A Kiss To Build A Dream On

Five months down the road and April was about eight months pregnant.

"I hate it." April said shaking her head and Dean glared at her.

"I'm your Marshal detail, not your furniture mover." Dean groaned.

"I'm seven months pregnant and twins come early which means these babies could be here in a few weeks." April warned him. "I need the nursery just right."

Dean moved the crib across the room from the other one and April frowned and shook her head as she bit on her nails.

"What?" He asked growing angry.

"It's just, they've spent all of this time together growing, are they going to want to be in different cribs?" April asked him.

"What if one is trying to sleep and the other isn't?" Dean asked. "Or one gets sick, you don't want the other one catching it."

"That's a good point. But should the cribs be across the room or should they be closer?" April asked concerned.

"I just moved this crib three times." Dean grunted.

"And it may be four." April snapped. "I have to do this right."

"What are you having?" Dean asked. "That would help me help you decide."

"I told you we want everyone to be surprised. Only Phil and I know." April smiled.

"Then I can't help you." Dean shrugged.

"What do you mean? What does the gender matter at this age? Once they're old enough they'll have separate spaces." She told him.

"Well, this room looks decorated for boys." Dean noted looking around the room.

"How could you say that?" She asked offended.

"It's covered in comic book stuff." Dean told her.

"Yea, and that's because I love comics and I'm a girl." April told him.

"So they're girls." Dean grinned.

"They're not girls." April informed him.

"So they're boys?" Dean asked hopefully.

"They're not boys." She told him as well and Dean narrowed his eyes at her.

"Then you have a problem." Dean said and she laughed.

"It's a boy and a girl." She said happily. "But you can't tell anyone."

"I spend every day of every hour with you and Punk, who would I tell?" Dean asked. "So you're keeping them in the same room?"

"Just for the first few months." April said. "The doctor thinks keeping them together in the same room is for the best, even though the first few weeks they'll both be in our room."

"So why are we moving furniture around here now?"

"They'll still go in here. If I have to feed one while one wants to nap or something." She shrugged. "Do you think it's too boyish?"

"I mean-" Dean began.

"You do!" She yelled. "I don't want baby girl to be upset that this room is more for J.R."

"Baby girl? No name yet?" Dean teased.

"Phil wants Zoey for some reason." April groaned.

"That's cute." Dean shrugged.

"I wanted Alma." She said and Dean scrunched his face up.

"It means good!" She argued.

"I'm not crazy about either, go back to the drawing board." Dean said and she rolled her eyes.

"What about you?" She asked.

"Oh, I would name her something much better than those two names." Dean teased.

"No, I mean do you wants kids?" She asked sitting in the comfortable lounge chair they put in the nursery.

"No. Not with my job." Dean said to her as he adjusted the crib.

"Why? Phil does the same job." April insisted

"No. Punk doesn't work months, sometimes years at a time away." Dean pointed out.

"So, change your position." April shrugged.

"Kids aren't my thing." Dean informed her.

"Well, what happens when I have these babies? Are you not going to be around them?" She asked.

"Of course I am. I'm here to protect you and the little rugrats." Dean assured her. "I'm great with kids, I just want my own."

"Ok." April sighed. "I mean I think you could benefit from having a woman in your life-"

"Can't have any kind of life with what I do." Dean said cutting her off. "And I love what I do."

"Really?" April asked skeptically.

"Yea. It's adventurous." Dean shrugged.

"Nothing has gone on here in months." April pointed out. "You must be bored."

"Yea, I hate living in a huge house and eating your home cooked meals every night." Dean mocked.

"What's going on with James Sawyer?" April asked.

"We've told you, he's been quiet." Dean told her.

"But you're still on high alert so what is it you think is happening?" She asked.

"We don't know." Dean said to her and she eyed him.

"I know Phil is trying to protect him. He thinks since I'm pregnant he needs to lie to me." She told him. "You don't have to lie to me."

"We truly don't have any leads or facts on him right now." Dean told him.

"What do you think he's planning? You have to be thinking something I mean that's your job." April said to him.

"I think James Sawyer feels a connection to you and feels indebted to you." Dean told her and she nodded. "I don't think he wants anything to do with your children or husband."

"So you think once I have the babies it will be open season?" April asked.

"I can't say for sure but I do think we'll see him then." Dean admitted.

"So why have you been here all of these months?" She asked.

