Married Life

Author's Note: Well, he's here! Little Maxie! I'm speeding it up some, okay? J

Bailey: 25 ½ months. Max: 6 months

Chapter 18: Dysfunctional Family

Cameron's POV

Robert slammed down the phone and looked out the window for a long time. I finally put a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong, honey?" I asked quietly as to not wake up our sleeping boys.

"That was my lovely stepmother. She said she was coming into town and wanted to meet us. With my half-sister, and my grandmother." he said, looking a mixture of sad and angry. He'd never talked about having a half-sister. She never came to the wedding, and as far as I knew all of Robert's grandparents were dead.

"I thought you said they were dead."

"No. I said the grandparents I talked to were dead. Not this one. This is my father's mother and she's been a pain in my arse ever since I left the seminary. She's the one who wanted me to be a priest; pushed my father into pushing me to do it."

I personally was very glad that he didn't become a priest. One, I'm atheist. Two, I wouldn't be married to him and we wouldn't have our beautiful babies.

"I think you should see them."

"They wanted you too. Apparently someone told them that we got married. My grandmother won't be too happy. But, you're my family now. You and the kids are all I've got."

"Don't forget the hospital staff. They've been so good to us." I said, snuggling into his loving embrace. We relaxed like that for a few minutes until I heard the pittering of little feet, and after a minute or two, I saw Bailey coming from the hallway.

"Well hello, Mr Bailey-bear Chase." I said in my sweet voice that I reserved for family and deathly ill patients. House called it the 'You're making me sick' voice. I called the maternal instinct voice.

Bailey rubbed his eyes and walked sleepily over to us. Robert held out his arms and he came right into them. Robert scooped him up, and Bailey snuggled into the warmth of both of us.

After Bailey nodded back to sleep, we were just about to pick him up and carry him off to his own big boy bed when Max decided that he had to make himself known. Robert, who had his arms full with one kid, looked conflicted. He wanted to put Bailey to bed, but he also wanted to help me with Max. I waved him off. "I'm a parent and a doctor, too, you know." I joked softly as I made my way to Max's room. I made my way to the crib, and saw him crying. "Oh, Maxie, what's the matter?" I asked, picking him up. I checked his diaper. It was wet, and so automatically I changed him.

When he was clean, he was looking around with his big hazel eyes looking for his daddy. "Rob!" I called softly, not knowing if Bailey was asleep or not. He came in, looking frazzled. "Yes love?" "Maxie wants you." I said sweetly. Robert gave a half smile, and took Max.

"Well hello there." he cooed at him. Max smiled warmly at him. I smiled too, because I know that Robert loves this. As tired as we both are at the end of the day, we wouldn't change it for the world. "When is this dinner supposed to happen, Robert?" I asked, as he got in the rocking chair and started rocking Max like he did when Bailey was that tiny. I sat on the floor, and looked up at him as I toyed with one of Max's stuffed animals. It was a stuffed kangaroo.

"Tomorrow night. They called House already, so there's no getting out of it." he said mournfully. I smiled sympathetically, and got up to squeeze his shoulders.

"Are we supposed to bring the boys? Because we can't find a sitter this short of notice."

"No. I want to bring them."

Dinner

Chase's POV

I spent all day at work, and when I got home I was in no mood to go to dinner with people I knew hated my guts. But, I had already told Allison and had called my stepmother back telling her that we'd come. I made sure she knew that there were 4 in my little party, and she didn't give off any emotions about that.

I dressed into a nice blue shirt, and black pants. Allison straightened my collar, and I helped her zip her dress up. She was wearing a beautiful purple dress that showed off a figure that every other mother would kill for. Then she and I changed Bailey and Max into their outfits. Bailey was wearing nice dressy jeans and a gray shirt. Max was wearing a nice onesie that we used for his fancier moments.

I ran my fingers through my short hair, and looked at Allison. She had Bailey on her hip and looked so sexy. Surprisingly, I still can't believe that she's all mine.

