Chapter 13

"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" Maureen turned around and sighed as she saw her 4 year old daughter running towards her holding her mouth.

"Hold on for a minute Mimi." Maureen said into the phone and kneeled down so she could catch the crying 4 year old. "What's wrong Alexis?"

"Jessica pushed me." Alex whined frowning as she pulled her hand away from her mouth. Maureen groaned when she saw the blood and turned back to the phone.

"Mimi can I call you back.....okay." Maureen said and hung up. She quickly lifted Alexis in the air and carried her over to the sink. "Let me see." Maureen instructed. Alexis whined as she closed her eyes and let Maureen check out her lip. "Did you bite your lip?" Alexis nodded and Maureen shook her head as she wet a paper towel and cleaned it gently.

"It hurts Mommy."

"I know honey hold on." Maureen said as she reached in the freezer and pulled out an ice packet. She quickly wrapped it in a towel and handed it to Alexis. "Put this on your lip and go lay down in my bedroom until Mama gets home." Maureen said setting Alexis on the floor. Alexis nodded and disappeared as Maureen made her way towards the twins bedroom.

"Jessica Marianna...." Maureen said frowning as she walked in the room. Jessica who was sitting on the bed crying looked up at her. "Why did you push your sister?"

"I didn't mean to" Jessica whined looking up at Maureen with a tear stained face. Jessica and Alex still played favorites when it came to their parents and Jessica hated when Maureen wass upset with her.

"Well tell me what happened." Maureen commaded with her hands on her hips as she looked around the twin's bedroom. It was a complete mess. Toys and clothes were scattered everywhere.

"She pushed me first! So I pushed her back and she fell and her lip started bleeding." Jessica said wiping her eyes. Throwing her head back in frustration Maureen turned around and poked her head down the hall.

"Alex come here!" Maureen yelled. She had finally accepted the fact that Alexis' nickname to everyone was Alex. She was tired of fighting it. A few seconds passed before Alexis walked in the room with the ice pack still on her lip. "Jessica says you pushed her first." Maureen said looking down at her.

"Nah uh! I tripped on her doll and fell against her. I didn't mean to push her it was an accident. Before I could say sorry she pushed me back." Alexis explained. Maureen turned towards Jessica and sighed.

"Is that true Jess?" Maureen asked. Jessica simply shrugged with her head down. Maureen took that as a yes and held her head. "Okay Jessica apologize to your sister for pushing her."

"But mommy-" Jessica began but Maureen held up her hand.

"Just apologize Jessica." Maureen said, her voice full of annoyance.

"I'm sorry Alex" Jessica mumbled crossing her arms over her chest. Maureen nodded and looked at Alexis.

"Go back and lay down. Mama should be home any minute" Maureen said. Alexis disappeared down the hall and Maureen walked back into the kitchen shaking her head. She picked up the phone and dialed the loft number. Hearing the familiar beep she sighed. "Mimi its me..." she said simply.

"Hey Mau. Everything okay?" Mimi asked a few seconds later into the reciever.

"The normal. Jessica pushed Alex and made her bite her lip so I had to sort that whole mess out."

"Maureen playing the authoritive figure? I thought that was Joanne's job." Mimi said snickering into the phone.

"It is. But when she's at work I don't have a choice. If I don't do anything they'll be the spawns of Satan when she leaves. Then I have to deal with Joanne when she gets home and I don't wanna even think about that." Maureen said sighing and laying across the couch.

"What time does Joanne get off tonight?" Mimi asked. Maureen looked at the clock and sighed in relief when she saw it was 7:30.

"She said between 7 and 8 so she should be hear any minute"

"Well thats a relief. At least when she gets home you'll have help with the midgets." Collins said into the phone laughing.

"Am I on speaker phone!?" Maureen asked sitting up as she heard Collins and Roger laughing in the background.

"Yeah you are. I told them to shut up." Mimi said sighing as Maureen smirked. She turned her head as the door opened and Joanne appeared.

"Well Jo is home so I'll talk to you guys later." Maureen said standing up.

"Okay Mau." Mimi replied followed by a few goodbye shouts from Roger and Collins. Maureen smiled and hung up the phone and turned to Joanne just as the lawyer hung up her coat.

"Hi Pookie." Maureen said walking over and wrapping her arms around Joanne's neck. "Long day?" Maureen asked as Joanne turned her head to yawn.

"Hey honeybear and yes it was." Joanne said stopping to kiss Maureen's lips. "What about you? How were the girls?" Joanne asked as Maureen unwrapped her arms from the lawyer's neck.

"The usual" Maureen said sighing and walking back over to the couch, throwing herself across it.

"What happened this time?" Joanne asked as she reached down to take off her shoes.

"Jessica pushed Alex because she thought Alex pushed her because Alex tripped and fell against her and when she tried to apologize Jess pushed her and made her bite her lip." Maureen said simply as Joanne smirked.

"Wow. Did everything turn out okay?" Joanne asked stepping out her shoes.

"Yes everything is fine now. I cleaned Lexi's lip. She's in our bedroom laying down and Jess is in their room." Maureen said yawning. Joanne nodded and walked towards the twin's bedroom. She opened the door and shook her head at the huge mess. Jessica was curled up on her bed fast asleep. Joanne walked over and sat her up. She shook her head in amusement when Jessica didn't stir at all. She was a hard sleeper much like Maureen. It was scary how much Jessica and Maureen were alike. Joanne easily stripped Jessica from her t-shirt and pants and got her dressed in pajamias before tucking her into bed. She kissed her cheek and walked out the room heading into her own.

"Hi Mama" Alex said looking over at the doorway as Joanne walked in.

"Hi Alex" Joanne said smiling and walking over to the bed where Alex was laying on her stomach, her feet in the air behind her and the ice pack on her lip. "Come here let me see your lip." Joanne said. Alex crawled over to her and lowered the ice packet. Joanne tilted her chin up slightly and examined her lip. "Just a little swelling. Should go down by tomorrow." Joanne said letting her go.

"Wanna watch cartoons with me Mama?" Alex asked crawling back over to her original spot on the bed.

"No because its almost your bedtime. I'm gonna take a shower and get dressed and after that you are heading to bed." Joanne said pointing at Alex and heading to the closet.

"Can I take a bath with you mama? Please?" Alex asked jumping up and running to Joanne. Joanne smiled and shook her head. "Sure. Go wait for me in the bathroom" Joanne said patting Alexis' butt softly as the toddler took off towards the bathroom.

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"Is Alex asleep?" Joanne asked looking up from the book she was reading as Maureen walked back into the room. Maureen nodded and stiffled a yawn. "Aww is my other baby tired?" Joanne asked smiling as Maureen crawled into bed next to her.

"Yes. Your children kept me up all day and running around." Maureen complained milking all the babying Joanne was willing to give her. She scooted closer to her wife and laid her head in the lawyer's lap. Joanne smiled and set her book aside and ran her hands through Maureen's hair.

"Well I'm off tomorrow so I'll give you a break. You can do whatever you want." Joanne said smiling. Maureen looked up with bright eyes.

"Really!?" Maureen said unable to hide the excitement in her voice.

"Yes really" Joanne said giggling. Maureen smiled and closed her eyes. Anything she wanted? Anything at all.....