Patrick watched the twins suspiciously as they each sat in their bouncy chairs on the dining room table. He and Robin were taking turns feeding them, but right now it was her turn and he was doing his best to figure out her technique. For a woman who constantly complained about tired ankles and a sore back, she didn't miss a beat when it came to the twins. He wished he could be so lucky.

When Elizabeth shoved Gracie into his arms, he was at least twenty percent certain he could handle this. After all, Robin was here and she knew much more about babies than he did, right? Wrong. The moment Elizabeth was out of sight, Gracie threw back her head and wailed in such a way he had checked for cuts or scrapes, anything to explain her sudden distress. He had tried bouncing her, cooing to her, even rocking her in the chair he had put in the nursery, but it was to no avail. She wanted her mother and she wasn't subtle about it. He had checked her diaper, tried to burp her, and then started to really freak out.

He should have taken Jake, he realized. He was a much more agreeable child and his needs were pretty clear. Being the traitor that she was, Robin had snuck Jake upstairs and played with him until he fell asleep. Patrick had stolen the mobile from the nursery crib and played it over and over again, but Gracie would not be soothed. Maybe she was hungry. The thought was so fleeting, he almost missed it. Was there some kind of schedule they were supposed to know about? It would be in the diaper bag. It would have to be. What other suitcase had the twins arrived with? The diaper bag seemed to laugh at him when he fished out a neatly folded piece of notebook paper with their schedule written on it. Bless you Elizabeth, he had thought.

Robin brought two bottles to the table and handed one to Patrick. At first, Gracie wanted nothing to do with it. She swatted it away with her tiny fists and blew spit bubbles in defiance. Jake, of course, took the bottle Robin offered and even smiled for her. God knew what he was doing blessing them with a son and not a daughter. Gracie was cute enough, but if he couldn't handle a few days with his little niece, how was he supposed to cope after that?

"You have to tilt it up or she'll just get air." Robin told him without letting her eyes leave Jake's.

"Won't matter. She doesn't want it." Patrick protested.

"Try again. She's hungry. She has to be. You've tried everything else, right?"

"No, I was lying about that. Really I've just asked her to stop crying. What do you think?" Patrick brought the bottle closer and Gracie slowly parted her lips accepting it.

"There. See?" Robin smiled, making funny faces at Gracie.

"You could have at least warned me." Patrick complained, leaning his elbow against the edge of the bouncy chair.

"You would have said no and they need time to spend with Cameron." Robin clarified.

"I wouldn't have said no." Patrick argued.

"Patrick Drake, you are such a liar. Either you would have flat out said no or you would have gone to stay in a hotel for the next seven days to avoid having to take care of them."

"I would have brought you some nice flowers." Patrick conceded with a small grin.

"You could still." Robin pointed out. "Just so long as you have them delivered."

"I've been thinking..." Patrick began uncertainly.

"Yeah? What about?" Robin slowly pulled the bottle out of Jake's mouth when he started to doze and waited to see if he would ask for it back.

"Our baby." Patrick admitted.

"Just now?" Robin teased, helping him tilt Gracie's bottle up when she noticed it start to dip.

"Forget it." Patrick folded his arms and went still.

"Aww, honey, don't be like that." Robin barely held back a giggle. "Tell me."

"No. You don't want to know so I'm not telling you." Patrick shook his head.

"I bet I can make you tell me." Robin threatened with a smirk.

"Nice try, but Gracie and I are not that easily fooled."

"Tell me. Please?" Robin batted her eyelashes at him.

"Do you think we're ready?"

His question caught her by surprise. He wouldn't look at her, his gaze locked on Gracie. "I...um..." She stammered.

"I'll take that as a no."

"We will be ready when we need to be." Robin promised, resting her hand on his left arm. "Parenthood is supposed to be a learning experience and we're both quick studies."

"I worry about it sometimes: what kind of father I'll be."

"Patrick, you're already a great father." Robin insisted.

"I haven't had much of a role model." He reminded her. "I'm going to screw up."

"Where is this coming from?" Robin ventured timidly.

"When you were in Paris, let's just say I had a lot of time to think."

"And a lot of time to read. I saw the stack of baby books on the shelf." Robin jabbed him lightly in the side.

