Just a random mention: Glory's based on my cousin, Navy. She's adorable (curly, dark blonde hair and piercing blue eyes; she looks exactly like her mom did at her age, it's super cool; I wish I could put up a picture of her for you to see, but I can't), and she still sucks her thumb, and she's almost four (you'll know what I mean when you read on.) And Ms. Holby's Wind series is, alas, published after Rent, but whatever, I'm still keeping it in there. Oh, and I borrowed a bit of a Titanic quote that I felt fit just right.

And congratulations to notEASYbeingGREEN for being my 50th review! That makes me very happy. That's all from me. Enjoy the final chapter.

Chapter 22

Three days later, Roger and Stephanie came home in silence from Collins' funeral. The funeral home had done a very good job with Collins, making him look very good after such a tragic death.

"That was a beautiful funeral," Mrs. Davis said. She and Mr. Davis had come up from Scarsdale for the funeral, along with Mr. and Mrs. Cohen, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson and Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson from Hicksville, and lots of food for the grieving family.

"Yeah, it was," Roger said. He noticed the distant look on Stephanie's face. "Baby, are you OK?" he asked her, concerned.

Stephanie shook her head and pulled away from him as he went to wrap his arms around her. "Baby, what's wrong?" Roger asked. "Talk to me." But she shook her head silently.

"We have to go, son, but are you all gonna be OK?" Mr. Davis asked him, giving him a concerned look.

Roger nodded and after exchanging hugs, his parents left.

"Stephanie, wait," Roger called after her. "Baby, what's wrong? Talk to me, honey."

Stephanie turned around to face him and he saw there were tears in her eyes again. "I just can't stand it," she sobbed into his chest. "One second, Collins was standing in front of me… and ten minutes later, he was gone…"

"I know, Baby, I know," Roger said, as he started to cry with her. "I miss him, too. But he's up there watching us right now. He's with Angel and Mimi now. He's happy."

"But he was happy here, too!" Stephanie yelled angrily; not at Roger, but more out of anger and hatred toward everything that had happened lately.

"Yeah, he was, Baby," Roger said. "It wasn't fair that he died, not to him, not to us. But he did and that's that. We can't do anything about that, no matter how much we think we can or how much we try."

"I know," Stephanie said, as she cried in his arms. "But I can't get it out of my mind…"

Roger nodded. Stephanie hadn't slept one bit since Collins was murdered.

"It'll become easier, Baby," Roger said. "I don't know when, but it will, with time. Time heals everything."

"Yeah," Stephanie said. "I just wish I knew how much time; not just for how long it'll take until Collins' death quits hurting, but how much time we have left."

"So do I, Baby," Roger said. "So do I."

One year later…

On the night of Glory's second birthday, Roger found Stephanie watching Glory sleep in her room. He wrapped his arms around her lovingly and she jumped and let out a gasp of surprise.

"It's OK, Baby, it's just me," Roger said soothingly, smiling at her.

"Roger, you scared me," Stephanie whispered, leaning back to kiss him.

"Sorry," he said. He noticed tears shining in her eyes. "Are you OK?"

"It's just that I never thought I could be so sad and so happy at the same time," Stephanie said quietly.

Roger was surprised. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, everything has worked out so well for us so far," Stephanie said, "and that's amazing and wonderful, but… then Collins was killed. And today's the… the one-year anniversary of his death, Glory's second birthday." Tears formed in Stephanie's eyes and spilled over.

Roger looked down at her and gently wiped the tears away. "I know," he said. "But hey, you're gonna give her a complex if you keep watching her sleep, you know."

Stephanie nodded. "I know," she said.

"Come on," Roger said, smiling at her. "I know something that will make you feel better."

"You do, huh?" Stephanie asked, smiling mischievously at him, and he carried her into their bedroom.

"Jen, Mo, Jo, can you come here?" Stephanie asked them, standing in the hallway outside the bathroom.

"Sure, chica, what's up?" Maureen asked.

Stephanie pulled them into the bathroom and she sat on the countertop. "You guys, I'm pregnant," she blurted out; luckily, not loud enough to attract attention.

Jennifer, Maureen, and Joanne's jaws dropped and they squealed excitedly. "We're happy for you," Joanne said. She noticed the look on Stephanie's face. "You don't want to be?" she asked.

Stephanie was confused. "I don't know," she said. "I was hoping to wait until Glory was a little older…"

"How much older were you— er— planning on her being before having a second child?" Jennifer asked.

"I don't know… another few months… maybe another year? It's not like money's a problem," Stephanie said, as she got down from the countertop and walked out of the bathroom with her three best friends behind her. "No, money is definitely not a problem… we've got more than enough of it… we've got enough for like, fifty people to live on for life… I don't even know if Roger has already figured it out or not."

