Thank you all very much for the reviews!
Being pregnant with twins meant a bigger risk of pre-mature birth, but since Horatio was already 36 weeks pregnant the risk of pre-mature birth weren't as high according to Doctor Melinda Carter. Mac and Horatio had been told that it wasn't unusual for twins to be born around week 36 and Mac was acting like a nervous mother hen because of it.
It didn't make things better that Horatio was having a bad day either with a fever and a nasty stomach bug that made it nearly impossible for him to eat anything and keep it inside. Mac was watching him like a hawk and if it wasn't from being so sick and out of energy, Horatio would have most likely killed him by now.
While Horatio was asleep in the room curled up under several thick covers, Mac was talking with Danny on the phone. The young man and his girlfriend Lindsay had recently moved in with each other after discovering that Lindsay was one month pregnant with their child.
Mac was happy to be chosen as the godfather and Danny told him that they had chosen Stella as the godmother.
"It must have been a big shock for your families to hear that you're having a baby." Mac grinned.
"Yeah, I thought my mom was going to pass out." Danny chuckled on the other end of the phone, "Lindsay's mom started screaming with joy and then went around and told all her neighbors that she was going to be a grandmother."
"So much for keeping it a secret, huh?"
"Yeah, we weren't going to tell so many people until the first trimester had ended, but after she had told everyone there was no point in keeping it a secret anymore."
"So are you thrilled? Nervous?" Mac asked, with a smile remembering how he had felt when he had found out that Horatio was pregnant; he still felt the same.
"Both." Danny said, "How are you doing by the way? Only four weeks left now."
"I'm nervous, Danny. I have to admit that." Mac sighed, "You know it's not unusual for twins to be born early and well, I'm worried about it and worried about the amount of pain Horatio will be in."
"Yeah, I can imagine seeing your lover in pain won't be easy." Danny said.
Danny didn't even want to think about having to witness Lindsay being in pain during labor. He looked forward to being a father, but he was definitely scared too.
"I'm ready though. I can barely wait anymore." Mac smiled.
"How is Horatio feeling?"
"He's sick today."
"Oh that's has to suck." Danny said, "Lindsay say's hi by the way."
"Say hi from me too." Mac smiled, "If Horatio wasn't sick he would have probably killed me a long time ago for being so overprotective."
"You are both very overprotective men."
"Yeah, but being on the receiving end of it is not always fun so I can definitely understand that I'm making Horatio frustrated." Mac sighed, "He's finally sleeping though."
"Babies keeping him awake?"
"Yes and no, they usually do and have for several months, but this time it's his stomach bug that is keeping awake. His fever is making him tired though."
Danny and Mac talked for a while longer before hanging up. Mac sighed and listened to hear if there was any sounds in the house; there was nothing. Not even the usually alert Elvis was making noise. He was sleeping with his master in bed and when Mac went to check on Horatio he saw Elvis lying as close to his chest as possible and having a protective paw on his chin, as if trying to hug the redhead and keep him from harm.
Mac grinned and decided to watch some TV. He and Horatio had spent lots of time together since Horatio had gone on paternity leave two weeks earlier. They both enjoyed their free time very much.
-I-
Two days later it was a happy day for two reasons; first, the team was going over to Mac and Horatio's place for a baby shower (altgough before that the two men were being tricked into going on a shopping spree with Calleigh so that the team could prepare the shower at their house).
The second reason was that Lucas Bedford had been arrested and brought back to Miami. He had been one of the people to escape when Javier Riviera's cousin had rammed the prison bus weeks earlier. Javier Riviera had also been arrested and now only Mrs. Reardon was still free.
"Will Mac and Horatio really believe that they are going with Calleigh to go shopping?" Eric asked.
"Probably not, but they will go and let us believe that we have fooled them and will surprise them." Frank shrugged, "And that is good enough for me."
"Besides I get the pleasure of shopping." Calleigh grinned.
"Don't you have enough clothes?" Eric asked his girlfriend, "Just think about how overstuffed your closet is."
"If I buy sexy underwear will you take it back?"
"I think it's great that you get to shop clothes, Cal." Eric smiled.
Everyone chuckled as they loaded the presents (which they had hid in the lab) in to the hummers. It was both their gifts and the gifts from the New York team, whom unfortunately couldn't attend the baby shower.
"Okay, everyone ready?" Frank asked.
"Yeah, Calleigh go ahead and get the boys out of the house and the rest of us will be arriving just minutes after you leave." Alexx smiled.
"Operation baby shower is a go, I repeat, it's a go." Ryan said.
Eric chuckled and Calleigh got into her hummer.
"Driving away in four, three, two, one!" Eric exclaimed.
"Houston we have a problem." Ryan laughed.
While the two men were busy laughing, everybody else looked at them as if they had lost their minds.
"Boys will be boys." Calleigh rolled her eyes and then drove away.
"If you two idiots are done, maybe we can get a move on. Remember we have to park further down the street so we are not seen by by Mac and H." Frank said.
"Why can't we just wait for Calleigh to call and tell us that they've left?" Ryan asked.
"Because they'll know it and we only have an hour to get everything ready." Alexx said, "She can't keep them away for too long or they'll grow suspicious."
"They already are suspicious." Eric pointed out.
"Just do as we planned." Frank said.
Everyone split up into two hummers loaded with gifts and drove away from the lab.
When Calleigh arrived outside the beach house Mac and Horatio were already waiting for her. They got inside the hummer and Calleigh drove towards the mall.
