The next night found everyone including Belle in the living room. Adam sat in his favorite chair next to the fire, Belle sat on the arm of the chair, and the kids sat on the floor in front of him.

"Okay, last night we left off when Miranda had agreed to go on a date with me and I'm sure none of you want to know what happened on that date."

"I know I don't." Belle said raising her hand.

"Seriously Dad, I didn't need that." Bae said rubbing his eyes harshly. It took Hannah a little bit longer to know what he meant but when she did,

"EW! Dad seriously! That's disgusting I don't think I can ever look at you the same." Bria and Lucas weren't quite sure what their father was talking about since they were only in the fifth grade and hadn't seen "the video" yet but based on their brother and sister's reaction they guessed it was bad.

"Okay now that you've personally scared our children can you move on?" Belle asked. Adam laughed and kissed her hand.

"Of course dearest. I'll skip to the part where we were already dating. A lot of the first two years involved a lot of that." He got a slap on the back on the head.

"DAD!"

Flashback

Adam sat in the diner at the counter, smiling. He thought he was very happy with Miranda but something seemed off. He figured he wanted to make her his and make sure she never left. Ruby came over and sat down next to him.

"What's on your mind?"

"I think I want to marry Miranda."

"Why?"

"I think I love her. I thought you would happy."

"No, I'm not happy. You can't marry her." Ruby yelled. "Besides don't you need to know for sure that you love someone before you marry them?"

"I think if I make her mine then our love with come out." Adam said.

"Are you off your rocker?"

"No, I really believe this."

"I can't believe this! This is probably the worst idea you've ever had." Ruby said as she got up and walked away. Adam sighed and put his head on the counter. He suddenly felt two hands on his shoulders.

"Hi sweetie."

"Hi Miranda." Adam said lifting his head up.

"You look like you need a drink." Miranda said signaling over a waitress.

"No Miranda I don't need a drink. That's the last thing I need. You need to stop drinking."

"Well, that won't be too hard considering that I can't drink for the next nine months at least." Adam's head snapped over to Miranda.

"What?"

"Yeah, I'm pregnant." Miranda said matter-of-factly. They heard a loud crash and turned towards the sound. They saw Ruby standing frozen with a pile of broken plates and glasses at her feet. Adam could only assume she had heard her. Miranda smirked at the waitress. Adam knew his choice was chosen for him now. He had no choice but to marry her. Two months later, he proposed and two months after that they were married. Miranda had started to show by that time and she was very needy pregnant woman. Adam blamed it on the hormones but Granny and Ruby said she was milking Adam for everything he had. At that time it wasn't much it was enough to keep Miranda interested. When Miranda was seven months along, she went into total bitch mode. She refused to let Adam leave the house because she refused to have the baby alone. Granny had had about enough with her and would have walked out but she loved her son way too much to do that to him. So she stuck it out for a while longer. Ruby hasn't talked to Adam since their talk at the diner. That all changed when Neal Baelfire was born. Adam wanted to name him Baelfire as his first name but Miranda was having none of it. She said that her son would have an American name so he settled with it as his middle name. Ruby came in every intention of just seeing her nephew since he was innocent in all of this. However, her plans didn't go as planned.

"Ruby I was beginning to think you wouldn't come see your nephew."

"I was going to come to only see him but I know there's something I have to do. Adam, I'm so sorry for everything. I was out of line and I let my jealousy get the best of me. I had no right to say any of those I said or thought. I was just jealous because you were spending all your time with Miranda and you didn't have time for your little sister anymore. I realize that you were just a guy in love now so I pushed everything down and decided that since Miranda is now a part of your life I need to deal with it. I don't like it but your brother and I'll always love you." Adam smiled and hugged his sister.

"Well come see him." Adam brought her over to the nursery window. She looked in and pressed her hand against the glass.

"Adam, he's beautiful." She looked over and saw him smiling like the proud father he was. "I think I'm in love." Adam laughed.

"You'll be waiting a long time Ruby. He's only two days old. You've got seventeen years and three hundred sixty-three days before you can even think about it. By then I hope you're married with kids of your own." They both laughed. "Do you want to hold him?"

"Of course." Adam smiled and signaled for a nurse to bring Neal out.

"I was about to bring him to your wife's room."

"Okay, we'll wait there." Adam led Ruby to Miranda's room. She was sleeping so they were quiet. "She didn't hold him. She turned her head away after they said he was a boy. She didn't look at him or hold him." Ruby rubbed Adam's shoulder and the nurse brought Neal over. Adam went over and picked up his son. He smiled at the bundle in his arms and handed him to his sister. Ruby fell in love with Neal the moment she looked at him. His chocolate brown eyes were open and he looked at her with confusion and question. She smiled as a tear fell from her eye.

"Adam, he's perfect. He has your eyes, your nose, your ears, everything is you." Adam smiled with pride. He looked at his sister and then at his wife that was still sleeping and wondered if he would be able to give his son a good life.

End flashback

"Miranda didn't hold me?"

"Not at first. Your birth was a very long one. After being in labor for eighteen hours all she wanted to do was sleep." Bae shrugged and stood up. "Bae?"

"I'm fine. I've got Mom now. I'm fine." Bae said as he went over and hugged Belle. Belle smiled slightly and hugged him back kissing his head. She loved the moments when he was too ashamed to admit he still loved her even though she wasn't really his mom and that he was a teenager. Hannah stood up and hugged both her parents before going to her room for bed. Belle looked down and saw both the twins were sound asleep.

"How are you we going to get them into their beds?" Belle asked.

"Easy." Adam stood up and poked each of them with his cane until they woke up. "Time for bed you two."

"We were sleeping Papa." Bria said as she tiredly got up.

"You just woke us up so we can go back to sleep." Lucas complained.

"If this were thirteen years ago I would have gladly carried you both to bed. Unfortunately, I'm unable to do that."

"That's only cause you married then divorced a psychopath." Bria said as she hugged him and then Belle. Lucas leaned against his father as he yawned then hugged his parents. When they were out of earshot, Belle walked over to him.

"Stop I know what you're thinking. Don't even start to think that you're failing them as a father."

"I haven't held them in my arms since they were two and even then I couldn't hold both of them." Belle wrapped his arms around him.

"You love them and that's all any child could ask for." Adam pulled her to him and kissed her. "You have no idea how much I love you."

"I have a pretty idea. The question that remains is why."

"You make me happy." Belle said simply. She turned around and went upstairs. Adam looked at his cane and slowly but it against his chair. He tried to take a couple steps without it and got from the chair to opposite end of the fireplace and back. He smiled even though he was sweating. He decided that he would teach himself to walk again without a crutch. First he had his fear as a crutch now he has his cane. He decided soon he wouldn't need either.