Chapter Forty One

"They'll be here any minute!" Linda gushed hanging up the phone. Steven had just called to say that he and Lila had left with the twins.

"Oh, Linda, get those pink balloons," Eddie said reaching up. "I want everything to be perfect."

"Careful, Mom," Joey warned seeing Eddie standing on a chair.

"I'm fine, Joe, bring in that tray of appetizers to everyone in the living room. Don't let the family rush the babies."

Joey went into the living room surprised to see Nikki had just arrived from Boston to meet the newest arrivals. "Aunt Linda says they are just a few minutes away and Mom says not to crowd them." Joey set down a tray of potato puffs and crab balls as the door opened again to reveal Lila and Steven each carrying a new born baby.

The family erupted in a flood of applause as the new family came inside. They had revealed the sexes of the babies at the hospital but wanted to keep their names a secret until they made their debut. Frank was the first to ask, "So what are their names."

Lila, who was holding her daughter, walked over to her, "Grandpa, this is your great granddaughter, Reagan Marie Tenney…"

Frank choked up, "Reagan…your family name?"

Lila nodded, "She's every bit a Reagan as she is a Tenney. This is her brother, your great grandson, Peter Finnerty Tenney, but we like Finn for short."

Frank now held both babies, each even smaller than his smallest baby. His salty tears wet their blankets.

Eddie came into the living room hear the commotion. "Oh there are my little babies…" She smiled seeing Frank enjoying this moment. Eddie gave her baby a hug, "How are you feeling?"

"Still a little sore but otherwise, great," Lila replied. "I just told their names. Grandpa is really happy."

"Hi, Aunt Eddie," Nikki greeted. She hadn't told her aunt and uncle she was going to try to come. Nikki gave Eddie a hug looking the older woman over. Her petite frame had definitely filled out, she must have added close to twenty pounds since Nikki's last visit.

Jamie could read his niece like a book and he knew one of her remarks was forthcoming. She'd been that way since high school and Erin had done little to restrain her, in fact the few times other adults had tried, Erin made excuses for her. Jamie quickly pulled Nikki for a hug staving off, at least for the moment, the inevitable.

The family passed the two newborns around like footballs, but somehow they kept ending up back in Frank's arms. Reagan appeared to be calm but Finn liked to everyone know he was around. He would cry out for no reason, kick off his blankets, and flail his little arms and legs. "You are a feisty little boy, aren't you?" Linda cooed to him making sure the baby found its way to Rita. She wanted a grandchild of her own to spoil as soon as the priest said I do.

During dinner, Joey made a toast to the two new lives gracing their family, his godchildren. The new grandparents and uncle had spent a lot of time at the hospital but except for Linda and Erin the rest of the family gave Lila and Steven space. Now was their time to bond with the newborns. As the meals were passed even Eddie loaded her plate. She had given up on starving herself to lose weight, the pounds piled on anyway but seemed to have stopped with a weight gain of 38 pounds. She was still beautiful to him and carry with weight well.

"Aunt Eddie," Nikki whispered from her seat between her aunt and her husband. "Should you really be eating this food? Mom said you were on a diet again."

"Well, uh, I'm not doing that plan now, Nikki," Eddie replied. "I decided to maintain my weight instead of trying to lose."

"You really do need to rethink that, you've gotten so heavy and Uncle Jamie can't really help if you make yourself sick, he's come a long way but…"

"I can help my wife no matter what her condition thank you, Nikki." Nikki was trying to keep her tone soft and private but Jamie felt his Irish temper and brought the conversation public much to Eddie's chagrin.

Jamie was fuming, he saw Eddie immediately push the food around on her plate not really eating. Her hand shook as she drank water to keep from showing Nikki her words hurt.

Nikki looked up seeing Eddie pushing around her food. "Sorry I didn't mean to upset up just it's not healthy especially at your age."

Eddie met her niece's eye begging her to stop but Nikki continued.

"I did some research and it's important for women especially, you could have a heart attack with all that added weight. We all love you, we want to see you healthy. I can help you, we can be buddies."

That was all it took for Eddie to burst into tears a rush from the table.

Jamie fixed Nikki with an ice cold Reagan stare, "It's not in her control Nikki. She needs to take this medication to stay alive and whether she gained 20 pounds or 200 pounds I would rather have her alive than dead. If I lose her to a heart attack, good, it beats having to watch her suffer while she dies of cancer."

Jamie threw his napkin on the plate and rushed to console his wife. Jamie found Eddie leaning over the kitchen sink with the water running.

"I'm sorry Eddie Nikki was out of line and I'm going to talk with her," Jamie soothed. "I should have done it years ago, many years ago."

Eddie turned around her eyes red and bloodshot from crying. "She's right Jamie, I am fat as a pig. I am puffy and bloated and it's not ever cause I'm pregnant or anything worth it. It's these stupid pills…How can you stand being married to this?"

Jamie rushed over wrapping his arms around his wife rocking her while holding her close. "No baby, no you're beautiful, smart and caring. Ssh, I'll always love you Eddie ." Jamie held her tightly against his strong body. "I will take you this weight of heavier still if it means you're healthy and cancer free. The only way I can't stand to see you is suffering, all right? Stop this…no more tears. It's a happy day."