"I'm not taking any chances until then." Dean scoffed.

"Promise me if James comes for me you protect my children first." April requested.

"April-" Dean began with a groan.

"Promise me!" She yelled. "There is nothing more important in this house than these children when they get here. They're innocent and they're too little to defend themselves."

"I'll protect the kids." Dean told her and she smiled.

"Good." She said holding her hands out. "Help me up. I'm carrying two elephants." she said and he grabbed her hands and helped her up.

Punk made it home early tonight, eight was early for him anyway. Dean was in the kitchen drinking coffee when he saw him.

"How's it going today?" Punk asked.

"Good." Dean shrugged. "She kept making me move furniture around the nursery." he groaned.

"She's just anxious." Punk told him.

"She knows what we know." Dean told him.

"Knows what?" Punk asked.

"She knows Sawyer is waiting for the kids to be born." Dean told him.

"Did you tell her that?" Punk asked him annoyed.

"She's a smart girl." Dean told him. "She doesn't seem scared but she made me promise her to protect the children over her if Sawyer comes in."

"Sawyer doesn't want the kids." Punk said to him. "You protect April, he won't even give them a second look."

"We really don't know what's going through his mind." Dean told him. "When the kids come it might not be a bad idea to have someone extra in the house."

"Yea?" Punk asked and Dean nodded. "Well, I'll be here too. I'm taking leave when they're born."

"Still." Dean shrugged.

"I'll look into it." Punk said to him. "She's been ok otherwise?"

"Yea. She finally caved and told me you're having a boy and a girl." Dean grinned.

"Yup. One of each. Now we don't have to try for more kids after." Punk smirked.

"So you think. Once those kids head off to school the wife will start blubbering about how young they used to be and will want more." Dean warned.

"I can't think of more when I already have two on the way." Punk groaned. "Other than that, how has she been?"

"She keeps falling asleep in random spots." Dean laughed. "Caught her sleeping in the garage when she went to look for something. Standing up and everything."

"Yea the doctor warned she'd be tired a lot. I found her sleeping in the shower last night." Punk smirked.

"I think she went back into the nursery about half an hour ago." Dean told him and Punk nodded.

"Thanks. I'll be back down to eat, you should shower and sleep a bit." Punk told him.

"Cool." Dean nodded.

Punk walked up the stairs and found the nursery and pushed the door opened and sure enough there was April. Slouched over on the floor sleeping. He could hear her snoring so he knew she was fine but probably really uncomfortable. He narrowed his eyes at a hat box on the floor and picked it up. He placed it on the dresser and looked through it. The box was filled of photos of herself and some with Punk. They had dates and little notes written on the back. There were also pictures of her family and her brother in particular. Her diary was in there and that had a note to be left to 'baby girl' and there were notes in the box as well. One for 'him' and one for 'her'. He opened one o f the envelopes and began to read the note.

"April!" Punk yelled and she stuck her head up.

"Huh? What?" She asked sitting up and rubbed her eyes. "I'm up."

"What is this?" he asked holding up the note.

"Oh." She frowned.

"Why are you writing goodbye letters to our unborn children? Why aren't you going to be here?" Punk asked her.

"It's just in case." She said with a yawn. "Help me up." She said holding her hands out but he ignored her and looked through the box some more.

"In case of what?" he demanded to know. "This is so fucking morbid!"

"We have to be realistic." April told him and he glared at her.

"Realistic? Are you afraid of childbirth?" He asked confused.

"We all know James is waiting for me to have the children and after that-" She began.

"After that you think I'm going to let him kill you?" he asked in disbelief. "You think having Dean here, a big ass fence and cameras all over is because I've given up?"

"No. I know you're trying your hardest-" She began.

"This is fucked up." He said putting the items back in the box. "And it's useless. You're raising these kids with me. Stop being so negative." He ordered.

"Don't toss it!" She begged as he began to walk to the door with it. "I worked so hard on that." she pleaded but he left the room with it.

"Dean!" April yelled as she was still unable to get up. "Dean!" She yelled louder and he ran in.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked anxiously.

"Help me up." She begged and he grabbed her hands.

"What happened?" Dean asked.

"Phil stole my memory box!" April yelled heading across the hall and saw Punk in the closet and putting the box on the top shelf where he knew she wouldn't be able to reach.

"Give it back." April ordered.

