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Mac peeked out on the back porch where his lover had been sitting for the last hour. It had all started when Horatio had snapped after dropping a piece of pie he had bought for Mac on the floor. When Mac had tried to help clean it up, the redhead had yelled at him to get out of the kitchen and leave him alone. Mac hadn't put up a fight and left his lover alone so he could calm down; he knew that Horatio was not only having a bad day because of his pregnancy hormones but because he had barely gotten any sleep during the night and he had some dull pain in his lower abdomen.

Mac thought it was a sign that the babies were on their way and Horatio probably wished for nothing more than to give birth now. He was only 12 days away from his due date and had surprisingly enough gone quite far in his pregnancy for being slightly older than most pregnant men and women, and also being pregnant with twins.

"Are you less angry now?" Mac asked.

Horatio was sitting in the hammock and he glanced at the younger man. When he nodded Mac sat down next to him and kissed his cheek.

"I know it's hard love, but it's not that long time left now." He smiled, "Besides, your abdominal pain might be a sign that the contractions will come soon."

"I hope so. Don't get me wrong it's been great to be pregnant but I'm getting sick of it now. I'm tired of waiting." Horatio sighed.

"Me too." Mac grinned, "So are you ready to go to the doctor and have another ultrasound?"

Horatio smiled and nodded. Mac stood up and grabbed his hand, pulling him up to his feet. Horatio felt like a whale and Mac had told told him many times that he looked beautiful.

-I-

The New York and Miami teams were also beginning to get more excited than usual about the coming birth. In New York things were crazy in the lab after Mac had told Stella that Horatio was having lower abdominal pain. She had told the team and then Adam had told everyone else and there was now a poll in the lab about when the babies would be born.

"Alright, so most people think it is time tomorrow." Adam said, "And in total we have a bet of 300 bucks."

"Adam?" Stella asked.

All the lab techs quickly left the break room. Adam (who was standing on a table with a small whiteboard on top writing down everyone's bets) jumped down from the table and smiled innocently at Stella.

"Calm down Adam, the babies might not come for another week or so." Stella said.

"But it's a bigger chance that they'll come today or tomorrow." Adam said.

"People are really impatient aren't they?" Sid asked.

"Well of course! Mac Taylor and Horatio Caine are having a baby." Adam said, "Who would have thought that those two would ever have a baby?"

"Adam?" Stella asked with raised eyebrows.

"Not that they won't be great parents just that I don't think anyone of us ever expected this to happen." Adam said nervously.

"He's right you know." Danny said.

"So you guys want to be in on the bet?" Adam asked.

"Fine, 20 bucks says the babies will be born tomorrow." Stella sighed and gave Adam the money, "Get back to work soon, please Adam."

"I promise." Adam grinned, as everyone else placed their bets too.

-I-

Frank was shocked to see his redheaded friend walk into the crime lab after lunch for a visit, he was about to open his mouth to comment on it when Mac shook his head no at him. Mac had already received a tongue lashing in the car from his lover for trying to stop him from visiting his team.

"Not one word Francis." Horatio said, "Not one word."

"Not even hello?"

Horatio rolled his eyes and the Texan man laughed as he patted Horatio on the shoulder.

"So what brings you here?" He asked.

"I visit. We've just been to the doctor and I just thought that Mac and I would drop by." Horatio said.

"What did the doctor say?" Frank asked, as the trio walked towards the layout room where the team was discussing a case.

"That Horatio should be in bed resting." Mac muttered.

"Doctor Melinda Carter might be a good doctor, but that doesn't mean I have to listen to her." Horatio mumbled.

The team was happy to see Horatio and they also wondered if he should really be visiting them right now. When Mac told them what the doctor had said Horatio pouted at his lover.

"I can't spend all day in bed. Besides if this abdominal pain is a sign that the labor will start soon I might as well walk around to make it happen a little bit faster." Horatio said, "Doctor Carter did actually say that walking might help."

"She also said that hot sauce and sex might help." Mac said, "That doesn't mean you have to do it."

"Eat hot sauce and have sex? That's new for me." Frank chuckled, "Come on Mac, you know that Horatio will do exactly the opposite of what the doctor told him. He always does."

"Well, at least I'm trying to stop him." Mac sighed, "Hey wait a minute… do I have to call Alexx to get you to go home?"

"No, I'm already here."

Horatio turned around to face Alexx who looked at him like a mother catching her child stealing cookies. Horatio blushed and Mac smiled triumphantly.

"So what exactly did the doctor say?" Alexx asked.

"That Horatio should be at home resting and that it might be so that the labor will start soon. Maybe today, maybe tomorrow or maybe even later." Mac said.

"I just wanted to visit." Horatio said and smiled innocently at Alexx.

Alexx sighed and hugged her oldest baby; she couldn't possibly scold him now. She could see that his was in pain and very tired.

"So what are you guys working on?" Horatio asked.

"Hey! You're here to visit not work." Alexx chided.

