Chapter Fourteen

After sleeping in much longer then usual, Natalie and the girls awoke around 10:00 the next morning. Together they sleepily made their way toward the kitchen, but all stopped when they noticed John standing by the stove.

"Hi John," Sydney said quietly clutching her pink teddy bear.

Happy that she was getting over her shyness toward him, John smiled at her. "Morning Sydney, morning Eve. I made some scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast, but if you girls don't like that I can make something else."

Getting over the shock of seeing John at the stove, Natalie stepped into the kitchen and helped the girls take a seat at the table. "Eggs are fine." Once they were seated, Natalie tightened her robe and after grabbing two cups, she filled them with milk and added a drop of chocolate syrup to each. She brought them over to the girls, then went back and poured herself some coffee.

"You really didn't need to do this," Natalie said as she handed John four plates.

"I wanted to," He said softly as he handed her the girls' two small plates and then they made their way toward the table.

Once they were all seated and eating, John looked over at Natalie. "I called Bo this morning."

"Are their any leads?" She asked vaguely, not wanting to upset the girls anymore.

John shook his head. "Not yet. But, he is sure there will be soon."

Natalie continued eating. "Good, I just want this to be over."

"He gave me my old job back."

The statement came out of nowhere and Natalie dropped her fork in shock. "Chief of Detectives?"

"Yeah. Apparently since Nora is back as the DA and Kevin is the new mayor, it wasn't as much as a problem as it could have been considering how I took off."

"So you're staying?" Natalie asked quietly.

John looked over at her, his face serious. "Yes, I am not going anywhere. The answer to your question from last night is yes I am going to be."

"Going to be what?" Eve's voice interrupted them.

Both Natalie and John turned to look at her, having forgotten the girls were there listening to everything. Natalie recovered quickly and flashed her daughter a smile. "Finish you your breakfast and we'll tell you."

The rest of the meal went quickly and Natalie loaded their plates and forks into the dish washer. "Okay girls, go into the living room, we will be right there." Once they were out of earshot, Natalie focused on John.

"Are you positive about this, John?"

Looking at her with complete seriousness, John nodded. "I stayed up for hours going through those photo albums last night. Looked at pictures of their birthdays, holidays, first day of pre-school and all the other things I have missed. I am all in this Natalie and I am not going to miss anything else."

Blinking back the tears that were forming in her eyes, Natalie gave him a quick hug. "I'm glad. I see how you are with them already John, you going to be an amazing father."

They broke away each with large smiles of their faces. "Come on, let's go tell the girls."

But John's smile suddenly faded as he started to get nervous. "How do we tell them something like that?"

"Let me handle it because if we are not careful the next question we are going to be fielding is where do babies come from and I am not ready for that one."

Still trying to control his nervousness, John didn't even crack a smile and just followed her into the living room. The girls were over at a child-sized table coloring and both looked up when they entered the room.

"Girls, can you come over to the couch please? Mommy needs to talk to you."

Sydney looked over at her sister. "Uh oh, Mommy has that look she gets when we broke something."

"Or when you did something stupid."

Natalie rolled her eyes. "There is no look silly. I am not mad because as far as I know you didn't break anything, and Sydney hasn't had time to do something dangerous. So come sit!"

Standing up, they both went over to the couch and took a seat. Natalie sat in the arm chair across from them, and John took the one on the other side. "The reason I wanted you guys to come sit here is because I have something to tell you."

"Has the bad man been arrested?" Sydney asked.

Natalie shook her head. "Not yet, Sweetie, but Uncle Bo is still working on it.

"Is it about what I asked you and Uncle Mikey yesterday?" Eve chimed in.

"Yes it is."

"What was your question?" Sydney asked turning toward her twin.

"If John was our daddy."

Sydney's eyes widened in shock as she looked between Natalie and John. "What? How can he be our daddy? We just met him…"

"Well, Grandma Vicki and Grandpa Clint are our Grandma and Grandpa because they are Mommy's mommy and daddy and Grandma Eve is Josh and Ryan's Grandma because she is Uncle Mikey's mommy. But Grandma Eve is also our Grandma. And since John is Uncle Mikey's only brother and Grandma Eve is their mommy, then it makes sense." Eve repeated the logic she had presented to Michael the previous day.

"Wow," was all Sydney said, her eyes still wide.

"So is he?" Eve persisted.

Natalie nodded. "Yes girls John is your daddy."

"But why hasn't he been here? Uncle Mike is Josh and Ryan's daddy and he was always here." Eve asked as she glanced over at a still silent John.

Knowing she had to handle this carefully Natalie took a deep breath. "Well girls, your daddy went on a very long trip and no one knew where he was, so when I found out I was having you I couldn't find him to tell him."

Both girls took a minute to think about what she said, Sydney just nodded, but Eve's eyes slightly narrowed. "Well how did you find him now Mommy?"

"She didn't, I found you. I saw the TV with your pictures on it and got back here as fast as I could," John finally spoke.

"Are you leaving again?"

Realizing Eve was one tough five year old, John gave her his most serious look. "Nope. Now that I know I am your Daddy, I am going to live here."

"Does this mean you can play Barbie's with us?" Sydney asked excitedly, "Cause Mommy doesn't do a very good boy voice. And have tea parties too? Because Uncle Rex won't drink the tea."

John laughed. "I'd love to."

Eve was still staring at him through narrowed eyes, finally her face softened. "Can girls play sports in dresses?"

Remembering what he had heard Natalie tell Evangeline about Eve insisting she could, John figured this would be the question that made her either accept or reject him. So he nodded. "I don't see why not, I mean Fred Flintstone used to bowl in one right?"

Obviously he had passed the test with flying colors, as Eve broke into a huge smile. "I think having a daddy is going to be great!" she said to Sydney as the two girls got up and ran over to John.

Throwing their arms around him, they hugged him and John just held on tightly. Suddenly he knew – Natalie had been right, he had nothing to worry about because sitting here holding his daughters was the most natural feeling in the world.