"No." Punk said to her. "This is fucking sick. You're not dying!"

"What is going on?" Dean asked.

"She made a death box for our kids." Punk told him.

"It's a memory box in case something happens to me." April explained to Dean. "I want my children to know that I loved them and want them to remember me in some way."

"Depressing." Punk spat. "You can't have this kind of negativity around our kids."

"It's negativity it's realism." April insisted. "I want my children to know who I was."

"Why aren't you going to be here?" Punk asked annoyed.

"James is going to kill me! Why are you in denial?" She asked him.

"I wouldn't have married you and had kids with you if I thought he was going to kill you!" Punk yelled back.

"Let's just all calm down." Dean suggested nervously.

"These are MY children and if I want to make this box I can do this!" She yelled. "Give me back the box!" She demanded.

"No!" Punk yelled back. "You're raising these kids with me whether you want to or not!"

"How could you think I don't want to?" She asked stunned. "I want to see them roll over for the first time and take their first steps or say their first words!
It's all I want!"

"So why are you saying goodbye?" He asked her.

"Because I'm a realist." She told him. "I like to have all my bases covered."

"Well this was stupid." He said simply.

She let out an aggravated breath and stormed out of the room.

"Dude." Dean sighed looking at Punk.

"Don't do that." Punk warned him. "She's my wife and this is my problem."

"Just let her do what she wants. It's not like anything is going to happen to her. So what if it makes her feel better?" Dean asked him.

"I don't want her thinking I'm going to let James Sawyer kill her." Punk said o him.

"This is scary for her. She's carrying two kids around and that's scary for her and now the added pressure of Sawyer. Just let her do whatever the hell she wants." Dean suggested.

"I'm getting close. I know I am. John has been working Sawyer's cases for years. Started in 2012. I need to know his connection to that case." He told Dean who nodded.

"I'll call Corey." Dean told him.

"John knows I'm looking into him." Punk told him. "He hasn't confronted me but he knows something is going on. It's just hard to dig into John and dig into Sawyer at the same time. They're both giving me nothing to go on. It's like searching for a needle in a haystack."

"We'll figure it out. As the babies get closer to their due date James will reappear." Dean assured him.

"That's what I'm trying to avoid." Punk said to him.

After twenty minutes Punk walked into the nursery and saw April sitting in the lounge chair.

"Come on, you can't sleep in here." Punk said to her.

"You're an ass." She said glaring at him.

"I am." Punk agreed sitting on the ottoman her feet were resting on. "They're swollen." He said grabbing her feet and putting them over his lap and began to massage one.

"I'm carrying two of your elephant children, of course my feet are swollen." She remarked bitterly.

"They're perfectly sized." Punk reminded her proudly.

"I have a doctors appointment tomorrow. I'm getting the steroid show in case they come early." She reminded him and he nodded.

"I'll be there." he said as he continued to work her feet. "It scares me that you think you have a death sentence."

"I just want to be prepared." She told him. "I left something for you too." she assured him and he groaned.

"We're going to grow old together here." He assured her. "You, me and the kids. We'll live here until we're old and gray."

"I hope so." She sighed sadly.

"I know I keep making this promise to keep you safe from James and I haven't delivered but I will." He promised her.

"You have been keeping me safe." She told him.

"I don't want you and our children to have to live with a Marshal." He told her.

"Dean isn't like a real Marshal." April shrugged.

"I assure you, he's a real Marshal." Punk smirked. "I want normalcy."

"Aside from Dean walking around our home armed and almost shooting that deer that was in our yard a few weeks ago I think we're normal." She shrugged.
"You can hold onto that memory box. I finished it."

"We need to think of a name for our girl." Punk said wanting to get off the topic of the memory box.

"I came up with a few before I fell asleep at the laptop." She told him.

"Let's hear them." He encouraged.

"Gracie." She suggested and he nodded.

"Not bad." he nodded.

"Lennox." She suggested next and he shook his head. "No? Why?"

"I dated a girl named Lennox. She was a skank. I don't want my daughter named after a skank." Punk told her.

"Lennox is off." She agreed. "What about Mya?"

"Mya?" He asked and she nodded. "I like Mya."

"Me too." She smiled.

"J.R and Mya." He said to himself.

"Different names. After you shot down Brandon and Brenda." She mocked.

"Hey, I told you I wasn't naming my kids after TV siblings." He said and she laughed. "I think baby girl Brooks finally has a name."

