Author's Note: Yeah, I don't have any notes today. Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 4:Don't Forget about Brian

With every day that passed, Brian was starting to doubt himself more and more. Lois was now seven months into her pregnancy, and she was all hormones left and right. At work, he had taken up Peter's old position in the shipping department at the Pawtucket Patriot Brewery. For a while, Angela was quite impressed with Brian's work ethic, and she gave him a raise. But with that raise, Angela kept piling extra work on Brian to the point where he was on the verge of a mental breakdown. He came home one Wednesday to hear Lois and Chris fighting over his report card.

"I swear to god, Chris, when the hell are you actually going to start performing well in school?"

"Well, get pissy if you want, Mom, but as far as I'm concerned, this is all your goddamn fault!"

"That's…t-that's not…" Lois had broken down into tears. "My baby doesn't even love me anymore!" Lois turned around looking for solace and found it in Brian. "Oh Brian, there you are. I really need you right now…do you have time to talk?

"Uh, sure."

"Thank you so much. I swear, I just can't do this."

"Well, that makes two of us."

"Oh my god, I'm so selfish. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's nothing, it's just I'm so in doubt about everything right now. When these kids come, am I even going to be around enough for them to feel like they have a dad?"

"Brian, I'm sure they will. They love you, I can tell."

"What?"

"Mother's instinct, don't ask. Are you just overwhelmed?"

"Sort of. I think I just need to go to bed."

"Okay. By the way, I'm going to be gone for most of tomorrow. I'm going up to my parent's house for lunch. You know how protective Daddy can be."

"Love you."

"Love you, too."

The next day, Lois drove up to her parent's house. She didn't know why, but she hadn't even told them that she was pregnant yet. She was actually kind of excited to see how her parents reacted. When she had gotten to Newport, her mother answered the door. "Hello, dear… Oh my god, you didn't tell me you were pregnant!"

"I know, Mom. It's just that I've been so consumed in Peter dying and marrying Brian. I'm sorry."

"Oh, it's perfectly alright. Do you know what you're going to name it?"

"Well actually, I'm having twins. The boy's name is Peter Michael, and the girl's name is Lois Ashley."

"That's beautiful."

"Thanks, Mom. To be honest, Meg was the one who helped me come up with them. You know how bad I am at naming."

Carter was off on business, so Lois didn't have to deal with him. She felt bad about it, but she was always horribly annoyed by how overprotective he could be sometimes. When she got home, the sun was starting to set. Lois was greeted in the kitchen by a joyful Meg and her boyfriend, Luke. She kind of thought he had a goth look about him, but he really was a nice boy. The first time he came over for dinner, He brought newborn outfits for Lois and Brian. Apparently, Luke's parents never got along. When his mom told him that she was filing for a divorce, he got so mad at both of them, he himself filed to be emancipated from his parents. Afterwards, his older brother who lived here in Quahog offered for Luke to stay with him, and that's when he started attending James Woods High.

"Hey, lovebirds. How was your day?"

"It was great, Mom. Since we have school off tomorrow, Luke and I are going to drive into Providence to meet up with some friends. We were just waiting here to ask if you were okay with that."

"Oh, sure. You two go have fun. Love you, sweetie!"

Lois's POV

It was so nice, seeing Meg actually make some friends and find a boy she genuinely loved. That Luke, for as hard as he has it, he's such sweet boy. But these kids… well, let's just say they're really giving me a run for my money. I can't wait till they're born. It's actually been a good few months, you know, besides all the vomiting and maternity clothes, but poor Brian… he really seems worn out all the time. I think Peter's death has taken a toll on him. I don't know what it feels like to lose a best friend, but it sure looks like absolute hell. You know, I wonder where he is right now…

Lois went upstairs and into her room, only to find a note on the bed. She picked it up and read it. "Lois, gone tonight. Went to the Clam. Be back later." She didn't know what, but right as she read, something clicked inside her that just made her explode. She ran as fast as her baby belly would let her out to the car, and when she got in, she recklessly pulled out of the driveway and floored it in the direction of the Drunken Clam. The whole time she was driving, she was blindly seething about what she thought was Brian's neglectfulness. When she had finally made it, she jumped out of the car and headed straight inside. Brian was having a shot at the bar when she busted in. "I don't know what the hell you're trying to play at, Brian, but if you need to tell me something, why don't you say it to my fucking FACE!"

All the conversations going on stopped immediately. Brian, who was so tipsy he was about to fall out of his chair, looked up mournfully. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." Silent tears were beginning to run down his face. "It's just with work, and the kids, and it's like you're always yelling at me. I feel so unloved. I just couldn't take it. I couldn't take it, Lois."