"I didn't ever intend on ever being a father. I had been on the receiving end my entire life and I thought it would be pretty cruel to bring a child into this world and treat it how my father treated us."

"You are not Noah." Robin countered. "You have this amazing capacity to love and protect your family. I've seen it. I feel it. Whatever doubts you're having right now are completely normal, but I want you to know..." She grabbed his chin loosely and turned his face toward her. "I don't have any about you."

"How is that possible?" Patrick demanded, stunned.

"I know you a lot better than you think. You are my family and I love you. The man you were before we started dating didn't just disappear. A lot of those qualities he had are the ones I fell in love with. I don't want you to discount the way your life was because if you were anyone else, I don't think I could love you the same way. I've seen the way you are around Morgan and Cameron, and Gracie looks so natural in your arms, even when she's fussy."

Despite the sweetness of the kiss they shared, he could feel her heart beat wildly against her ribs as she leaned into him. He barely missed the empty flying bottle Gracie kicked at his head. There was nothing they could do but laugh. Gracie, thinking this was great fun, kicked out her feet and smiled, her eyes dancing. Beside her, Jake lightly snored.

The knock interrupted any further discussion, as well as Bobbie's voice calling through the door. "Hello? I know you're home. I saw the car."

"Bobbie. Cruz. Hi!" Behind them, Lance was holding Majandra very carefully in his little arms. "Hey Lance."

"Hi Roby!" Lance looked up keeping his grip on his aunt tightly. "Where's Morgan?"

"He's at his friend Max's house tonight. Come on in. You want to see the twins?" Robin invited, wishing she had made Morgan stay home tonight.

"Majandra does too." Lance nodded. Catching sight of Patrick for the first time he walked over slowly. "Hi Patrick!"

Cruz tried not to laugh as he noticed Jake passed out in his chair and Gracie looking quizzically at everyone. It was the first time in weeks he had been genuinely amused at anything. "I see the changeover happened without any major trauma." He remarked lightly as he walked closer to the table.

"Cruz knew?" Patrick snapped, taking Majandra from Lance so he could climb into one of the chairs and look down at the babies.

"Of course I knew!" Cruz smiled.

"I'm going to remember this." Patrick warned them with a disapproving scowl.

"Tell it to Lucky. He's the one who told me." Cruz retorted. "I think he said something about payback."

"For what? What could I possibly have done this time?"

"I'm not quite sure. Something about high school and a locker was mentioned."

"He holds grudges worse than any woman I've ever seen." Patrick complained, grabbing Majandra before she could leap into Jake's chair.

"So what brings you two by?" Robin asked, meeting Bobbie's eyes.

"I needed to go over some wedding details with you. I brought Cruz along so Patrick wouldn't feel too ignored." Bobbie explained.

"More wedding stuff?" Patrick rolled his eyes. "What's left to do?"

"Men." Bobbie sighed with exasperation. "They just don't understand these things."

"If you didn't insist on getting married before the baby comes, we wouldn't have so much to do." Robin explained slowly.

"Why is it always my fault?"

"Because it usually is?" Cruz offered helpfully.

"Shut up. Morgan got a new racing game. You and Lance wanna play?"

"I do. I do." Lance said happily.

"Just because it says seven and up doesn't mean you have to play it." Robin grumbled.

"It beats wedding preparations." Patrick threw back.

"He's got a point." Cruz laughed.

"Take the babies upstairs, won't you?" Robin prompted.

"Yes." Bobbie nodded. "We need to work and unless you want to join us in the seating charts..."

"Come on Lance. Let's go upstairs!" Cruz stood up, getting Jake out of his seat. "Can you help with Majandra?"

"Why do we have to take the babies? God knows this will bore them right to sleep." Patrick remarked.

"If you want to avoid a fight, I suggest you take them upstairs." Robin said.

"Give me your keys." Patrick held out his hand.

"You think we would abandon you?"

"I do. Now give me your keys."

"Fine. Here." Robin handed them over. "Satisfied?"

"Yes." Patrick took Gracie out of her seat and followed Cruz and Lance upstairs.

Bobbie smiled over at Robin. "Good thing he underestimates me." She fished her keys out of her purse. "I think our discussion would be better served with some manicures don't you?"

"I thought you would never ask. Do you think it's crazy to get a pedicure if I can't see my feet?" Robin wondered, grabbing a light jacket from the hook and shutting the door quietly behind them.