"How are you doing today?" She asked.
"Good. But tell me again why you bring us with you and not Eric?" Horatio asked.
"Because I don't want Eric to see what I'm buying." Calleigh smiled, "He is going to see it later anyway."
"Oh please tell me we are not going with you to buy underwear?" Horatio said.
"No, no… well, maybe a little." Calleigh giggled, "But Eric has to suffer tonight when I try on every piece of item I buy so he can see it."
"Is that really considered suffering?" Mac asked.
"Mac, imagine how much Calleigh love's shopping and how much she can buy in only one hour." Horatio said, "That's a lot of clothes."
"And poor Eric will have to see every piece of item." Calleigh grinned.
While Calleigh and the two men were busy in the mall; the team was busy in the house trying to bring all the gifts inside the house (using Alexx's extra key to gain access to the men's home) and trying to finish the last decorations on the cake they had bought so that everyone could have a little dessert too.
-I-
"Explain to me why everyone considers Calleigh to be the shopaholic?" Mac asked.
Calleigh had surprisingly enough not bought very much clothes, instead the one who was leaving with the hands full of shopping bags was Horatio.
"I think this is the pregnancy hormones fault." Horatio muttered, "I never used to buy so much stuff before you knocked me up."
"Well not clothes anyway, but you'd buy books and movies all the time." Calleigh said, "So in a way you used to be a shopaholic before too."
Horatio stuck his tongue out at his blonde friend and Calleigh just laughed. All three were driving back to the Caine and Taylor resident and when Calleigh parked the hummer in the driveway Mac got a gut feeling that something was going on. He couldn't see any other cars around though (the team had hid their hummers down the street where they couldn't be seen).
"You want to come in for some coffee?" Horatio asked.
"Sure." Calleigh smiled.
Mac helped Horatio carry the shopping bags inside the house and put them in the kitchen. Horatio immidiately got busy making coffee, while Mac walked to the living room.
"Surprise!"
Mac nearly jumped out of his skin and Horatio hurried as much as he could to the living room to see what was going on. Behind them Calleigh was laughing from the sight of Mac getting startled.
"I knew it!" Mac exclaimed, "I knew something was going on and that you guys have been planning something for a few weeks now."
"Wow. You guys really bought a lot of things." Horatio said.
"Some of these gifts are from New York as well." Alexx smiled and gave both men a hug, "Everyone needs a baby shower, honey."
"This explains why you've all been huddled together before I went on paternity leave." Horatio smiled, "You've been whispering all the time and looking over your shoulders."
"And you didn't believe me when I said they were most likely planning a baby shower." Mac said.
"Well, they could have been doing something else." Horatio smiled.
"Now, you two sit down and we'll hand you the gifts so you can open them." Alexx smiled.
Mac and Horatio soon found themselves drowning in clothes, toys, books and diapers from their friends. They were given things for both boys and girls. The clothes were also in bigger sizes for when the babies got a little older and bigger.
Alexx and Calleigh took photos every minute. The last gift was a big frame with several photos in it with labels, one that was "the parents" and there sat a beautiful picture of Mac and Horatio from Mac's birthday. There also an ultrasound picture on it for "the first ultrasound."
"We decided to copy the first ultrasound picture even if you don't see the twins in it." Eric said.
The only photos missing were "newborn".
"This is made for twins, huh?" Mac asked, since there were two frames meant for pictures of the babies being newborn."
"Yes, either twins or if parents want two different pictures of their baby." Alexx smiled, "So are you happy?"
"More than happy, you really know how to surprise someone." Horatio smiled, "Thank you so much."
"Thank you." Mac grinned.
"Aw, you're welcome." Everyone smiled.
After all the presents had been opened it was time to eat cake. Mac and Horatio felt so spoiled by their friends for giving them or rather their babies, so many gifts. They couldn't ask for a better family.
Later that night when Horatio was taking a long, relaxing bath, Mac was on the phone with Stella.
"So Horatio bought almost everything in the mall huh?" Stella chuckled.
"Yeah, and people say I will be the one to spoil the babies." Mac said.
"Well you will, but you'll wait until they're born." Stella grinned, "So what is it like being at home every day, just the two of you?"
"It's great. It feels like being on vacation and yet it's this tension in the air."
"Because of the babies, right?"
"Yeah, I mean it's not much time left." Mac smiled, "But Horatio and I keep ourselves busy too. We've taken the time to do some little local sightseeing."
"This makes me want to take a vacation too."
"Stella Bonasera, take a vacation?" Mac teased, "Have the world come to an end?"
"Very funny Mac." Stella chuckled, "I know I'm a workaholic, but so were you."
"I know. Seriously though, everyone needs a vacation sooner or later."
"I've always wanted to see Rome."
"Horatio has been there. He says it's definitely something everyone should see."
"I'll consider going there then." Stella smiled.
After Mac and Stella had finished talking Mac went to check on his lover, who was still in the bath.
"Are you sleeping?" Mac asked.
Horatio was resting his head on the edge of the tub and with his eyes closed. He opened his eyes.
"No."
"Do you feel like having company?" Mac grinned.
"Can we both fit in here?"
"Probably not. I'm going out to the beach to watch the ocean… I wouldn't want to go alone." Mac teased.
Mac left and Horatio growled as he got out of the tub and soon joined his lover on the beach; where they did not watch the ocean, but rather got very busy.
Please review!