Eddie and Jamie returned to the table, Nikki was embarrassed at her uncle's words and turned the topic adding some parenting advice to the wealth that Lila was getting no one daring to bring up the faux pas. Danny and Joey along with the boys cleared the table while Linda and Erin set up dessert. With Eddie seated and content cradling babies, Jamie pulled Nikki aside, "This is the last time you speak out of turn at this table. You did it when you were a kid and we let you get away with it, I thought it was smart for you to exercise your mind but you never seemed to learn one important fact, not every situation needs your opinion. If you express an untoward opinion again at this table, I don't care if it is still Dad's house on paper, you will not be welcome at this table again. Am I clear?"

"I was only…" Nikki broke in.

"Expressing an opinion on something without having all the fact, you did it for years and you still do it. That ends today. I'm sorry your mother never reeled you in before now but I will not allow my wife, who fights daily to get out of bed and go about her life to be upset like this by my own flesh and blood. I will not. Do you understand?"

Nikki nodded and was wise enough not to say anything else. Jamie went and sat down beside Eddie holding her while she cuddled with little Finn. Just as Linda and Erin placed the cake on the table, Jamie noticed Joey taking Molly aside, he smiled, he was finally doing it.

Jamie watched as his son dropped to one knee, offering to his Molly a ring that he and Jamie picked out together. Jamie nudged Eddie and nodded as Molly threw her arms around Joey's neck and the happy couple rushed back inside. "Everyone," Joey said clanging a coffee cup for attention. "Everyone, I have one more thing to add to the celebration and since we are all together, there's no better time to tell you. The Reagan family is about to grow by one more. I asked Molly to marry me and she said she would!"

Cheers sounded from every member of the family, except a sleeping Reagan who was awakened by the roar and not happy about it. Lila rushed to comfort her daughter and congratulate her brother. Jack clapped Joey on the back, "Welcome to the club, cousin. It's going to be a terrific ride!"

"Are you all right?" Jamie asked finding Eddie sitting on the couch in the dimly lit living room.

"I'm fine" Eddie replied. "Still doesn't feel real, you know? One of our babies has two of her own and the other just got engaged. We're old Reagan."

Jamie slid his arm around Eddie's shoulders, "No matter, you are still just as beautiful as the day I married you and no amount of weight gain or skin blemish or anything is going to change my feeling."

Eddie sighed, "Still, I think I'm going to start working out at a gym or maybe running again. Just to try to get off a little of it. It's going to be a challenge to find a nice gown for Joey's wedding."

Jamie's grip tightened, "Stop worrying about that. I mean it, Joey would rather have you healthy, I'd rather have you healthy...I mean it." Jamie looked at the album in her lap. "Oh look at that...Was he ever that small?"

Eddie touched the picture of Joey the day he came home from the hospital. "His little bottom fit in my hand," Jamie remembered. "Look there he is with Pop. He's smiling up there with two new Reagans and Joey...I heard Molly say that she wants a big family."

Eddie laid her head on Jamie's shoulders, "We are lucky." She turned the page. "Look there he is getting baptized...He hated the water on his head, he was never big on his bath or anything and he always peed..."

Jamie laughed remembering getting sprayed a few times giving Joey as bath. "He's getting married..." Jamie sighed.

Eddie turned a few more pages, "Oh look at me...I was HUGE..." The picture was of the whole family on Long Island days before Eddie gave birth to Lila.

"There's our Joey, holding onto his Momma even then. You two have such a special bond. I'm surprised he didn't jump when he saw you crying..."

"Like you did?" Eddie asked. "I always let Nikki get to me. I'm sorry Jamie she did NOT grow out of her college know it all phase."

Jamie nodded "I told her today regardless of if this is Dad's place or not, she won't be welcome if she EVER says anything like that to you again."

Eddied leaned up and gave Jamie a kiss, "Look at this...remember that dress?" The dress was pink with a little white lace overlay and open ruffle sleeves. "I think I still have that packed away someplace I'll give it to Lila for Reagan to wear."

"That's a great idea..." Jamie nuzzled Eddie's hair and began to kiss down her neck. Soon the album was pushed off to the side and forgotten as Jamie leaned over his wife gently kissing and caressing her, showing her his love and his desire after all these years.

"Jamie..I'm a grandma!" Eddie laughed.

"You're not my grandma," Jamie replied as the phone rang on the table. Both were fully prepared to ignore it until Frank called out, "Jamie, get off your wife, it's Lila!"

Eddie blushed, "How does he do that?"

Eddie picked up and immediately heard the babies at the top of their voices. "Mom..." Lila was crying too sniffling. "I think I broken them."

Eddie sighed, "I'll be right there."

And so it began...

A/N: There you have it, the final installment of And Baby Makes… Special thanks to all of your who have followed me through this and previous stories and welcome to new followers. Special thanks to Lawslave for her constant support and previewing all of these chapters and to Yanks20 for bumping me along if I got stuck on dialogue. Also thanks to the mother's out there that gave me pushes for events in Lila's pregnancy.

Next Update – The Premiere installment of One of Our Own – It will debut the week of July 11th and will follow the Reagan family through Joey's marriage, some difficulties for new mom Lila, and a few bumps for our favorite love birds.