Chapter 22 – Family

AN: Wow! Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews that I got for the last chapter! I am five reviews away from reaching 500, how FANTASTIC is that!

I am SO sorry for being MIA for the last week and a half, but I have had a lot of things going on and have had practically no time to update. Plus, I was in Ottawa and had no Internet connection so even if I had time to update I wouldn't have been able to post it. I am SO sorry and hope I haven't lost any viewers because of my lack of updates.

Fortunately, I have finished "Love Doesn't Come Smoothly" which means that I will only have to focus on "Fate Works in Strange Ways". Once I finish (or an really close to finishing) then I will post the trailer for my new story, so keep your eyes out!

Thank you for all the people who reviewed on what type of story you want next. Love you all and I was glad to hear your input!

Anyway, sorry again for the lack of update and I will try to make up for it. Thank you all for sticking by me!

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"I'm fat."

We were in the bedroom, Gabriella trying to find an outfit for the day. We were planning on taking Bella to the park, spending a relaxing day as a family together. Unfortunately, Gabriella's hormones had decided to start the day off rocky.

"Brie, you are not fat." She spun around to face me, and I swore if looks could kill I would be a dead man.

"Well then, what do you call gaining 11 pounds? Huh?"

"Pregnant?" I quickly ducked at I saw a flash of silver fly by my head, and then heard the accompanying crash. Turning around, I saw my pile of sports magazine's sprayed all over the ground, a silver hairbrush lying on top.

"Wrong answer." Gabriella muttered.

"Did you just throw a hairbrush at me?"

"You deserved it."

"How?"

"You called me fat." I rolled my eyes, and then saw tears begin to form in Gabriella's eyes. I swiftly walked across the room, wrapping her in my arms. Gabriella buried her face into my chest.

"Brie, you are in no way fat. That swell on your stomach," I moved away from her, placing a gentle hand on her growing stomach, "that's our babies in there. Brie, you are 17 weeks pregnant, of course you are going to gain weight."

"I'm being silly aren't I?" she muttered.

"No, of course not. Just blame the hormones." Gabriella giggled.

"Thanks Troy. You always know exactly what to say."

"Not all the time. You did throw a hairbrush at me." Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"You were being silly."

"I'm always silly." Before she could respond, a cry was heard from down the hallway.

"Troy, go get your daughter, before I am forced to throw another hairbrush."

"You wouldn't dare…" I said teasingly. Gabriella lifted up a sparkly pink brush and raised it above her head.

"Just try me. You know what they say… never mess with a hormonal pregnant woman." I gulped, quickly walking towards the bedroom door.

"I'm going, don't worry."

"Good." I saw Gabriella grabbing a yellow shirt from off the bed and holding it up against her body.

"By the way Brie?"

"Mhm…" she mumbled back.

"I would wear blue, it makes you look slimmer."

The hairbrush crashed against the swiftly closing bedroom door.

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"Bella! Stop throwing food!" Gabriella scolded.

We were sitting on a picnic blanket by the lake, watching as the swans swam gracefully. Gabriella was attempting to feed Bella some mashed potato salad, which was proving unsuccessful.

"Glee." Bella gurgled.

"You know even though she can somewhat talk now, she still decides to use fake words. Weird." I commented, only to get another glare from Gabriella.

"Not helping." I sighed, lifted Isabella off of Gabriella's lap and onto my own.

"Bella, why are you being so mean to mommy? You know that her hormones are whack and she needs as little problems as possible." Isabella just looked up at me innocently with her chocolate brown eyes. "You think you can eat a little, for mommy?" I lifted up the spoon and placed it near her mouth, amazed to see her instantly eat it.

"How did you do that?" Gabriella questioned. "How is it you always manage to get her to do what you say?" I shrugged.

"What can I say? She's a little daddy's girl. Right Baby Girl?"

"Dada." She said, reaching her tiny hand out and wrapping it around my index and middle fingers.

"See?" I said, getting an eye-roll from Gabs.

"She just knows you spoil her." Gabriella said leaning back and lovingly began rubbing her stomach. "Just like you will our other children."

"I can't help it." I said, bouncing Isabella carefully on my lap. "I love to dote on my family." I smiled at the term.

Family.

"I never thought I would hear those words." Gabriella commented. "We really are a true family, aren't we?"

"A perfect family."

"Famli" Isabella babbled. Gabriella's melodic laugh rang through my ears.

"That's right sweetie." Gabriella leaned forward, tickling Isabella under the chin. She squirmed in my lap, her arms flailing and whacking against my body.

"That," I groaned as her elbow dug into my lower body, "was my kidney."

"Baby girl, you're hurting daddy." Isabella giggled, arms continuing to hit my body.

"Ohh… there goes the other kidney." I lifted Isabella off my lap and onto the blanket, sitting her beside me. She was instantly up and unsteadily walking. Gabriella moved to get up, and I swiftly leaned forward and helped her.

"I don't need your help yet."

"Yet?"

"When I'm a balloon, I'll call you." I laughed.

"Let's just go find out little terror before she does something." Running forward, I grabbed Isabella and lifted her into my arms. She squealed in delight before settling down and resting against my chest. I turned to see Gabriella carefully putting her now shoe-less feet into the cool water of the lake. I walked over to her, slipping off my shoes, and joined her in the water.

"It's soothing, isn't it?" Gabriella said.

"Sure is." I replied, wrapping my free arm around Gabriella's slender waist.

"Water." Isabella said.

"Yes, water." I said, releasing Gabriella and bending forward. I let Isabella's feet skim the water, only to have Isabella kick out and soak me. Gabriella laughed.

"Something funny?" I asked her.

"You."

"How so?"

"Well, our daughter may be a daddy's girl, but she also finds pleasure in torturing her daddy."

"That's not true." Gabriella gave me a look.

"Sure."

"It's true! I'm just always in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Mhm."

"You don't believe me." I stated. I carefully turned my body to face Gabriella, putting Isabella's feet back in the water. Sure enough, Isabella had the same reaction to the water.

A drenched-looking Gabriella glared at me.

"You did that on purpose." She said.

"What can I say? You were in the wrong place at the wrong time." I said, shrugging. Isabella looked back and forth between her parents.

"You're mean."

"You know you love me." I said.

"True." I leaned forward, kissing Gabriella gently. She wrapped her arms around me, sandwiching Isabella in between us.

"I love you." I whispered in her ear.

"I love you too." I smiled, and then kissed Isabella gently on the forehead.

"We love you too baby girl."

"Mama… dada…" she replied.

For the next hour we stayed in that position, watching as the sun set behind the Albuquerque mountains.

It was a perfect afternoon.

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AN: Again, I am SOO sorry that I haven't updated the story in a long time, but with my school trip and family problems it has been really hard. I will try to update sooner next time.

Next chapter: Gabriella's ultrasound. Gender of the babies is found out.

That is… if you guys want to know the gender.

Review if you want the next chapter!!!!

Xoxo,

Lar