They waited until spring break for the big move. Joe and Fred took off of work and gave up their free vacation time to help pack which was made easier with Sam's travel cubes. They then went over as a group and helped with the unpacking process. The place was a great size with a three bedrooms, a bathroom, a spacious living room, and kitchen. While Joe and Fred struggled to reassemble the beds, Sam and Alex went out to go get lunch.
Joleena, San-Li, and Fina sat in the living room on a large quilt and played with the twins who had just finished feeding. Sammy and Keiko were now able to sit up on their own and even though they couldn't crawl yet, they were able to roll back and forth on their stomachs. Their silky black hair was also thicker and their eyes had remained a dark blue.
"Ow!" Joleena exclaimed as Sammy yanked on her hair again. "San-Li!"
"I told you to wear your hair back, Frenchie." San-Li chuckled. "Sammy's a hair puller remember?"
"Yes, but ponytails are not in style right row." Joleena grumbled. "Ow!"
Sammy chortled and happily patted Joleena's face with a slobbery fist he had been sucking on. Joleena's eye brows knitted in disgust but she couldn't help but smile at him. Keiko echoed his laughter and grabbed Fina's bracelet, shaking her wrist up and down.
"Good thing Fred didn't buy me a charm bracelet." Fina giggled. "Keiko would broken it to pieces by now."
Keiko started wiggling and fussing so Fina gently laid her down on her stomach. Keiko immediately held herself up on her forearms and reached for one of the toys Joleena had bought her. Sammy began fussing as well and Joleena quickly handed him off to San-Li.
San-Li cooed and gently bounced him in her arms, but he soon escalated into crying. When she heard her brother crying, Keiko immediately stopped what she was doing and began crying as well.
"What happened? Are they sick?" Joleena asked, slightly panicked.
San-Li felt Sammy's rear and realized his diaper was heavy. "Naw. He's just a little wet. Changing time!"
Immediately, a blue and pink box that had been sitting in the corner beeped and wheels protruded from the bottom. It rolled over to San-Li and a diaper, baby wipe, and a packet of baby power emerged from a slot in the front.
Fina and Joleena stared at it in amazement. "Wow! Where did you get that?"
"Sam invented it." San-Li smiled smugly and started to change Sammy. "My baby's daddy is quickly becoming quite the inventor."
"Impressive." Joleena nodded. "You must be relieved that he's able to make a living for you two and support your family."
San-Li narrowed her eyes. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Well," Fina shrugged. "It's just that now you aren't earning money through time thieving, we were worried about how you were going to support yourself without a job and Sam going off to college. But it looks like he has it covered so-"
"Sam's not the only one who's earning money you know." San-Li said impatiently. "I do earn a tidy sum from my freelance programming."
Joleena and Fina looked at each other and blinked in surprise. "You have?"
"Yeah. I didn't spend every single moment of my life time thieving you know. I used to have crazy insomnia and when I wasn't on a job, I was earning a bachelor's degree in programming and another in networking. I'm thinking about going for a Master's in Communication next."
Joleena and Fina still stared at her in astonishment making San-Li roll her eyes. "Sam isn't the only smart one you know. Sometimes I help him with his blue prints and give him advice."
She finished changing Sammy who was now babbling in content and Keiko had also stopped crying. San-Li placed the soiled diaper in the top compartment of the change bot and it wheeled itself back into the corner. Sam was supposed to eventually modify it so that it also threw away the diaper, but right now it just stored it until she took out the trash.
Fred and Joe finally emerged from the bed room and washed their greasy hands in the kitchen sink.
"So we got you and Sam's bed set up and Alex's bed is up, but we can't figure out how to set up that crazy crib Sam invented." Joe called from the kitchen. "I didn't even know how Sam made that thing."
"He'll set it up when he gets back." San-Li stood up and handed Sammy back to Joleena. "Imma use the bathroom. Don't kill my kids while I'm gone."
