(I own only plot.)
Hi, everyone! Now, first of all, I am SO sorry for the very late update. Thank you for putting up with me. Second, thank you all for the reviews, favourites, follows and your kindness toward me. You're fabulous and you know it. This is for the guest reviewer, who said (and amused me with) and I quote directly 'U had better update!' So here I am, updating. :)
Mara looked at Victor, afraid of his commanding voice. "I... I said..."
"I heard what you said, Mara Jaffray. Twin boys! You and Mr Clarke are to see Mr Sweet tomorrow morning and you will be ex-" Victor's voice raised with every syllable.
Just at that exact moment, Trudy rushed in. "Ah, no! Mara, Jerome and my grandchild stay right here!" She yelled, her voice high-pitched and squeakier than ever in comparison to Victor's deep, commanding voice.
"Grandchildren, Trudes, there are two." Jerome told her, hating to betray his girlfriend's trust.
Mara winced and Trudy looked stunned for a second, before exclaiming "Well, grandchildren, then! Whatever, they're mine! I'll look after them, pay for whatever they need, but they're staying right here and you don't get a say in it!"
Jerome and Mara looked at her in admiration of her strength until Victor, furious to the extent of murder slammed her against the wall. "They are not staying here! And nor will you be, you insolent little witch!
Trudy didn't burst into automatic tears of pain. She gave him precisely one second before she parted her lips and let out an ear-piercing shriek that made the window panes rattle. Jasper came running to see what was causing her to scream like that. "Trudy, what are you screaming about?"
She stopped screaming and smiled. "Victor's being nasty to Mara, Jerome, the twins and me. He just slammed me into the wall and called me a witch because I told him that I won't let these two little darlings be expelled just for expecting twins."
Jasper glared at Victor, who instantly released Trudy. Jerome and Mara shared a look and crept off, avoiding the fight between the adults that was sure to start off. Jerome then realised that he didn't know where Casper was and looked to his girlfriend. "Where did your parents put Casper?"
"Somewhere." Mara replied, dragging her boyfriend into her parents' bedroom to find her little brother rolling about on their parents' bed, attacking a pillow. "Casper, baby?"
"Mawa!" Casper yelled excitedly at her, charging at his sister. "Gnome!"
Mara laughed at her brother's inability to say Jerome while the latter checked his face for a beard. "Yes, it's Gnome! You like him, don't you?"
"Yeah!" Casper squealed, enjoying his sister's attentions. "Mawa, ig baby gun be here soon?"
"They certainly are, little guy." Mara told her baby brother, bouncing him on her knee. "Then you'll be an uncle, with two little nephews to play with."
"Gnome?" Jerome asked, still preoccupied with his girlfriend's baby brother's name for him.
"Yeah. I think I like that one for you. What do you say, Casper, do we call him Gnome?"
"Gnome!" Casper shrieked happily.
"Gnome!" Mara yelled, joining in the fun at her boyfriend's expense.
"It's a good thing I love you, Jaffray." Jerome grumbled good-naturedly, laughing with them.
Mara smiled and said "I love you, too, my fluffy haired garden gnome."
He rolled his eyes and hugged her, smiling. They took Casper downstairs and put him in his pram, ready to take him to the park, away from the yelling adults. Casper wanted the butterflies that were fluttering in the flowery hedges, he wanted to ride on the donkeys, which Mara didn't really think was a good idea and he wanted to go on the bouncing seesaw, which was a no go. Eventually, Jerome just dumped him in a swing while Mara bought ice creams. Half an hour later, Casper asleep, covered in ice cream, Jerome asked "How do you think your parents will react to you having twins?"
"Hopefully better than they did to the actual pregnancy. Honestly, you should have heard them! Mum was trying to be all strict and manly about it. She just sort of swelled up and looked like a red elf, it was quite funny. Like 'Grrrr, Mara been bad, Mara no take order, grrrr!' I think it was sad how she thought she knew it all because she and Dad chose to have a baby and that fell right through for them, but because it's going right for me, she got all jealous." Mara told him, chuckling a bit.
Jerome wasn't laughing, though. "Your mum does know, though. Yeah, she and Jasper had no money for you and they had to give you up, but I don't think she was jealous, I think she was right. What if something happened to them and we ended up the same way that they did? Your mum just cares and she wants what's best for us. I know it seems pathetic that she ranted and raved like that, but she wants us to know that what we did could turn around and backfire on us like it did to them? She doesn't want her grandsons to have to grow up like you did. It doesn't seem fair to be really awful about her behind her back when she's looking out for us."
Mara looked down. She was just answering his question. "Okay, then. I'll answer you properly. I hope my parents react better to the news of twins than they did to the actual pregnancy."
"Beansy Bob, did I upset you?" Jerome asked, worried about her, not wanting anything to hurt her. "I didn't mean to upset you, I was just pointing out that it's not really fair to joke about her when she wants us to be safe."
Mara sighed, trying to control herself. "No, you didn't upset me. I know you were just defending Mum from my bad jokes and I appreciate that."
Jerome knew he'd upset her, he could feel it radiating off her. "Mara, don't try to convince me that you're okay, I know you're not. Come here."
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her head as she sobbed in his arms, breaking down at last. "Thanks, J. You're right. I don't deserve a mum like her. Or a dad like mine. Or such a caring boyfriend. Or such a lovely little brother."
"You do deserve them, Beansy Bob. Just show your parents some more respect and appreciation."
Mara nodded, planning to be the best daughter in the world as she snuggled deeper into Jerome's warm, loving embrace.