A/N: As always special thanks to Fangirl44, scuie90 and Maureen Elphaba Thropp for the reviews.
Disclaimer: I don't own RENT
Chapter 5
--2 Weeks Later--
"Jooooannne" Maureen whined as she rolled over and nudged the lawyer who was clearly still fast asleep. Maureen couldn't understand how since the cry peircing through the silent house had jolted her away almost instantly. "Joanne its your turn" Maureen moaned again nudging Joanne once again.
"okay I'm up" Joanne mumbled as her eyes opened and she yawned. Looking at Maureen for a minute Joanne threw her legs over the side of the bed. The small amount of sunlight indicating that the sun was rising somewhere behind the trees in front of the window. Quickly putting on her robe Joanne walked out to the bedroom she shared with Maureen and into the twins' nursery. Glancing at both cribs on each side of the room she quickly determined it was coming from the left side of the room. Walking over to the crib Joanne looked down and sure enough Jessica was laying on her back screaming with her small arms and legs kicking every which way.
"Okay okay I'm right here" Joanne cooed as she reached down and gently lifted the infant in her arms. Still hearing no cease in the screaming Joanne thought for a minute. Well Maureen had just woke up and fed her about a hour ago. Joanne checked the baby's diaper and sighed, realizing she had hit the bullseye.
"Come on" Joanne said smiling at the baby and walking over to the changing table. Quickly and carefully stripping Jessica of the wet diaper she proceeded to change her. 15 minutes and a whole lot of rocking later, Joanne finally set a sleeping Jessica back into the crib. Smiling at her sleeping daughter Joanne walked across the room to the other crib, peering into it and laughed a little. Alexis laid in the crib peering up at her as she sucked her thumb quietly. Joanne thought for a minute of whether or not she should pick up the baby. Alexis seemed to be quite content with just laying there awake. Figuring if she didn't Alexis would soon start crying anyway for a diaper change or to eat. Deciding to do so Joanne lifted the baby up into her arms and smiled.
"Hey sweetie" Joanne whispered and kissed the baby's forehead softly.
"So it which one was it?" Maureen asked standing in the doorway and rubbing her eyes. Joanne smirked at the sight of her wife.
"It was Jessica of course" Joanne said smiling. Maureen nodded and walked over to Joanne and looked down at the baby in her arms.
"So I see you quieted her down" Maureen said smiling and kissing the baby on the head. Joanne sighed and shook her head.
"Maureen this is Alexis, Jessica's in the crib"
"Oh" Maureen said shrugging and walking over to the crib to peer down at the sleeping baby. Joanne shook her head again and walked out of the room and into the livingroom. Taking a seat on the couch she looked down at Alexis who was looking everywhere else but at Joanne. After a few seconds Alexis finally made eye-contact with Joanne before scrunching up her face.
"Okay. Okay. You're hungry. I get it" Joanne said jumping up and rocking her before her cries got a chance to turn into screams. Walking into the kitchen Joanne quickly adjusted Alexis on her shoulder and grabbed a bottle out of the dish rack. Mixing the formula expertly, Joanne turned on the stove to boil the water. When the bottle was placed safetly in the pot Joanne looked back at Alexis, wondering why she hadn't made a sound. Seeing her sleep Joanne smiled.
"Can you make Jessica one too?" Maureen asked walking into the kitchen with a crying Jessica on her shoulder. Joanne sighed as she felt Alexis began to move followed by her cry.
"Sure, here hold her" Joanne said reaching to hand Alexis off to Maureen.
"I can't. I'm already holding Jessica" Maureen said shaking her head.
"You can't hold both of them?" Joanne asked. Recieving a blank stare from Maureen Joanne sighed and walked into the livingroom. Placing Alexis carefully down in one of the bassinets Joanne walked back in the kitchen.
"Pookie I can't take all this crying" Maureen whined sitting in one of the chairs, doing her best to rock Jessica in her arms. Joanne didn't reply as she quickly mixed another bottle and put it in the pot and taking out the other one. Checking the temperature on her wrist then tongue Joanne walked back into the livingroom to a crying Alexis. Picking her up with on arm Joanne carefully adjusted her before giving her the bottle. Glad that at least one baby was quiet she walked back into the kitchen just as Maureen was checking the other bottle.
"Was it in there long enough?" Joanne asked looking at Maureen. Maureen looked down at her wrist and nodded.
"Yeah this is warm enough." Maureen said feeding the bottle to Jessica as silence filled the air. Joanne and Maureen sighed in relief at the sound but it was soon cut short.
"Maureen? Joanne?" Mimi's voice called softly as they heard the front door open and close. Mimi not sure if the babies were sleep or not, not to mention it was still extremely early figured it would be best not to yell like she normally did.
"In here" Maureen called out. Soon Mimi and Angel came in to view and smiled at the sight.