Joe sat down next to Joleena and smiled at Sammy. "Wanna see a magic trick, Lil' Sammy?"
Sammy bounced in Joleena's lap and squealed excitedly. Keiko also looked at Joe almost expectantly. Joe pulled a small colorful ball out of his pocket and held it out for them to see. He then closed his fist around it and when he opened it, it had become two balls. Keiko shrieked in excitement and Sammy stared in what could only be described as astonishment.
"What I want to see is Sam and Alex get back here with lunch." Fred said taking Keiko from Fina's lap. "All this work is making me hungry."
As if on cue the door opened and Sam and Alex walked in carrying boxes of Chinese food. The twins reaction was immediate. They both shrieked in excitement and started flailing their arms like crazy. Sam grinned and set the food down on the table to go to them. Alex stayed at the table and began hungrily devouring his food.
"Hey guys." Sam smiled and sat on the floor with them. "How are you?"
Sammy started to fuss until Sam took him out of Joe's arms and held him. Keiko began crying in outrage until Fred passed her onto to Sam as well. Sam laughed as both of his children happily babbled to him incoherently and grabbed at his hair and glasses.
"So what's it like being a dad?" Fred asked. "Do you have to change a bunch diapers and stuff?"
"Not really." Sam laughed and kissed Keiko on the cheek. "San-Li does all of that stuff. I've been pretty busy with school and working on prototypes and stuff. Have you two decided on what college you're going to?"
"New York State." Joe said. "Fred and I applied to be roommates so Fina can live with us without having to deal with a stranger and being stuck in her cat form all the time."
Fred frowned in confusion. "Wait. I thought Fina was living with San-Li now."
"I don't have to now that Sam is living with her." Fina smiled and leaned against him. "Besides, this way I can still be serving Joe and be close to you. When you guys get out of class I'll have dinner all ready for you."
"That does sound awesome." Fred grinned and kissed her on the cheek.
San-Li came out of the bathroom and took a bite of her brother's food. Alex grunted angrily and handed her an unopened carton of food.
"Hey guys, if you want to eat anytime soon you better hurry or Alex is going to eat it all." San-Li said.
Joe and Fred both jumped up and rushed to the table followed by their girlfriends. San-Li took her carton of food and went back to sit down with the twins and Sam.
"Have you fed them yet?" Sam asked gently easing the twins down so they could lay side by side. He tickled both of their feet and they laughed and started kicking.
"Mmhm." San-Li nodded. "Sammy won't go off the breast but Keiko is starting to do formulas."
"What about diaper changes? Keiko's diaper seemed a little heavy."
San-Li rolled her eyes and sighed. "Changing time!"
The bot beeped to life again and rolled towards her. She started to change Keiko. "Sorry if I'm not on point all the time. There are two of them you know."
"Sorry," Sam sighed and fiddled with his glasses nervously. "Hey, I've been thinking about something. Do you really think that it's a good idea for me to go away to MIT this fall? Because it might be better if I waited a few years and stayed close by."
San-Li stopped what she was doing and looked at him. "I thought we already talked about this. MIT is only three hours away and you can visit home on the weekends and during breaks."
"But what if you need help or something?" Sam insisted. "Alex isn't big enough to told the twins and Fina's going to be living with Joe and Fred."
"New York State is only twenty minutes away."
"But what if-"
San-Li sighed in irritation and called back into the kitchen. "Hey guys? If I need anything while Sam's away I can count on one of you right?"
"Whatever you need mommy!" Fred called back.
"Of course we will, Sam's our best friend and by defect that means we have to care about you too." Joe teased lightly.
"See?" San-Li smiled and finished changing Keiko. "You're friends are some of the best people I ever met. Everything will be fine."
"Yeah." Sam smiled. "That's why they're my best friends in the world."
"They're more than that." San-Li smiled softly. "They're family."
A/N- Up next, Fallen Light!