Apologies in advance for any mistakes; I'm writing this on my new laptop, new software and it's taking me a while to get to grips with it all. Honestly, I'm surprised you're all reading this, 'cause I never thought I'd manage to upload anything.

Chapter eight.

Edward.

I'll never understand twins.

Like, their minds, not how they were formed.

It blows my mind how they can sense what the other is about to do, before they do it.

They are always in sync; when Elizabeth wakes up, Marco wakes up. Or, when Marco cries out for Bella's boob, Elizabeth does the exact same before we know Marco is crying.

It made things very difficult for us. Instead of one wanting to be fed whilst the other sleeps, they both woke up and demanded food at the same. And with Bella still unsure of feeding, we had two fussy babies on our hands. Plus it's not like I could offer to feed one.

But when the crying came to an end and they relaxed in our arms in their milk-induced haze, we could also relax and take in their unearthly beauty. Oh, and their smell - God, could you get anything better? I often found myself cradling Marco, kissing his head and staying there for a second two just smelling that... baby smell. I can't describe it; there is no other smell like it.

Damn, my kids smell amazing.

Cooper took on his role as Big Brother without being asked. We were released from the hospital the evening after they were born, and during the night, when we woke at every Godforsaken hour, he, too, would join us in the room, asking if he could help at all. It was all very sweet, but Bella and I were concerned that he was missing too much sleep.

His teacher phoned me, saying the same, but also how he only spoke about his brother and sister, and the silly things they did that morning, or the previous evening.

My parents, Charlie, and the siblings and in-laws have all travelled across to see the Twins, of course they fell in love the second they were introduced. But, come on, who wouldn't? Emmett and Jasper caught onto Coop's nickname and started to call Elizabeth, Ellie, too. I don't know, no doubt that will become her name when she's a bit older, but for now, she's my tiny Elizabeth.

"Hey, look," Jasper noticed whilst stroking Marco's fair hair, "Edward, dude, they've taken your ginger genes."

Emmett belted out a laugh and everyone else (apart from myself) found his comment amusing as well. "I'm not ginger; I'm bronze. And that's my son your ridiculing, so can it."

Jasper rolled his eyes, "always so offended."

"I like their hair; it's a beautiful tint of orange."

Bella agreed with Esme, so at least I had two people on my side.

0-0

"Padre, it looks like Marco is trying to punch you!" Coop rolled onto his back, giggling. He was true; the Twins were two weeks old and had really gotten into their free movement. Elizabeth was in her Winnie The Pooh rocker and Marco was in my arms - he flung his fists in my direction.

"Maybe he'll be a boxer when he's older," I joked.

Coop clearly found my little joke hilarious and wiped tears from his eyes. "You're so funny, Dad. Or he could be Hulk! 'Cause, y'know, Bruce is real strong with big muscles, and I think Marco is gonna be just like that! Of course I'll be Iron Man and together we'll be like the Avengers!"

"But what about Elizabeth? Is she going to join you?"

"Um... oh yeah, Ellie can be Black Widow! 'Cause they have the same colour hair and she's the only girl in the Avengers," he shrugged. "But, Padre, you and Bella need to get Ellie into gymnastics class 'cause Natasha is real flexible and bendy."

"Oh, is that right?" On cue, Elizabeth started to fuss, so I held Marco to my chest when I leant down to retrieve her from the rocker. I balanced the two wriggling monsters.

"Yes. Padre, one more thing that you need to do, please, is propose."

I coughed. "I'm sorry, did you say 'propose'?"

He looked at me like I had two heads. "Duhh... I mean, you've already had babies and I've wanted you to get married for so long! What? Do you not love her or something?"

"What? I... um... of course I love her, Coop, but that doesn't mean we should jet off and get married so quickly."

"But you had babies quickly..."

Damn, he's got me there.

"Alright, smarty pants. All I'm saying is that I'm not proposing right now, okay?"

"Fine...," he sighed and went back to the Harry Potter book he was half-way through reading. I noticed the time then being twenty minutes before Bella was due back.

Because I had the day off, she had taken the last few hours to visit her work, discuss the remainder of her leave with the boss and work out a suitable return date for her. She mentioned something about being home for six.

I had been so busy I hadn't even thought about what to make us for dinner. I reluctantly slipped a sleeping Elizabeth and Marco back into their separate rockers. "Coop, Bud, I need to start the dinner; can you keep an eye out on the Twins, please, and call me if they wake up?"

"Okay."

I wasn't worried about leaving them alone; I knew for certain that Cooper would leave them sleeping in their rockers and that he'd watch them like a hawk. He'd probably hold their hand or something, but wouldn't try and lift them out without Bella or I being there.

Once the chicken was in the oven and the salads were all prepped, I could return to the living room and take back my role of watcher-overer.

"Back in a minute, Padre." Cooper announced, jumping from his chair and fleeing the room. I heard the stomping of his feet going up the stairs and on the floor boards of his room. When he returned, he was kitted out in black jeans, a slim black tee and held a blue lightsaber in his hand.

"Is it time for Jedi training?" Once again, I received a are-you-stupid-Dad? look.

"No, this is my Seraph blade, but I don't have a real one (yet...) so I have to use my lightsaber."

"What's a Seraph blade?"

"It's what Shadowhunters use to kill demons! That's who I am - Jace Wayland, greastest Shadowhunter, ever!"

Cooper swung himself around the room, occasionally kneeling to the floor and stabbing the carpet with his blade, thing. "I didn't know you were a Shadowhunter, Buddy."

"That's 'cause you're mundane. I've actually been killing demons for over a third of my life, you just didn't know that 'cause you can't see them."

"Oh, right..." I'd learnt to just accept whatever he'd say about whatever little game he'd play. It saved me a lot of trouble.

"The one thing you need to remember, Padre, is..." he came up close to me and whispered in a harsh tone, "you can't trust anyone! Even Flash could be a demon and you'd never know it..."

"Okay..."

Bella came home at six-fifteen, shortly after the chicken was taken from the oven. Cooper had to double-check that it was the 'real' Bella before she could enter though, just incase it was a demon-form-Bella.

"Where are my babies?" She smiled happily, kissing Elizabeth and then Marco.

"Am I your baby too, Bella?" Coop forgot about his demon game to gain some attention.

"Of course you are; all three of you are my special babies." Just like with the Twins, she kissed Coop's forehead.

Cooper grabbed his lightsaber-blade and ran over to me. With the motion of his hand, he had me bend down so he could whisper in my ear. He cupped his hand around his mouth, "I 'fink you should propose real soon, Dad; she's a keeper!"

0-0

And behold Cooper's new addiction, The Mortal Instruments!

I thought, whilst writing this, that my new Macbook needs a name, so pass on your ideas... Flash?... Tony?... Jamie Pearson? lemme know!

Thanks and thoughts?