iThink It's Time

Melanie was thankful that it was the weekend again. She simply wanted to stay in bed next to her husband. The previous night had been hell. It was contractually obligated hell, but it was nonetheless. With less than seventy two hours notice and a simple email sent to her PearPhone, her label had unilaterally decided to rework the Mythical album release. This meant that she and Freddie had to scrap their personal schedules at the last minute. It was beyond unfair. For the past year, Melanie Benson had been a slave to her own talent.

The album release party had, due to the short notice, been booked for The Palomino, the upscale restaurant that occupied the first floor of the building which also housed Melanie's label. When she pressed her agent for an explanation for her label's push to release the album early, the only answer either party was given was that they had acquiesced to Melanie's scheduling demands, so therefore, felt the need to 'make up for lost time'. Melanie was crushed, but soldiered on anyway. It was what she, as a Puckett by birth, was expected to do.

She held Freddie close. He was warm and comforting. She inhaled deeply, taking him into her lungs. She and her sister were weird this way. It wasn't enough for the Puckett twins to take their partners onto themselves each and every night for the rest of their lives – they needed to breathe them in, share the very same space, and become one with them. Melanie thought that it was something she and Sam had learned in utero, when one had become two. She figured that was the source of their shared compulsion. From her point of view, it had to be.

Her tech-boy had grown a little shaggy of late. Melanie wound her fingers in the loose dark hair that was now too long for the back of his neck. She loved it. She loved him. She held him close, forgetting entirely about the dull ache that was radiating all over her body. She no longer cared. She would stay in bed with her man for as long as life allowed. Nothing but an act of God Himself would move her today. Even the Creator of All had taken a day to rest after His efforts.

MEANWHILE , AT BUSHWELL PLAZA…

Carly had slept on the sofa last night. It wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world, but she had to give Sam some space. Sam had refused to leave her side for months, should she need anything. Now, Sam was upstairs with Carly's bed all to herself, very likely dead to the world.

Something didn't feel quite right. No, this wasn't good at all.

"SAM!"

The blonde stumbled down the stairs, semi-dressed, wiping the sleep from her eyes. She spoke through a yawn.

"Back to bed, Cupcake, it's still early…"

Sam was impossible. Carly grumbled out of frustration.

"Baby..."

"Yes, Cupcake…"

"Baby…"

What, Carlotta?"

She loved the blonde, but Carly was beginning to think that all those years of bacon and Fat Cakes had clogged her brain. She was so stupid.

"NO…. Sam… BABY!"

Sam finally caught on, nevermind that she was still half asleep.

"Oh, that's nice, Carls… Oh…. OH!...WHOA! Baby?"

Sam was now completely awake, pulling on the hoodie that she had conveniently discarded on the stairs the night before. She shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Yo, Spence! Gotta go!"

Sam could hear the Idiot Man Child in his bedroom down the hall. There was a crash – he must have fallen out of bed – followed by what sounded suspiciously like a fire extinguisher. Spencer Shay came running into the living room, dressed about how Sam expected, in his Cobras football jersey and flannel pajama pants. Sam shot him The Look.

"Really, Dude? Duck pajamas?"

She realized that now wasn't the time to quibble over a fashion faux pas. It was time to roll. She didn't have time to wait around for Spencer to look presentable. She would do this all herself. She took the remaining stairs at a bit of a run, shushed Carly when she tried to extricate herself from the sofa, and ran to the front closet, where Carly's 'hospital bag' was stashed, having been packed several weeks back. Grabbing it, she doubled back to the sofa, carefully collecting her Cupcake, and escorted her to the elevator. Carly knew the drill. This was how they'd planned for it.

MEANWHILE, ACROSS TOWN…

The shrill ring of Freddie Benson's PearPhone shattered the moment. This had better be damned important. He was preoccupied. He put the call on speakerphone, the words coming out of his mouth before he realized what he'd said.

"Unless this is an insanely beautiful woman, I'm hanging up…"

Melanie popped him upside the head. She knew he was a one-woman man, but the sound of it was still unnerving – until she heard the caller's voice. She knew she had nothing to worry about, ever.

"Look here, you horny little cheeseball!"

Before Sam could continue her rant, Melanie decided to chime in. She was sweet and perky as always. Had Sam not been driving Carly to the hospital, she would have pulled over and allowed herself to be sick.