"What haven't I figured out?" Roger asked, suddenly standing in front of her.

Stephanie froze right before she bumped into him. "Um… well… we've never really talked about… how much money we have, and we've been together for almost five years."

"Who's 'we', Baby?" Roger asked, looking down at her. "It's all yours and I make due with what I have. I don't want to live off you for the rest of our lives. I can't do that to my lovely wife." He smiled down at her and wrapped his arms around her. "But since it came up, do you mind if I ask how much it is?"

"No, I don't mind," Stephanie said, shaking her head. "You're entitled as my husband to know. It's a little less than six hundred million. I spent some of it on the heroin back then, but I don't think that even put a dent in it."

Roger looked slightly stunned. "Whoa," he said. "OK, well, is that all you had to tell me?"

"No," Stephanie said, looking up at him. "I— I'm pregnant again."

Roger's eyebrows rose. "You are?" he asked. Stephanie held up the stick in front of his face and Roger saw the two pink lines. "Oh." He put his arm around her. "Well, that's great." He noticed the look on her face. "Isn't it?"

"Well…" Stephanie began. "I was hoping to wait until Glory was a little older… Weren't you?"

Roger shrugged. "I'm 34 years old. I've never thought of a specific age when I wanted to start having kids. But if you're not OK with it, we could always…"

"No," Stephanie said sharply, glaring at him, "no, absolutely not. I will not get an abortion." Tears sprang to her eyes and Roger looked alarmed. "I can't believe you would even suggest something like that."

"I wasn't saying it to hurt you, Baby," Roger pleaded with her, pulling her close. "Of course I wouldn't want to kill my child like that. But if it isn't what you want, then what other choice do we have?"

"I don't know," Stephanie said uncertainly. "I guess we're in the game now."

Roger nodded and put his hands on her shoulders. "But we'll deal with it, OK?"

Stephanie nodded as he kissed her on the forehead. "OK," she said, and she leaned into his strong frame.

"So what are you hoping for?" Joanne asked, as the Bohemians met up at Stephanie and Roger's manor to hang out with Glory and Aida.

"I don't know," Stephanie said. "I think we're both hoping for boys, now that the initial shock of it all is over, so for once, we agree on something." She smiled at Roger as he caressed her five-months-pregnant belly. "I can't believe I'm this big already and we're only halfway there. We're going in to Doctor Riggs tomorrow to get ultrasounds and HIV tests taken, so maybe he can tell us then. I could just be eating too much."

"But Doctor Riggs said no losing weight while she's pregnant," Roger said, "so for now, the weight gain is normal."

Stephanie sighed. "But my ankles are like sausages and my back already hurts," she whined. "I don't know if we'll make it until July, unless you give me lots of massages."

"We'll do our best," Roger said, smiling down at her.

"Well, Stephanie, I can see why you're so uncomfortable so early," Doctor Riggs said.

"Why?" Stephanie asked curiously, propping herself up on her elbows.

Doctor Riggs turned the ultrasound machine toward them, so they could see it. He smiled. "You're having twins," he said. "You can see that they're boys."

Roger and Stephanie were surprised. "We are?" Roger asked, looking at Doctor Riggs.

"Who's 'we', Paleface?" Stephanie asked irritably, looking up at him. "I'm the one who's big as a house. You just had a few nights of fun."

Roger and Doctor Riggs burst out laughing. "Well, Stephanie, although it's rare to not detect the growth of twins until this late, I'm still going to prescribe you prenatal vitamins. Take them twice a day with your AZT, just like last time, OK?"

"OK," Stephanie said, and after Roger wiped the gel off her belly, she got down from the table. Stephanie put on her coat and turned back to Doctor Riggs, as a question came to her mind. "Doctor Riggs, can I ask you one more thing?"

"Sure, Stephanie," Doctor Riggs said.

"With Roger's and my HIV, is there anything we can do before the boys are born to lessen their chances of contracting it?"

"We can do a planned C-section once you're in your eighth month," Doctor Riggs replied. "That is, if you make it that far. We don't want the twins born before eight months at best, but earlier than that happens."

"Do you think it will?" Stephanie asked. "I mean, they'll run out of room really quick at this rate."

"I can't tell you that, Steph," Doctor Riggs said, "but we'll keep monitoring them."

"OK, thank you," Stephanie said. "Have a good day."

Doctor Riggs waved to her as she left with Roger.

"So did you find anything out?" Maureen asked eagerly, as Stephanie and Roger came into the loft. Maureen was practically jumping up and down in her excitement.

"Down, girl," Stephanie said, laughing, and Maureen went to go sit on the couch with Joanne. "Stay. OK." She slowly lowered herself into a chair. "We have good news. We're having twin boys."