"Oh isn't the Jefferson-Johnson family so cute?" Angel sqealed with a grin as she hurried over to Maureen to see the baby in her arms.
"Cute? Ha!" Maureen laughed. Joanne looked at Maureen and laughed.
"You two should have walked in 30 seconds ago. They were having fits" Joanne said sighing.
"They're babies, thats what their supposed to do. How can you stay mad at them for long?" Angel said smiling as she watched Jessica take a firm hold on her finger.
"Yeah just look at that little face. Have you ever seen a cuter face on a baby then Alexis?" Mimi asked looking down at the baby in Joanne's arms.
"Here I'll feed her" Angel offered holding her hands out to take Jessica. Maureen handed the baby off and watched as Angel took a seat. "Yes I have chica. Just look at Jessica's face"
"You two are a mess" Joanne said laughing and shaking her head as she handed the baby to Mimi before she could even ask. Mimi smiled as she took Alexis in her arms and walked over to the table, taking a seat next to Angel.
"They look the exact same" Maureen said leaning back against the counter as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Not exactly honey" Joanne said looking over at Maureen.
"Alexis has chubbier cheeks if you look close" Mimi said looking down at the baby in her arms with a smile.
"Alexis also seems to be the more quite one" Joanne said with laugh.
"So I guess we can already see who got Maureen's genes" Angel said with a smile as she kissed Jessica's forehead. Just then Alexis started whining. Mimi sat the bottle down and moved Alexis to her shoulder to burp her. After a few minutes she finally burped but continued to cry.
"Awe don't cry Alex" Mimi cooed as she rocked Alexis, causing her to only cry louder. After a few seconds Jessica moved her face away from her bottle and began crying.
"What did I tell you?" Maureen asked sighing as she walked over to Mimi and held out her hands. Mimi handed Maureen the baby and began rocking her. "This is all they do."
"Honey they're babies, and newborns at that. That's all they know how to do" Angel replied patting Jessica's back to burp her. Maureen continued to rock Alexis with no luck. Her cries just seemed to get louder.
"Here Jo. I can't take it" Maureen groaned handing Joanne a crying Alexis and holding her head as she walked into the other room. Mimi watched her leave before turning to Joanne. Angel gave the lawyer a sympathetic look.
"How is Mau handling this?" Mimi asked.
"She's....She'll get better. She just has to get used to it" Joanne said sighing as she bounced Alexis up and down in her arms gently. After a few more minutes Alexis' cries began getting quieter as she dozed off to sleep.
"You okay?" Joanne asked looking at Angel who was rocking Jessica.
"I'm fine chica. She's calming down" Angel said smiling as she looked down at Jessica. When Alexis was finally quiet Joanne stopped bouncing her which immediately caused her to start whinning again.
"Okay I know what you want" Joanne said laughing and walking into the livingroom. Looking in one of the bassinets she pulled out a green pacifier and a red one. She placed the green one in Alexis' mouth and walked over to Angel with the red one placing it in Jessica's mouth. Silence filled the air as the three friends all sighed in relief.
"So, what are you two doing here this early anyway?" Joanne asked smiling as she took a seat next to Mimi.
"Well I just got off of work. I worked the midnight shift. I was on my way home when I saw Angel out drumming." Mimi said looking over at Angel.
"I woke up early and figured I'd get a head start on drumming but there weren't many people out so when I ran into Mimi we decided to come over and see the twins"
"I figured you two would be asleep but Angel said with two newborns in the house that at least one of you would be up"
"Well she's right about that." Joanne said laughing as she looked down at Alexis who had fallen asleep. "Is Jessica still awake?" Joanne asked Angel.
"Yes wide awake" Angel said with a laugh as she held Jessica up for Joanne to see. Joanne laughed at Jessica's wide eyes looking around the room. They landed on Joanne for a minute, earning a smile from her before going back to looking around the room.
"She's a mess" Joanne said laughing as she stood up. "I'm going to put Alexis to bed" Joanne said before disappering down the hall. After setting Alex in her crib she turned on the monitor and walked into the bedroom.
"Are you okay?" Joanne asked looking at her wife who was laying across the bed horizonitally. Maureen mumbled something since her face was buried in a pillow. "Wanna repeat that?" Joanne asked laughing as she picked up the baby monitor and hooked it on her hip.
"Joanne I can't do this." Maureen groaned turning her head so her words were clear.
"Can't do what?" Joanne asked sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Be a mother. Deal with babies crying 24/7."
"Maureen you'll get better. Its only been a few weeks"
"What if I don't?"
"You will. Now go to sleep. Mimi and Angel will help me with the girls for a while" Joanne said kissing Maureen's cheek.
"But Jo-"
"Sleep Mau" Joanne said standing up and walking out the room not wanting to continue the conversation. Maureen would get used to having the babies around. She was sure of it...at least pretty sure.