"Not again." Linnie groused as she felt herself lifted from the mattress, but she felt herself cuddled in the crook of an arm and relaxed back into sleep.
"You better not be bathing me again," Chris gave his daddy a quick baleful look as he was lifted but cuddled down in Daddy's embrace... Wait, if Daddy picked me up...
"Well, good morning, my angels..."
"Papa!"
"Thank heavens!"
"..you're finally awake..."
"You need to..."
"Off the bow tie..."
"Purple dress..."
"Look at you. Daddy has you all dressed."
"...Khakis..."
"...Flower shoes..."
"...all my hair off..."
"...too early..."
"Papa loves you both so much. Don't you look beautiful, Linnie? And Chris, you look so handsome."
"Shut up for a minute."
"need to tell Papa..."
"...my shoes..."
"...about the tie..."
"Did you enjoy having some time with daddy by yourself?"
"...No..."
"...to early..."
"I think Daddy needed that time with you."
"Huh?"
"Are you listening, Papa?"
"Daddy was too early..."
"You see, there's a bad man who's hurting people..."
"You won't let him hurt us..." both squealed.
"There are men coming today to help Daddy, Uncle Tim, Uncle Ned and I track him down. Then Daddy is going to take Uncle Tim and he's going to put the bad man away where he can't hurt anyone again."
"Daddy's smart." Chris spoke up.
"Daddy'll protect us." Linnie confirmed.
"When I look at you I feel so happy and so loved, like Daddy did this morning with you. Daddy needed to share his love with you."
"I didn't know Daddy needed me." Linnie said softly.
"Me, neither," Chris thought about his protests.
"Just like I need you right now." Tony gave each tiny head a kiss. "I think that's why Daddy dressed you in my favorite outfits. He knows how much I love seeing you in them."
Chris dropped his head in shame. "I'm sorry I yelled at Daddy about the tie."
Linnie added remorsefully, "I can wear the purple any day."
"Today is going to be really hard for all of us, so I have a big favor to ask." Tony cuddled his children closer. "Can you two help us keep the spirits up? Can you share that with the others? Just let them hold you and cuddle you. Make the bad thoughts go away."
"That's it?" Chris asked.
Linnie looked at her papa. "Just cuddle? I like to cuddle."
"Would you do that for Daddy and Papa?"
"Will we be helping catch bad men?"
"Like you and daddy and unca Tim and unca Ned and Zoomba?"
"Will we be agents?" Linnie asked in awe.
"I want a badge." Chris spoke up.
"They're arriving." Daddy's voice came from the door. "Need a few more minutes?" After handing the twins to his husband, he had left to give them some time together. Jethro wished for a camera to capture the look of unconditional love that Tony was giving the babies.
"Is it bad to want to stay in here and just hold our little ones?"
Jethro came over and sat on the footstool by the rocker. "No." He stroked each baby's cheek. "This morning after they were dressed. I spent some time with each one alone. Just holding them and telling them how much I love them."
"Daddy, I'm sorry for being cranky." Linnie felt ashamed.
Chris added quietly, "Me, too."
"Just a few more minutes?"
Jethro squeezed Tony's hand. He smiled, what had he done to deserve so much love. "Just a few more minutes," he agreed.