"We can finally get the nameplate made for over her crib." She told him.

"I'll order it this weekend." He said to her.

"They can be hear in a few weeks." She warned him. "Twins always come early. How's your case load?"

"Done." he told her. "I'm just doing some stuff around the office to keep busy."

"You'll be near?" She asked.

"Yes." He promised. "I'm not missing the birth of my kids. How have you been feeling?"

"Tired, cranky, emotional, uncomfortable, achy." She rambled off her symptoms. "I love feeling them grow inside of me but I'm about out of patience." She warned. "They keep fighting too."

"What?" Punk asked with a laugh.

"One is always kicking the other." April whined and he smiled brightly.

"How can you tell?" He asked. "Maybe they're just moving around."

"I'm a mother, I know." April informed. "This what they're doing now is just regular kicking."

"Yea?" He asked dropping her foot and put his hand over stomach. "Kicking hard." he grinned. "Is it weird?"

"It is." She admitted with a smirk. "There are two little people inside of me."

"It's so cool." Punk said pressing hand on the side of her stomach.

"They're not kicking the crap out of you." She scoffed.

"You're such a badass." Punk said to her and her eyes widened.

"Really?" She asked.

"Yea. I mean you not only survived a gunshot wound to your chest, you saved my life, survived car accidents and now you're carrying growing two people inside of you. You're so awesome." he said proudly and looked up and saw her crying. "Don't cry."

"I can't help it. It's just nice to hear once in a while." She sniffled.

"I know this hasn't been easy for you." He told her.

"It hasn't." She said choking back sob. "I can't fit into my clothes or shoes or sleep in my bed comfortably and I'm always hungry."

"I know baby." he cooed teasingly.

"And now all I can think about is a chocolate ice cream cake." She sobbed.

"What?" He laughed.

"I want ice cream cake." She told him. "I can't just go to the store and get it because I can't get my shoes on! And I can't send Dean because he doesn't leave my side!"

"I'll go get it." Punk offered standing up.

"Would you?" She asked as her crying stopped and he eyed her.

"Yea." He laughed leaning down and kissing her. "Do you want anything else?"

"Maybe you can stop and get me some fries so I can put them in my ice cream?" She asked hopefully.

"What?" He asked disgusted.

"Something salty and something sweet is the best combination! You have to try it when you get back." She told him.

"No, that's ok." Punk laughed and she glared at him.

"You'll really like it." She said to him.

"More for you." He smirked.

"Oh, that's good too." She grinned.

The next day at the doctors they saw a sonogram and were told everything was on track for a natural and healthy birth.

"They're already in position." The doctor told them.

"But they're not like coming now, are they?" Punk asked nervously.

"Not yet. But you should have your bag packed and ready to go because your water can break at any moment." The doctor warned.

"I have my bag packed." April told her happily.

"You do?" Punk asked. "Do I need a bag? I don't have a bag." he asked the doctor and she smiled at him.

"The bags are usually for the mommies but if you plan on being in the hospital-" The doctor began.

"For every second she's there." Punk confirmed and that wasn't just because he was a dotting husband and father to be. He had read fears of James Sawyer pulling her out of the hospital while she was weak after labor. He and Dean would be in the hospital at all times.

"Then pack a bag." The doctor told him.

"I packed your bag." April told Punk happily.

"Really?" Punk asked and she nodded.

"I'm already on maternity leave so I'm kind of going stir crazy." She admitted to the doctor.

"That's understandable at this point." The doctor told her.

"But isn't it early for her to have the babies? She's only eight months." Punk pointed out.

"Most mothers carrying multiples go into labor early." The doctor warned. "Have you felt any contractions?"

"Yes. Here and there but I remember you told me they were called Braxton hicks." She told the doctor proudly.

"I must say April, for your first pregnancy you've really listened to your body and have been calm and relaxed." The doctor told her and April smiled smugly.

"She's a natural kiss ass." Punk remarked and April glared at him.

"Is everything set up at home?" The doctor asked. "Because like I said the babies can be arriving any moment."

"We have the cribs, the bassinets, toys, diapers, bottles, formula, clothing, pacifiers, monitors and those side cribs for our bed since they'll be with us." April told her. "It's ok that when they pass the three month mark and they're in their own room they share for a bit, right?"