"Oh my God," Jennifer exclaimed excitedly, coming over to hug Stephanie, "Steph, that's amazing! Congratulations to both of you. Did Doctor Riggs say anything else?"

"He said that we can do a planned C-section, if I make it to my eighth month," Stephanie replied, putting a hand to her swollen belly. Stephanie sighed. "I really hope they don't come any earlier, because I don't want anything to happen to them. The C-section would also dramatically lower their chances of being positive, especially since my T-cells are high and my viral load is undetectable, as is Roger."

"That's really great," Joanne said. "You guys are so lucky."

"Aw, Jo," Stephanie said, starting to choke up, "you'll get the child you deserve, too. Your road to that is just different than ours, that's all."

"I know," Joanne said, smiling at her. "Maureen's just been bugging me about it a lot lately."

Stephanie laughed. "Good for you, Mo! You two will make great parents."

"Hey, at least the kid would have a damn good lawyer, if he ever got into trouble," Roger teased.

Joanne laughed and threw a pillow at him. "You bet your ass they would!"

Stephanie laughed and hugged her three best friends happily.

Glory tugged on her father's pant leg as they waited with Stephanie for the OK to go into the operating room. "Daddy," she said, "is Mommy sick?"

Roger picked up his two-and-a-half year old daughter and looked at her big blue eyes. "No, sweetie, your mom's not sick. She's just gonna have that little operation we talked about so your baby brothers can be born, OK?"

"OK," Glory said, and she began to suck her thumb, gazing up at her father through her piercing blue eyes.

"Are you excited, little one?" Roger asked.

"Yes," Glory said, flashing him a very familiar smile.

"So am I, little one," Roger said, smiling at her.

"Mr. Davis," the surgeon said, coming out of the operating room, "we're ready for you now."

"OK, I'm coming," Roger said to him. He turned back to Glory. "I'm gonna go in to Mommy now, OK? You go with Aunt Maureen, Aunt Joanne, and Aunt Jennifer, OK?"

"OK," Glory said, and she hugged Roger around his neck. Roger kissed her on the cheek and handed her over to Jennifer and went in to Stephanie.

"How are you doing, Baby?" Roger asked, going over to her.

"I'm OK," Stephanie said, smiling at him. "I'm really nervous, but OK. How are you?"

"I'm good," Roger said. "I'm probably just as anxious as you are for them to arrive."

"Mrs. Davis, we're about to begin," the surgeon said. "You'll feel some pulling and pressure, but that's normal. We'll be talking you through it all before we do anything, OK?" He looked at her over the mask.

Stephanie swallowed nervously. "OK," she said, and she got lost in Roger's green eyes as the surgeon began the operation that would bring their baby boys into the world.

"They're beautiful, Roger," Jennifer said, looking into the nursery window with tears in her eyes. "What are their names? And where's Stephie?"

"We named them Collin Marcus and Caleb Maverick," Roger said, "after Collins and one of Stephanie's favorite western romance novel characters." Roger rolled his eyes and Jennifer laughed.

"Oh, let me guess," she said, "that wouldn't happen to be from Cindy Holby's Wind series, would it?"

Roger looked down at her. "How'd you know?" he asked.

Jennifer laughed. "Stephanie wouldn't quit talking about that series for about two weeks, back in high school," she said. "She was in love with the main character of one of the books, Caleb Conners." Jennifer grinned at him.

"Oh, OK," Roger said. "Collin is four-and-a-half pounds and Caleb is five pounds. Both are eighteen inches long. Stephanie has to be in the Recovery room for a few hours, but then you can all see her, once she gets her own private room."

"Good," they said together.

"Go tell her we love her," Jennifer said, smiling at him as she held Glory.

"OK," Roger said, and he kissed Glory on the cheek. "I'm gonna go in and see your baby brothers now, OK?" Glory nodded. "You're still my best girl, Glory; you and Mommy both."

Glory smiled at her father and watched him walk away. Then the Recovery doors closed.

I hope that was the ending you readers were expecting. I wanted to continue on the story with all this tragic stuff happening, but when Renthead621 told me she didn't know if she'd continue reading if I did that, she suggested I end it on a feel-good note. Since I won't do without her faithful reviewing and help, I couldn't do that to her, so here it is. Don't forget to review.

Thank you to all who have reviewed and helped me throughout this story, especially Renthead621. Without you, several of the chapters would probably not have been finished, or their content would have seriously lacked. Our friendship is invaluable to me. I appreciate it so much. You know you're a genius and that you rock my socks off. Thank you.

A sequel will probably be in the works sometime within the next couple of weeks. It will be set 10 years or so into the future. Keep a look out for it.

Until next time, lots of love,

Renthead07