A/N: So I know I said this story was finished, but that kiss and the promo have made me incapable of writing angst at the moment, so you get one more very, very fluffy chapter. Happy Mother's Day, ladies!
The Orion was due to set sail in thirty minutes.
Kurt wrapped his arms tighter around his wife and smiled down at her glowing face as they leaned against the railing of the ship they had once called home. She'd been ecstatic when Rich had called to propose this reunion cruise strictly for them, saying the invitation could not have come at a more fortuitous time, and looking at her now, he had to agree. The last few years had been such a whirlwind of activity that they had more than earned this vacation.
And it was wonderful to catch up with their friends as well. Patterson and David had left the ship shortly after them and had settled in Portland as well to start a tech company, and Sarah and Reade lived in the same subdivision, but it had been months since they'd seen Tasha and Cade, and Ana and Oliver.
Rich, on the other hand . . .
Kurt grimaced good-naturedly as he glanced over at his former boss. The man took perverse pleasure on dropping in on them unannounced any time he was "in the neighborhood," which for a man of his means was pretty much any damn time the mood struck him. He'd stepped up those visits when their daughter Ava was born two years ago, proclaiming himself her "Uncle Rich" and decrying the fact that he hadn't been asked to be a godparent, and always arrived with an armload of lavish (and extremely expensive) presents.
He shook his head as Rich twirled Ava in his arms, and she squealed in delight. The man might be a thorn in his side at times, but his daughter loved him, and he couldn't find it in his heart to deny her the extended family neither he nor Jane had. At least they had managed to curb the most extravagant of his spending by pointing out that their house was too small to hold the largest of the gifts he wanted to bestow on Ava (and politely declining his offer to buy them a bigger one with a yard large enough to hold a carousel.)
"He's really good with her," Tasha observed, noting the direction of Kurt's gaze as Jane laughingly moved to collect their daughter before Rich made her toss her cookies. "And you and Jane are amazing parents."
Kurt nodded, feeling his heart swell with love as he watched his wife cuddle their daughter close. She'd had her misgivings about her ability to be a mother after her upbringing, but she was a natural, and there was nothing he loved more than watching his two girls together. "Careful, Tasha," he teased as he glanced over at her, noticing her eyes were suspiciously bright as she took in the scene. "Ava will have you wanting one of your own in no time."
Zapata gave a noncommittal hmmph, but in truth, the idea wasn't as unappealing as it had once been. She still didn't see herself as the white picket fence type, but then Jane wasn't either, and she was so blissfully happy she was glowing. She'd been surprised to discover that she'd been more disappointed than horrified when she'd had a pregnancy scare a few months earlier. Perhaps she and Cade would need to reconsider her stance on the subject. She'd seen pretty much all of the world she cared to for a while, and motherhood didn't seem so scary now that she knew she'd found the right guy.
Clearly her friends felt the same way on the subject. "So," Patterson said when there was a lull in the conversation, "David and I have some news." He wrapped an arm around her waist, and the two of them shared a secret smile before looking back at the group. "We're expecting a baby. I'm due the middle of May."
"Wow, no kidding?" Ana asked. "Me too. I'm due in late April. This is actually going to be Oliver's and my last voyage. He's taking a job as an executive chef in Portland, so we can be closer to you guys." She definitely wanted her friends' advice and support at this stage in her life.
"What a coincidence," Sarah said with a laugh. "I'm pregnant as well." She and Reade had been trying for quite some time, and she was overjoyed to finally be expecting again. Watching Jane and Kurt with Ava had ignited a fierce desire for another little one to call her own.
"Congratulations!" Jane exclaimed, hugging her sister fiercely as Kurt slapped Reade on the back. "I guess I'm finally going to get to put all those knitting lessons you gave me to good use, and make you something for your little one. When are you due?"