Brian's speech had made Lois stop her hormones and come to her senses. "Oh Brian, I never meant to yell at you, it's just I swear, sometimes these kids make me go insane. Usually with Peter, he would get so annoyed with me and selfishly leave for hours on end, I just thought that maybe you had left me, and I can't stand the thought of being alone anymore." Lois was also starting to cry.

"It's okay, Lois. Let's go home."

Brian led a saddened Lois outside to the station wagon and offered to drive her. She silently nodded, and Brian drove all the way back to their house with Lois leaning on him and staining his snow white fur coat with her salty tears. When the couple had gotten home, Brian helped her climb the stairs and helped her get into bed. He pulled the covers over his wife, turned off the light, and silently closed the door. He was so exhausted, he just slid down against the wall and buried his head in his hands. "What am I going to do…"

His self pity was interrupted by a familiar voice. "Something got you down, Bri?" Ever since he had given up his plans for world domination, Stewie the baby had become a much more amiable person. When Brian looked up, he was met not by a cold, heartless glare, but instead, the concerned face of a caring friend.

"It's too complex for you to understand, Stewie. Every day, I go into work only to get craploads of papers piled on top of me, and everybody expects me to take care of them. I mean, seriously, what am I? Superman? Finally, I get to go home to people who love me, but half the time, Lois is completely taken over by hormones. I love her, I really do, but sometimes, it's like she's a completely different person. Peter just made it look so easy, you know?"

"I do know, Brian. I think you're having such a hard time right now because you have yet to accept the fact that Peter's gone, and he's never coming back. Poor Lois is having the same problem, but when she wants someone to turn to, she doesn't get Peter, she gets you. I think it also might be a bit that she also has yet to just let it go. I see the look in her eye when she's with you, Brian. She loves you just as much as she loved Peter. Now, it's time for you to step up the plate and love her back just as much. My only question to ask you, though, is this-Are you ready?"

"…Yes, yes I am ready. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to be that strong husband that Lois has been missing all these months. Peter was able to hold her hand through childbirth, and now, I'm going to do the same. Cause if there was a museum for hearts, Lois Griffin's would be the biggest one in the whole damn building." Brian was now standing up with a look of determination in his eyes.

"That's the spirit, Brian! I'm sure Lois will appreciate it."

The next day, Brian woke up really late. When he finally rolled over to look over at the alarm clock, it read 11:25 A.M. He didn't care. Instead, the peppy dog hopped out of bed and started his morning routine. When he walked downstairs, Lois was giving a piano lesson. As far as he could tell, she was still pretty down. He silently walked in and sat in the chair across the room. She didn't notice; she was to into her lesson. "No, Jimmy, it's E-flat, not E regular. Brian always admired how stern she could be when giving directions. It made the wonderful ginger appear to have a backbone. When she was finally done, she ushered her latest awful student out the front door and turned around to be met by an excited Brian. She was a little surprised, but she lacked the emotions to show it. "Oh…hey Brian. Are you okay after last night? I know I was a little rough on you, and I just wanted to say that I'm sorry."

"No, Lois. You shouldn't be the one apologizing. It was all my fault. You had a long day, and all you wanted to do was to come home and be greeted by an attentive husband. You had every right to be mad at me for my abandoning you to go to the bar, and I just wanted to let you know that it won't happen again. The next time you're lost, I'll be there. I'll always be there for you. I know I've said this a thousand times before, but I love you, Lois Griffin, and nothing can ever separate us."

Lois was beginning to cry tears of joy. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to hear that. I love you too, and I always will."

"Thank you for everything you have given me. If it weren't for you, I don't think I'd even have a home right now."

"That means a lot to me."

"Lois, there's something I've been meaning to ask you. When you do go into to labor, I don't want you be alone. May I have the honor of holding your hand while you deliver your children?"

"You didn't even need to ask, I want you, no, need you to be there with me."

The next two months went by so quickly, Lois didn't even notice she was at the end of her third trimester until one night when she and Brian went over to the Swanson's house for dinner. "You know, Joe and Bonnie, it's very nice for you to have us over tonight. It's been quite a while since we've gotten together."

Bonnie smiled. "It's our pleasure, Lois. You know, I'm so excited for you to have those twins. You know how much I love babies."

"Of course I do, Bonn-" Lois winced. It felt like she had a knife driven into her lower abdomen. She clenched her gut in pain and looked down, trying to conceal her agony. She realized she was soaking. Oh god, had she wet her pants? Lois almost felt stupid for having to ask herself that. She thought she was just imagining it until she heard Joe scream.

"Oh my god, Lois! Your water just broke! You're going into labor!"

And that's it for tonight, guys! Sorry to leave you on a cliffhanger, it's just much easier to write the next chapter if I end the current one like this. I'll try to get the next one up as soon as my schoolwork will let me. Don't forget to review, and take care, ya'll!

Mgmoose99