"Not at all." Bobbie assured her. "After all it is important to look cute at all times. Even when giving birth."

"I'll have to remember that."

*****

The one time in their entire existence Jake and Gracie had picked to do something identical and it had to be now. The twins were howling in protest and nothing he or Patrick tried would work. Majandra was busy trying to see how close she could come to sticking items into the electrical socket before Lance could stop her and Lance thought that was one of the best games ever invented. Why hadn't he thought to take Bobbie's keys? Cruz wondered for the nine millionth time since they had discovered she and Robin had left. "Any ideas?" he asked desperately.

"There has to be something in the diaper bag. Stay here. I'll get it." Patrick made a beeline for the stairs.

"Don't leave me alone with them! Don't leave me alone!" Cruz begged to his retreating back.

Patrick had a wicked urge to abandon his friend, but then the diaper bag came into view and he felt bad for it. He snatched it up and carried it upstairs. Together, they pulled things out of it, most of it flying past Lance's head. "Where is it?"

"What are we looking for?"

"You know Lucky pretty well don't you? Don't you think our friend would have a secret weapon for when the twins get this way?"

"The sneak. Of course he would." Cruz stopped and tried to rack his brain for any ideas. "A tape. Or a CD. Look for that."

"Here we go." Patrick held up the tape as if he had discovered a bar of gold. He read the tiny white label taped to the front of it. "'Daddy Knows Best.'"

"Can I put it in?" Lance wanted to know, making a grab for the tape.

"Sure. There's a stereo on that table over there." Patrick pointed.

A very cheesy instrumental started; they stared at the stereo in wonder. "You can't fool me. I saw you when you came out." Patrick's mouth fell open. "What fresh—heck is this?"

Cruz couldn't hold it back. Laughter spewed from his mouth so hard he nearly dropped Jake on his head. "Oh. Oh. Oh. This...this is gold."

"We've got to make copies." Patrick decided.

"What's funny? Who's singing?" Lance asked.

"And distribute them. I think they would be great wedding favors." Cruz pointed out. Looking down at Lance, he smiled. "That's your cousin Lucky singing."

They weren't sure if he was in on the joke, but he laughed anyway. "That's funny."

"You have no idea Lance. None." Cruz shook his head. "There is no way he knows this exists."

"I don't care what Elizabeth said. I'm buying out a toy store for the kids."

"I'll help."

*****

"Do you think they're alive?" Robin whispered, again closing the door very quietly.

"I told Lance to call Dillon if things got out of control." Bobbie whispered. "Dillon would have notified us."

"It's just so quiet. Do you smell that?" Robin sniffed the air for good measure.

"Smell what?"

"Food. Somebody's cooking." Much like a cartoon, Robin followed the invisible trail to the kitchen.

Bobbie looked around the apartment. "Then are you sure we entered the right place?" she asked trailing behind Robin.

"Well, well, well." Patrick greeted them suspiciously, taking a few seconds to stir the spaghetti sauce. "If it isn't the two sneaks."

"What are you cooking?" Robin wanted to know.

"Something far too good for the likes of you." Cruz pointed out. "Abandoning us with all the children?"

"We had confidence you would do fine. Besides we left with you with Lance." Bobbie protested.

"Right. A six-year-old. Great idea." Patrick rolled his eyes. "Back off lady. I'm not feeding you." He told Robin as she stepped closer to the stove.

"A six-year-old with very specific instructions about when to call for help and who to call."

"Where are the kids?" Robin questioned.

"Gracie, Jake, and Majandra are all sleeping. Lance is in Morgan's room playing a video game." Cruz listed off. Even though it still made him laugh, that tape of Lucky's really had calmed all the kids down. It was downright freaky.

"How'd you do that?" Robin narrowed her eyes.

"Secret weapon." Cruz answered cryptically.

"Yes. A very good one."

"Mind sharing it with us?" Robin begged.

"Oh, we'll be sharing it with quite a lot of people actually." Patrick and Cruz shared a grin.

"I don't like the sound of that." Bobbie said warily. "What exactly did you use?"

"Daddy Knows Best." Patrick answered vaguely. "Isn't that how it goes Cruz?"

"That's what I've always said." Cruz nodded. "Words to live by."