"The beginning of May," Sarah said with a laugh. "Crazy, right?" She grinned. "This is so amazing. The three of us all having babies at the same time." She could already see their kids having playdates together and becoming best friends, and them supporting one another through all the major milestones in the children's lives.
"It definitely calls for a toast," Rich announced. He motioned them toward the lounge, taking advantage of Jane's preoccupation to scoop Ava back into his arms. "Non-alcoholic, of course."
"I saw your face when they all announced they were pregnant," Kurt murmured to Jane as they walked. "Ready to try for a second one?" This would be an ideal place—and time—to do it. Ava had been conceived aboard this ship, and Rich had even arranged for them to stay in their old cabin.
Jane stopped and turned to face him. The rest of the group eyed them curiously, but she motioned them on. "Give us a second, guys, will you?"
She waited until they were out of earshot before turning back to her bewildered husband. "Kurt . . ." She looped her arms around his waist. "I have something to tell you. I was going to wait until we got to our cabin, but . . ." She took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."
Kurt let out a whoop that had the others turning back to them and hefted Jane in his arms, swinging her around before kissing her tenderly as joy surged through him. "I'm going to be a daddy. Again," he said with tears in his eyes.
"The best daddy in the world," Jane agreed, smiling up at him as tears began rolling down her own cheeks. "I love you, Kurt."
"Love you too," he returned as he reluctantly set her on her feet, and they walked over to the waiting group.
"Well," Rich said. "I'm guessing we have one more bun in the oven to toast? It's about time, you two. Ava is going to be a wonderful big sister. And for the record, Boston and I would make excellent godparents to the little munchkins." He cast a pointed look in Jane and Kurt's direction.
The others were quick to congratulate them. Sarah especially was thrilled that they would be sharing this monumental experience as sisters, since she and Jane were due less than two weeks apart.
The group eventually made it to the lounge for that toast, and they talked for a while as the Orion left port and made its way out to sea before going their separate ways to unpack, agreeing to meet up in several hours for dinner.
"You've been quiet," Cade observed as he and Tasha walked back to their cabin. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, I guess. I just . . ." Tasha stopped and took a deep breath. "It was just . . . I thought I might be pregnant a couple months ago. And I wasn't . . . as upset about the idea as I thought I'd be. Actually . . ." She met his eyes. "I was more disappointed than relieved."
"Oh, Tash." Cade gathered her into his arms. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Tasha took a shuddery breath as she burrowed her head deeper into his chest. "I don't know. I started to, but I . . . I mean, we said no kids, and I didn't know how to . . ."
"That was never set in stone, Tasha," Cade told her gently. "It's true I couldn't picture myself being a father when we first got together, but I'd like to think we've both grown since then. I have to admit, your friends have made parenthood look pretty appealing, and Kurt's given me a lot of great advice. And I know you'll be a great mom. So I guess what I'm saying is . . ." He pulled back and placed a finger under her chin to tilt her eyes to his. "If you'd like to try for a baby of our own, I'm willing. On one condition."
"Oh yeah?" Tasha asked softly, feeling herself melt at his words. "And what's that?"
"Marry me," Cade said simply. "I love you, Tasha. I want to belong to you and you to me, and have a child with you, and grow old together. I never thought I'd feel that way about anybody, but then you came into my life, and I—"
"Yes," Tasha said fiercely, throwing herself into his arms once more. "To all of that. I love you so much, Cade. You've made me happier than I even knew it was possible to be."
"Me too," Cade agreed, resting his cheek on her hair. They stood there, content to simply bask in the moment, for quite some time before he added, "Now what do you say we go get started on the baby-making practice?"
Tasha laughed as she grabbed his hand and drew him along to their stateroom—the same stateroom Rich had locked them in all those years ago—and they proceeded to do just that.
xxx
Rich had insisted on keeping Ava for the rest of the afternoon, and Kurt was incredibly grateful as he lay in a sated tangle of limbs with Jane. As much as he loved spending time with both of his girls, the two of them had needed this time alone together to celebrate their love for one another and the new life they'd soon be welcoming into the world.