We drove to the restaurant and checked with the hostess. "Uh…there's should be a reservation under Chase." I asked cautiously. The lady looked up, with a polite grin. "Yes sir. Right this way." She led us to the table, where I could see them. Allison, who was holding my hand with the one that wasn't holding Bailey's hand, smiled and squeezed tightly. I put on a tight smile, and walked over there. My stepmother, Natasha stood up and squealed when she saw me. She hadn't seen me since my graduation from medical school so seeing me all grown up must have been a shock to her. "Oh, Robby! It's so good to see you!" she exclaimed, hugging me tightly. I patted her back gently, and pried myself from her death grip. Had she been working out?

"Natasha, this is my wife Allison. Allison, this is my stepmother Natasha." Allison smiled warmly, and shook Natasha's hand. "Hi, it's so nice to meet you." she said. Natasha nodded back, but didn't really respond. "And these are our sons. This is Bailey, and Max." I said proudly. Bailey looked up at me, his eyes full of wonder. Natasha basically snatched Max away from the carrier he was in, and started talking gibberish loudly in his face.

Max's face was a comical mixture of confusion, horror and fright. He started crying, and Bailey got a mean look on his face. "My brotha." he said, holding out his arms for Max. We trusted Bailey to hold him, but apparently Natasha didn't. She told him no, and went back to show my sister the baby. Bailey looked at me, a puzzled expression on his face. "Daddy…why did she take Max?" I lifted up Bailey, and kissed his cheek. "No idea, Bay. But don't worry. Mommy won't let anyone take him away for too long." I winked at Allison. My grandmother stood, and I kissed her cheek. "Hello Grandmother." I said politely. She and I had never gotten along because I was 'too much my mother's child'. She couldn't stand the fact that I chose my mother over my father in the divorce; that I went to medical school; or that I lived in America with my wife and children.

Eventually the excitement wore off, and we all sat down. Natasha was still holding Max, and Allison was getting more angry by the second. I tried to calm her down, but to no avail. Finally, Max's wails got to be too much. She stood, and said "Excuse me, but if you don't mind I'm going to have to take my son back now." she picked up Max, his carrier, diaper bag and purse and left.

I looked around the table at their shocked expressions. My grandmother had an evil smirk in her eyes, as she watched my wife leave with my son. Bailey looked around, and looked confused. "Daddy?" "It's okay. Mommy'll be back." Grandmother's eyebrows raised as if to say 'Pah! I really doubt THAT.'

I kept glancing out the doors, and couldn't see Allison or Max at all. Bailey was getting sleepy, restless and irritable. It was getting boring just having my son to talk to. Natasha started asking questions about my job, and I told her what I did. I told her that that was were I'd met my wife. "She works?" asked my sister, Bianca. I nodded, kinda not liking how she was acting more and more like my grandmother every day. "We're both doctors."

Bailey tugged on my sleeve, wiping his eyes for the thousandth time. "Daddy…I'm sleepy…and my head hurts." he said, wimpering a little. I scooped him up, and quickly left. I apologized as I left, but my son took precedence. So, they had to be ignored.

When I got outside, I carried Bailey to the empty car and assumed that Allison had taken the baby home in a cab. Because I had driven there, and had the keys in my pocket.

I buckled Bailey into his seat, and drove home. When I got home, the lights were on. "Allie?" I called, when Bailey and I made it inside. Bailey had fallen asleep in the car as a result of the kids Tylenol I'd given him in the car. She came out, dressed in her pajamas. She was crying, and looking angry. "I'm sorry, Robert. But, I just couldn't stay.." she said, tears choking her words. I shifted Bailey to the other hip, and smiled sadly. "It's okay. I left early too. We hadn't even gotten our meals yet." I said. She looked at Bailey, who was completely out. "Was he okay?" "Well, up until the last 20 minutes or so. He got really sleepy, then said his head hurt. So, I could only assume that he's coming down with a cold. I gave him some kids Tylenol in the car, so that should knock him out for a while."

"Not strawberry, right?" she asked, her voice pinched.

I gave her a look that said, 'Have you forgotten who I am?' She blushed and said, "Of course you didn't." she kissed my cheek, and went back to bed.

I put Bailey to bed, and stayed with him for a while. I fell asleep, because when I woke up Allison was shaking me and telling me to come to bed.