"A double murder." Calleigh said, "Nothing you have to worry about."

"If I promise to go home will you tell me about the case?" Horatio smiled.

Calleigh chuckled and the team told Horatio about the case. It seemed like such an interesting one that even Mac couldn't help but listen and be intrigued. Finally when the team was done Alexx and Mac forced Horatio to go home. The team could also see that the little visit had worn Horatio out more than he cared to admit.

"Alright, we're going." Horatio said, "Mac will text you as soon as something happens."

"We'll be waiting. This is like waiting for Christmas presents." Eric grinned.

"They seem even more excited about this than we do." Horatio said to Mac.

"That's because we are more worried about it." Mac said.

"Oh come on guys, we've been waiting like nine months for this." Calleigh smiled, "Well, so have you but you know what I mean."

Mac and Horatio just smiled and shook their heads as they took the elevator down to the parking lot and drove home.

-I-

Horatio had gone to bed the moment he come home and although he had claimed that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep he had done so in less than five minutes. Mac had stayed next to him in bed for a long time; just watched his chest rise and fall with each breath and feel the babies kick. He was trying to mentally prepare himself for the coming labor; his gut told him it wasn't far away now.

After more than an hour Mac had left the bedroom and made himself some early dinner. He had watched some TV while snuggling with Elvis and then read a book. Now Horatio had been asleep for nearly five hours and Mac was bored. He was patiently waiting for something to happen and he could feel the tension in the air.

Mac and Horatio had gotten an ultrasound picture of their babies and Mac was now looking at it as he sat on the back porch. The sun was going down and everything was quiet. He had never thought he'd be a father. After Clair had died he had thought he'd never find love again and hence never find anyone to start a family with. His job had become his entire life.
Now, he was expecting twins with the only man he could ever love and he had retired. His life was Horatio and their family. He had never regretted his decision to retire. He should probably thank Stella for making him realize that he had to admit his feelings for Horatio after the conference in Boston. If she hadn't talked him into it he would have continued being a lonely man in New York.

Horatio would have continued being alone in Miami. They wouldn't be having children and they wouldn't have found love. Mac had never thought he'd be so grateful for going to a conference as he was about going to Boston.

It was amazing how one meeting could change your life. Mac didn't know if he believed in destiny, but maybe it was destiny or something else that had made sure that Horatio and Mac would get hotel rooms across the hall from each other, that they would have dinner together, then breakfast and end up falling in love. Ultimately it was a case in Miami that had brought Horatio to New York and by doing that also in to Mac's arms. It had most likely been love at first sight without them realizing it at first.

"Deep thoughts?"

Mac smiled and turned his head to look at his lover in the doorway. His hair was tousled and he looked like he hadn't slept at all even though he had been asleep for hours.

Horatio sat down next to his younger lover and rested his head on his shoulder.

"Just thinking about us. How life changed for both us after Boston." Mac said.

"Any regrets?"

"Yeah, that it took me so much time to admit my feelings for you." Mac smiled.

Horatio grinned and entwined his fingers with Mac's. They sat there for a while enjoying the silence and the sun going down. Horatio's stomach grumbled and he sighed.

"Is there any food available?" He asked.

"Yeah, you can reheat some pasta Bolognese that I made earlier." Mac smiled.

Horatio nodded and stood up. Mac followed him inside. While Horatio ate they watched the news and then a movie that was on the TV. When the movie was coming to an end Mac started giving Horatio a back massage.

"What time is it?" Horatio asked and moaned when Mac worked his magic on him.

"Nearly ten thirty pm."

"I don't think I'll be able to go back to sleep tonight, Mac."

"Well, we can both stay up late and watch movies and eat popcorn." Mac grinned.

"I don't want to rob your of your sleep."

"I don't think I can sleep either tonight." Mac said.

When Mac was done with the back massage he moved onto Horatio's ankles and the redhead was beginning to get very relaxed.

"Maybe a nice, hot bath will help with your pain." Mac suggested.

"It's probably worth a try." Horatio said.

Mac finished massaging Horatio's ankles and then stood up.

"You start filling up the tub and I'll get some more massage oil." Mac smiled.

Horatio smiled back and while Mac went to the guest bedroom to get the oils (they were there because they were rarely used), Horatio went to the master bathroom and started filling up the tub with water. It was nearly eleven and Horatio started taking his clothes off; he could hear Mac rummaging through the cabinets downstairs and mumbling to himself.

Horatio felt very lucky to have a man like Mac in his life; especially while he was so filled with hormones and was a very grumpy person.

When he moved to take his shirt off there was a sudden pain in his abdomen, a lot more pain than before. Horatio gasped and grabbed onto the bathroom counter.

"M-Mac!" He called out as the pain started to subside.

Mac smiled and entered the bathroom with two massage oils in his hands.

"I finally found them." He smiled and then saw Horatio surprised and pained expression, "What's wrong?"

"It's started." Horatio gasped.

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