"Good Morning Samantha…"

Sam explained the gravity of the situation. Melanie did what she always did. She was, of course, the People-Pleasing Puckett.

"What can we do?"

"Well, for starters, Princess, you and Prince Charming there can get your backsides in gear, get over to Bushwell, round up Spence, and get over here…"

Melanie let her sister rant. She could only imagine the strain she was under at the moment, even though she knew that this was coming.

"Anything else?"

Sam told her. Melanie did the talking. She knew Sam was more comfortable being this way with her than she was with Freddie. She would do or say whatever Sam needed.

"Oh, and Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"Love you…"

Melanie knew how her sister worked. She knew her intimately. She knew that she and Sam were one. They were one love, one heart. Melanie knew the words before Sam's lips would even form them.

"You too, Princess…"

Melanie ended the call. Freddie looked at her. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Melanie gave him a playful shove in the ribs. She told him to go wash up quickly while she got dressed. It would be a busy day.

SEATTLE U. MEDICAL CENTER, LATER THAT DAY…

Everyone in Carly and Sam's collective worlds seemed to have found their way to a small stretch of hallway on the maternity floor of the Seattle University Medical Center. Sam had put in a few fleeting appearances, as her bouncing, beautiful, healthy baby girls entered the world at 6:26 and 6:27 AM, respectively. She had nearly passed out from the shock. It was the most amazing thing she had ever seen. Carly had done wonderfully, aside from nearly crushing Sam's hand and blaming her for the pain. Sam had pointed out, with her typical Puckett smart-mouth, that she had technically not done anything, so if she wanted someone to blame, to look at their doctor or – better yet – the donor of half their daughter's genetic material.

Sam entered the hall, still clad from head to toe in scrubs. She met the throng of people, collecting hugs and happy glances along the way. It was awkward for her. Without her better half at her side, Samantha Puckett was a fish out of water. Carly completed her. Sam said what needed saying, and politely excused herself to be with Carly again.

Melanie Benson stood outside the room, peering through the glass at row upon row of tiny bodies. She finally saw them. She met her nieces for the very first time and openly wept when she read the little card bearing their vital statistics. There, right in front of her, was proof positive that Melanie Benson was doubly blessed.

Sam and Carly had given one of their precious little girls Melanie's former name. The new Melanie Elizabeth Puckett stretched herself out. Her famous aunt chuckled quietly. Both girls bore a striking resemblance to Carly's other half, as Sam had insisted on having Carly carry her baby. It wasn't unheard of, but it was an act of selflessness that Melanie couldn't fathom. That was love on so very many levels.

Melanie looked up from her beautiful twin nieces, to find that she very definitely had company. Shelby Marx stood at Melanie's side, a slightly chunky month-old little girl in her arms. This was very obviously Wendy and Shelby's little girl. Melanie was instantly enamored with her. She spoke directly to the little girl, a shock of red-brown hair barely visible. Melanie stifled a chuckle. Today was obviously Shelby's day to dress the little girl. Her tiny little t-shirt read 'My Mommy Can Beat Up Your Mommy'.

"Well, hello there! Aren't you a precious little thing!"

Megan Marx cooed at her, contented.

Shelby walked closer to the glass, wanting to give her little girl a view of exactly why they were here. She pointed to the two tiny blonde people and whispered sweetly to her daughter.

"See? There they are! Look… Aren't they pretty? You three are going to be such good friends…"

Shelby was mortified. Her little girl erupted into what sounded like a peal of wet, gurgly joy. A tiny little hand slapped flat against the glass.

Melanie laughed. She looked to Sam's friend and smiled.

"Well, it looks like someone made a friend…"

Shelby looked down at Sam's other daughter. Ashley Grace Puckett was the older twin, identical to Sam, from what Melanie remembered. Shelby smirked.

"You never know…"

Melanie turned her head, she had heard footsteps.

There, a considerable distance away, was a slight man in jeans and a hooded sweatshirt, holding a large teddy bear. Melanie looked twice to be sure her eyes hadn't deceived her. The oversized bear wore a small gray t-shirt, 'USAF' emblazoned across the chest.

Melanie hadn't been mistaken. It was Steven Shay. Carly's father had shown up.