"How long have you known?" he asked Jane now as his hands moved down to cup her belly protectively.
"I found out right before Rich called to invite us on this cruise," Jane told him. "I was going to tell you right away, but then it just seemed like it would be perfect to wait till we got here, where we found out about Ava." She still remembered vividly the nerves as they had waited for the requisite minutes to tick by on the home pregnancy test, the anxious anticipation rolling off Kurt as he held her tightly. "I was going to wait until we got to the cabin, but—"
"It was perfect just as it was," Kurt assured her. "I love the symbolism, but it's not the place that matters to me, Jane. It's who I'm with."
Jane rolled over to face him and caught her breath at the love shining in his eyes. Even after all these years, the depth of his devotion to her still caught her by surprise sometimes. She'd never been much for fairy tales before Ava came along, but she felt like she was living the real-life happily ever after.
And she was overjoyed to see that her friends—her family—were as well. Tasha and Cade announced their engagement at dinner that evening, and both they and David and Patterson decided to follow in Jane and Kurt's footsteps and wed aboard the ship. They had a double wedding their third day at sea, and the voyage became more like a honeymoon—or second honeymoon—than the reunion Rich had initially envisioned. Not that he minded, since it gave him unfettered access to Ava.
And there was one more surprise in store for them. The ladies scheduled a girls-only brunch their last full day at sea, and when Tasha finally arrived—nearly twenty minutes late—she was incredibly pale. "Sorry," she said as she took a seat. "I guess I've lost my sea legs. My stomach's been upset the entire voyage."
"Really?" Jane asked teasingly. "It certainly hasn't affected your appetite. You were really packing the food away at dinner last night." She'd never seen Tasha eat so much in one sitting. She'd seemed to have a real craving for—
Craving. Jane's eyes widened at the idea, and her breath caught in her throat as she thought back on her friend's behavior over the past week. Tasha had barely touched food in the mornings, merely nibbling on the blandest of offerings, but she had more than made up for that lack at dinner each night. "Oh," she said joyously as her suspicion took root.
"Oh, what?" Tasha demanded. "Why are you grinning at me like that? What is goi—" She blinked in surprise as Jane pulled her to her feet and hugged her.
"Tasha," Jane said when she drew back, "I'm pretty sure you don't have seasickness. I think it's morning sickness. I think you're pregnant too," she elaborated when Tasha simply stared at her dumbly.
"Yeah, I got that," Tasha said, her mind racing as she tried to figure out if Jane could be right, and her breath caught in her throat as she realized she definitely could be. She could be having a baby around the same time as her friends. "I'm going to need a pregnancy test," she said, not wanting to get too caught up in the excitement until she knew for sure.
Fortunately, given Rich's maniacal matchmaking tendencies, he kept those in stock in his ship's stores, and thirty minutes later, Tasha found herself pacing anxiously, surrounded by her friends as she waited for the results. "I can't look," she said nervously when the timer went off.
"Yes, you can," Jane told her gently, taking her hand and gently leading her over to the test. She wrapped an arm around her friend, and they looked down at it together, registering the positive results. "Welcome to the club, Tasha." She hugged her fiercely.
"I'm pregnant," Tasha said in a tiny voice. Her smile bloomed. "Oh my god. I'm going to have a baby."
They all gathered around her, hugging and laughing and crying, and once their tears had subsided and the news had fully sunk in, they went to break it to the men. Cade promptly fainted, and they all teased him about that for years afterwards.
He acquitted himself better in the delivery room several months later when his twin son and daughter were born, rounding out the group of what Rich christened "The Merry Munchkins."
The six of them became best friends, just as their parents were, just as their parents had hoped, and twenty-five years later, Kurt and Jane found themselves in the wedding chapel of the Orion once more as their son pledged his life to Tasha and Cade's daughter.
It was the perfect ending to the fairy tale none of them had ever thought to have.