party, and he said he'd do it. Just like that."

"He's certainly doing well for himself," Wallace said.

"Almost as well as us," Mark said with a wink. "Once Julie and I get married we'll have a bigger, better place to ourselves."

"What's this party going to be like?" Susan asked.

"Mom," Henry said with good-natured reproof, "it's a bachelor party. Women, women, drinks and more women." Susan didn't like the sound of that and it showed, and behind the second face he always wore around anyone but Mark, Henry smiled, relishing his mother's discomfort.

"It's not what I really want," Mark fussed, "but all the guys know and they all expect it. I can't just not do it. I've gotta show up and play the part, basically."

"Hey, just as long as everybody has a good time," Henry said.

"I'd rather just stay home with Julie," Mark replied fretfully.

"It's not so bad," Henry assured him. "The guys just expect you to come out and have a lot of fun before you get hitched for good."

"She's the only one for me," Mark said firmly.

"And that's why you're getting married, Mark," Henry told him.

"I hope the planning's all done at least," Susan added.

"Mostly done, Mom," Henry agreed. "This is my brother's last chance before he commits for good. It's gotta be a big one. I've been making a lot of calls. I just need to make sure everything's in place."

"He's just embarrassing me," Mark complained with mock frustration.

"It's because he loves you," Susan said. "Don't forget that's behind everything Henry does when it concerns you."

"I know, Mom," Mark replied sincerely. "I couldn't forget it. I never will."

"You'll stay safe, right?" Wallace asked. "Don't overdo it with anything. No matter how much your buddies pressure you, don't do a thing you don't really want to."

"I'm very safe," Mark assured him. "See, Dad, I plan it when I have kids."

Henry shouted in mock outrage and jumped up to go after Mark, who was whinnying with laughter as he fled the room. Wallace and Susan looked after them, listening to the commotion as their bulky, well-muscled boys ran around the house.

"Like a couple of overgrown kids," Wallace said. "They still remember 1993, I can tell."

"This is how they say they love each other," Susan reasoned. "They like getting to play around. Even as adults, I suppose. It could be worse."

"It's hard to believe, you know," Wallace sighed. "I remember all those little fights they had when Mark first got here. Now Henry is planning Mark's bachelor party." He laughed. "I still can't believe they both turned into such a couple of womanizers."

"I would've liked it if they had taken to the Church's teachings a little more," Susan admitted. "But the way things are now, all their friends in high school, all those pretty girls… they just grew up. It's natural that they want to do those things."

"This Gwen really sounds like she's made for Henry," Wallace remarked. "I hope we can meet her soon now that they're engaged. Those pictures of her? She's stunning, and you can tell she's every bit as much of a gym goer as Henry. That's something I never thought we'd see."

"You know our boys," Susan laughed fondly. "They have their fun but they want the better things in life in the end. They're pretty serious under all that boyish nonsense."

A heavy thump came from upstairs.

"Henry, Mark!" Wallace called out. "Come on back down, now! I want to talk to you!"

"Okay, Dad!" two male voices shouted back.

Henry and Mark came bounding down the stairs, looking as energetic and in love with life itself as they had when they'd met eleven years ago, way back in 1993.

"I'm getting married," Mark said, glowing as he spoke the words. "My fiancée's pregnant. I'm gonna be a dad."

"Uncle Henry!" Henry yelled. "I get to be Uncle Henry!"

"Who said I'm letting you anywhere near my kids?" Mark scoffed.

"I did!" Henry shot back.

Mark hurried over and hugged Wallace, then Susan. "Gotta go to my party," he said apologetically. "I'm gonna go see Julie, and then I'm gonna be out the rest of the night. I'll be safe, I promise."

"I won't let him do anything he shouldn't," Henry promised, embracing each of his parents, too. "Don't worry."

After the two left, Susan sighed, shaking her head. "It's hard to believe this is really happening. Mark marrying his old teacher. Henry's marrying his two hundredth girlfriend. And they're both having kids. Weren't they both twelve a couple minutes ago?"

"Feels like it. And you'd think those two never disagreed on a thing in their lives," Wallace remarked. "The way they were going at it when Mark first came to stay with us!"

"Boys being boys," Susan smiled.

"I think we're going to have to break the news to Connie, when Stephen brings her back in a little bit."

"I'm impressed how well she's handled coming back here, and going to Chamberlain, no less," Wallace remarked. "That cross country boy isn't really the kind of heavyweight Mark and Henry were at that age-"

"Were?" Susan laughed. "They just add more muscle every year."

Wallace looked a little flustered at that; he shrugged and went on, "I just meant that Stephen's not really the same. He's a lot- simpler, might be the word. He's not a complicated superstar."

"Connie knows what she likes, but I think she saw too much of overconfident, noisy boys and their big muscles to want to date all that much in the football and hockey crowd."

"Those teams still talk about Mark and Henry. All the time. Like they're living legends."

Susan smiled proudly. "Well, they are, so it's fair that the younger boys want to be like ours, isn't it?"

"It is. So… our boys both are getting married and they're both having kids. Who gets to tell Connie?"

"Don't be silly, Wallace. We'll tell her together."

"It's hard to believe Henry, uh, slipped up again."

"He's human, Wallace. You remember what his early days in school were like, all that trouble he had making friends."

"Always blaming things on Jason Morgan when they wound up in the office."

Susan laughed. "See? That's just what I mean. Just like with Mark, there were some rough spots at first, but they wound up best friends in the end. It all works out. Our boys are doing great, Wallace. Henry might've made a mistake here and there, but he always figures things out. And he's done so much better with Mark here for him."

"You ever think about what a great pair they would've been for Richard to look up to?"

Wallace asked it hesitantly, knowing that memory of their lost son still pained Susan deeply. It was hard on him too, but Susan had definitely taken it worse. They seldom spoke of Richard, content to just remember him and cherish the siblings he had left behind, siblings who were all alive, well, and successful.

Susan remembered the bad old days in the mid-1990s; the pained look that flashed across her face for a second was all the proof anyone could have needed. But she smiled after a moment, nodded as the pride she had in the sons she had left reasserted itself.

"Yes. He would've wanted to be just like them. They would've taught him all about school, and football, and girls-"

"Oh, man!" Wallace laughed, pretending to wince at the idea. "Two athletic boys eating enough food for a small city was good. I don't know how we'd have even paid for a third."

"We managed just fine, Wallace."

"Tell that to my accountant!" Wallace exclaimed in mock distress. Susan laughed.


A/N: 12-31-2020.

Managed to get an update done for this story on the final day of this *interesting* year. I sincerely want to thank AM83220, Egalatarian Helper, fear2breathe, and phorosz for their interest in and support for this small fandom and my work in it.

Connie Evans hasn't appeared in a while, but we'll be seeing her again before too long in this story. Since Henry and Mark were both born in 1981, and Connie was 6 when Henry and Mark were 12, she was born in 1987, so she turns 17 in 2004, where the "canon" of my universe in this fandom is currently. Being an Evans at Chamberlain High only 5 years after Henry and Mark went there will easily leave her with automatic VIP status, but being who she is, Connie will deal with fame differently than Mark and Henry have.

Something I find interesting about writing for this 'verse set in 2004, a full 11 years after the original setting of the film and novel in 1993, is seeing how even with a child sociopath turning his cousin into another child sociopath, even with all the evil they do, time still moves on at the same pace and like so many others, Henry and Mark have kids, mature and begin thinking about their lives from a much more adult perspective. Time moves along and people do, too, even when they're as cold and murderous as Henry and Mark are.

All reviews are welcome.