Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Pairing: Ray/Stella.

Summary: Ray and Stella with kids. Cue craziness and quite possible lock-up.

it runs in the family

Stella/Ray…with kids

Perfect measured pieces,

Fit together you and I,

Hey bright eyes.

OneRepublic- Sucker Punch

"Ray, get back here."

He comes in shuffling his feet. "Yes?"

"Where are you going?"

"To see the Edward's kid."

"With a baseball bat?"

He looks down at the baseball bat in his hand and sighs. "A little too much?"

"Ray, Mark is five."

"He made Katie cry."

"I know he did. You don't think I wanted to march over there and rip his little eyes out? Because I did, but I can't. Because he's five."

Ray pouts and sits on the stool at the counter. "Being a grown up sucks."

Stella laughs and kisses him on the lips. "I know right?"

"How's Katie?"

Stella smirks, "Oh she's fine. She told me that Mark is so five minutes ago and she's now going to marry Teddy Jones."

"Pssh, yeah right. Over my dead body."

When Stella tells Ray that she's pregnant, she expects him to freak out. She expects him to put a fight, because they are not ready. She's not ready to be a mom. And she gets that he's not ready to be a dad. She tells herself this. It still hurts when he looks at her and then walks straight out the door, though.

Stella Yamada doesn't cry and she'll swear up and down that she didn't fall back on the couch and bawl her eyes out. (Because she didn't).

Stella doesn't realize she fell asleep until she wakes up. And she wakes up to typing and talking. Her eyes are crusty and she takes a shaky breath and looks towards the kitchen of their small one bedroom apartment. Ray is at the kitchen table, hunched over, phone between his ear and shoulder, pencil in his hand and laptop in front of him. "So, how much would all of that cost do you think? Really? No, that's not bad at all. Yeah, that's great. God, I know." He lets out a startled laugh, "thanks for this dad. It means a lot. Well get used to it grandpa. See you soon." He hangs up and goes back to his laptop.

"Ray?" Stella asks, her voice wavering. (She still maintains it's because she just woke up).

Ray looks up in surprise and then grins. "Hey! I didn't want to wake you. But I guess I did. So, this apartment is great. We both love it but it's small, obviously, so I was talking to my dad and there's this house a couple streets down from where I used to live and from where you used to live, which is like perfect because we'd be close to both set of parents and it's going for a great deal and dad is putting an offer down for us. I'm booking the tickets, because seriously Stel, it's time we go home. I've been looking at law firms and there are a few that I know will be banging down our door to get you and I've been talking to the hospital and well, I've still got to do a formal interview, but I'm basically hired as their kinesiologist. By the way, we need to be careful about the crib we get because there are some seriously shady ones. Oh! And my mom recommended this really good OB/GYN and-why are you looking at me like that?"

She doesn't even know how she's looking at him but she's pretty sure it has something to do with surprise, gratitude, relief and love. Love which is tightening around her heart and making her want to explode. In the best possible way. "You left."

"I had to go to the bank."

"What?"

"The bank. I had to make sure that everything is in order. Stella, babies are expensive and I've been looking into our genetics and did you know that my aunt had twins? And I know your brothers are twins so twins run in the family. We could have twins."

"You want this baby?"

He's silent. "You think I don't want this baby?"

"You left."

"Obviously, not the right thing to do. I get it. I'm stupid. Stella, I love you and I'm going to spoil the shit out of this kid and all the other ones we have."

Stella can't help. He looks so earnest and happy and serious. "What makes you think we're going to have more than one?"

"Pssh, because you find me irresistible." Then he launches out of the chair, hugs her and twirls her around, all the while saying, "you're stuck with me now, Yamada."

Touché, she thinks.

"Stella." Ray calls out from his spot in the kitchen. "Get back here."

She comes in shuffling her feet. "Yes?"

"Where are you going?"

"To see the Edward's."

"With a paintball gun?"

Stella sighs and stares at it. "A little too much?"

"She's sixteen. You're an adult and a lawyer. Figure it out."

"She broke Jacob's heart."

"I know she did. You don't think I wanted to march over there and rip her beady eyes out? Because I did. But I didn't. Because it's illegal. And generally frowned upon."

Stella pouts and sits on the stool. "Being a grown up sucks."

Ray snorts, "That's what I've been saying! How's Jake?"

Stella shrugs. "He'll be okay. He and Katie went to Dante's."

Ray nods and opens the fridge and pauses. "Stella?"

"Yeah?"

"Where are the eggs?"

"In the fridge."

"No. They're not."

"What do you mean no, they're not? There was like two dozen of them in the fridge earlier today." Stella sighs when she reaches to grab the phone when it starts ringing. "Keeping looking. They're in there. Hello? This is she. What? No, I heard what you said, that was incredulity. Both of them? Of course there are no charges being pressed, is that Gail Edwards shrieking like a banshee? Tell that psychotic bitch to keep her kids away from mine and we won't have a problem. Oh! She did not just say that! Tell Dorothy she is not in Kansas and I'm going to kick her label whoring ass back to wherever the hell she came-hello? Hello?" Stella huffs and hangs up. She looks at Ray. "Well, I know where the eggs went."

"Our kids are in lock-up, aren't they?"

"Well, to be honest, I'm surprised it took them this long."

"Should we take the paintball gun and baseball bat for security reasons?" Ray asks curiously.

"Pssh, hell no. I'm about to go hardcore on the Edward's."

"Awesome. I'm calling Scott."

"What for?"

"For him to bail us all out, duh."

"Good thinking."

Crack fic. Completely right. LOL. It was fun to write though. Let me know what you all think! Reviews are greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Bex

P.S. Any and all mistakes are mine and I apologize if they offend anyone.