"Of course. I think that would be very comforting but there's always the risk of one waking the other up." The doctor told her. "And it's all baby proofed?"

"Baby proofed?" April asked cutely. "Did we do that?" she asked Punk who just shrugged.

"Outlets need to be covered. Furniture nailed to the walls because once the babies start pulling themselves up they'll use shelves and if it's not secured it could fall on them." The doctor told them.

"I can do that this weekend." Punk said brushing it off

"They're just babies. They're not going to be doing that kind of stuff yet." April pointed out.

"There's two of them. They're going to be very active and climbing on each other and it's going to be impossible to keep both in the same spot and monitored." The doctor warned.

"We didn't even think of baby proofing." April sighed. "My parents are flying in a few weeks to help once the babies get here."

"And my mom will be around too." Punk added.

"Baby proof." The doctor ordered. "You don't need a professional, you can do it yourself if you have the time." She told Punk.

"Done. I'm going on leave from work after Friday." Punk told her.

"Really? I thought you wanted to finish stuff up." April said to him.

"I don't want to risk missing the labor and I want to help out. We have to wash the baby clothes, right?" Punk asked and the doctor nodded. "And just because they're sharing a room now doesn't mean I don't work on the next room."

"Really?" April asked.

"Yea. I mean I want our kids to have their own space too." He shrugged. "We designed J.R.'s room thinking we were having two boys the next one will be more girly."

"You're going to paint the nursery purple and hang up pictures of Princess's?" April teased.

"Yup." Punk said to her and she smiled.

"That's really sweet." April said cupping his cheek and holding back tears.

"Is she still supposed to cry all of the time?" Punk asked the doctor who laughed.

"Yes." The doctor laughed. "You've been doing great, April."

"He's been doing really great too." April sniffled nodding at Punk.

"I have." Punk had to agree teasingly. "Ready to get going?"

"Yes." April said cleaning under her eyes. "I'll see you in a few weeks for my next appointment."

"Or sooner." The doctor warned. "Your babies are ready."

"Oh god." April muttered.

"Come on." Punk smirked helping her off of the table.

Later that night April and Punk were laying in bed sleeping. Well, Punk was sleeping and April was too uncomfortable. It boggled her mind that she could fall asleep in the shower or on the floor but at night when she wanted to toss and turn she couldn't. She glared at her husband who was able to happily sleep. She huffed and puffed and glared at him. She reached behind his head and pulled his pillow out and hit him with it.

"What?" Punk asked alarmed sticking his head up. "What's the matter?"

"Oh good you're up." She smiled sitting up.

"I wasn't." He groaned.

"I'm bored and I can't sleep." She sighed dramatically. "Tell me about work. What have you been working on since the Sawyer thing has been dead end?"

"Seriously?" he asked.

"I never ask." She said to him.

"I uh..." He said trying to think as he tried to wake up a bit. "I arrested a felon the other day. Escaped from custody in Wisconsin."

"Really? What was he dangerous?" She asked curiously.

"Most felons are and the he was a she." Punk told her.

"What did she do?" April asked curiously.

"She killed her husband because he kept waking her up while she tried to sleep." Punk told her and she glared at him. "She committed fraud." he told her truthfully.

"When does your leave start?" She asked.

"I'll go in tomorrow to put the paperwork in." He yawned tiredly and tried to close his eyes.

"Then you're all ours for a few weeks?" She asked.

"Twelve weeks." He said trying to fall back asleep. "Maybe longer. I still have some personal time and vacation I can throw in."

"I thought you'd only be home for like two weeks!" She said excitedly. "But twelve!?"

"Yes." He yawned.

"You know what I was thinking?" She asked and he didn't respond. "It's going to be a long time before we can have sex and I think we should take advantage of the time we have-" she began and Punk head popped up and he was wide awake.

"You want to have sex?" He asked in a clear steady voice.

"That woke you up?" April asked.

"It's just you made a good point." He said eyeing her. "I don't know how we could do this." he said sitting up on his knees and examining her body closer.
"You're so-"

"Big?" She asked coldly.

"Beautiful." He corrected nervously. "I don't want to hurt you or the babies."

"Sex is very healthy for me." She told him. "I can roll over on my side-"

"Good plan." He agreed as he pulled his sleeping shorts down under the blankets.

"Now I know how to wake you." April said to him.

"I'm an easy man." Punk shrugged.