Hello my wonderful readers!

First to everyone that reviewed "He Touched Me & I Let Him Love Me" and sent me private messages thank you all for the overwhelming support, appreciation and understanding! I love all my readers and I love that you take the time to read my stories and that you all like them so much. For those of you that read that story will be happy to know that I'm not suspending it and in fact have a sequel in the works!

Secondly tonight's episode was less frustrating but I think they can do better than two good scenes (in my opinion anyway). If you'd like to rant with me about the episode feel free to PM, leave it in a review or find me censuring the writers on Twitter Halawen_DFF.

Ch. 21 Faith Hope & Love

(ADAM)

I leave Drew with my best friend, the girl he loves and mother of his children and my soon to be sister-in-law. I want to stay and be there for them and with them but Drew needs me to do something important for him and that is how I can help him right now. I get out to the family waiting room and it's full of people that care about Clare and Drew. Mom and Dad are here of course, Glen along with Jake and Katie sitting next to him, Owen naturally and he's got his arm around Stacey. Fitz sits next to Owen and he has his arm around Meghan, Bianca and Dallas sit next to Mom and Dad. Luke and Becky are here along with Cam, Maya, Tris, Tori and Zig. Connor, Dave and K.C. are here too, of course Eli is here but somewhat surprisingly so are Imogen and Fiona. Not surprisingly Lucas is here as well as Jay and Lucas' mom Evelyn is here too. When they see me come in everyone looks up, Owen and Lucas along with Mom and Dad get up and come over to me.

"Where's your brother?" Mom inquires.

"How's Clare?" Lucas asks at nearly the same second.

"How's Drew? Is Clare okay?" Owen questions over them both.

I have to take a deep breath and prepare an answer before I talk. I look at everyone else still sitting; Owen and Lucas move a little so that the rest of the room can see me.

"Girls, it was twins," I sort of sputter out as my brain seems to think going with the most shocking news first is a good idea.

"TWINS!" Comes the collective exclamation of everyone in the room.

"Yes they're really tiny and look more like dolls than people but they're beautiful. The doctor said they have a good chance at surviving. You all can go see them," I announce.

"Wow I bet Clare and Drew are shocked but happy. How are they holding up? Are they really worried about the twins being born so early?" Owen inquires as he has a bunch of thoughts race through his head and asks all his questions at once.

"Drew is happy and worried about them but Clare doesn't know yet," I inform everyone.

"What do you mean she doesn't know? She's okay isn't she?" Lucas asks.

"She's in a medically induced coma; she shouldn't have given birth so early and her placenta previa caused a lot of bleeding, I think that was it. Her mitro-valve prolapse complicated things and she had to have the second baby delivered by C-section. It was all really hard on her body and she's really weak. They have her in a medically induced coma and they'll keep her in it for a couple of days but they think she'll pull through," I enlighten the room and my voice cracks a little at the end. Now that I'm not being strong for my brother the thought of losing Clare, of her dying without ever knowing her daughters, or even knowing that she had twins is scaring me. It's like it's all suddenly hitting me because I'm not with Drew and don't feel the need to be strong for him.

"They think?" Lucas asks.

"You guys can see her too but Drew wants some time alone with her first," I tell everyone. The room gets very silent and stays that way for several minutes until Dad finally speaks.

"Let's go see our granddaughters," he says to Mom and the rest of the room moves.

Everyone gets up and follows me down to the NICU and the big window that looks in. I point out the two incubators that hold my nieces to everyone.

"They're so tiny," Maya breaths.

"They really do look like little dolls," Tori says.

"They're gorgeous though, they'll get even more beautiful as they grow," Meghan comments.

"Give Drew some time and you can go see Clare, ask the reception nurse where her room is. Drew asked me to do something for him so I'll be back in little while," I announce as everyone looks at the tiny sleeping babies, hooked up to IV's, wires and ventilators.

"Want some company?" Eli offers.

"Yeah thanks," I nod. Eli puts a hand at my back and we leave the hospital, I still have the keys to Drew's car so we take that and I drive us to my house. "Drew only asked me to get one thing but now that I'm here I'm thinking we had better pack a bag for them and the…we don't have anything for the babies! We never had a baby shower or did any real shopping for after the babies were born!" I exclaim as I start shaking and sink into the sofa. It hit me, it's all hit me, the reality of everything and I just sort of lose it.

"Adam it's okay," Eli says sitting down next to me with his arm around my back, "the babies won't be able to come home for weeks. My mom's co-worker had a preemie and they kept it in the hospital until it's due date. We'll make sure the babies and Clare and Drew have everything they'll need before the babies come home. Why don't you grab what Drew asked you to get, and if you tell me where a suitcase is I will go pack it with some changes of clothes and some essentials for Clare and Drew," Eli offers.

"Yeah okay thanks Eli, there's some suitcases in the garage," I reply.

Eli gets up and goes out to the garage while I take another minute to collect myself. Then I go upstairs to Mom and Dad's room and her desk, it takes a second but I find the checkbook. When I go to the basement Eli is still packing, he's got two dresses for Clare and two pairs of jeans with two shirts for Drew. He also has socks and boxers for Drew but no underwear for Clare although he seems to be peering in that drawer of the dresser currently.

"Drew's not going to hit me for getting these things is he?" Eli asks with a slight sardonic tone to his voice as he holds up a black G-string.

"No but I doubt Clare needs a G-string," I reply laughing a little.

Eli smirks putting them back and pulls out two pairs of white cotton panties, he also grabs another bra for Clare. Then we go into the washroom and grab their toothbrushes, deodorant, Drew's hair wax, Clare's brush and makeup just in case. Just before we close up the suitcase and leave the house I remember to grab Clare a pair of shoes since she wasn't wearing any when we rushed to the hospital. I lock up the house this time and Eli carries the suitcase to the car putting it in the backseat.

"So what did Drew want you to get?" Eli

"A checkbook to his college savings account we're headed for the jewelry store he wants an engagement ring. He wants to propose to her as soon as she's awake because he says life is too short," I inform Eli sort of rambling but it's been an emotionally trying morning I'm allowed to ramble.

"Good he makes her happy and she deserves that," Eli smiles.

I pull up to the jewelry store a few minutes later and the snooty people working there give us a look. I can't decide if it's because we're two guys walking in together or two teenage guys coming in together.

"My brother is going to propose to his girlfriend and he wanted me to pick out the ring," I state and everyone relaxes.

"What kind of budget are we working with?" Inquires a thin male employee with dirty blonde hair.

"Uh I don't know not too expensive but something nice, white gold and maybe a colored stone. Amethyst is her birthstone that might be nice, they just had twins born premature and she's in the hospital," I reply not entirely knowing what we're looking for, and also babbling more than they need to know but again it's been an emotionally exhausting morning.

"I think I have just the thing," he says and goes into the back returning a couple minutes later with a ring pinched between his fingers. "It's white gold and the two surrounding stones are rose quartz which represents the true essence of love and cherry quartz which stands for hope. The middle stone is a pearl obviously which represents purity, faith and spiritual guidance. It's even engraved on the inside," the jeweler says turning the ring so that we can see engraved on the inside it says: Faith, Hope & Love. Considering that Clare has found her faith again and Drew is going to need a lot of it in these next few weeks, and that they've both had to have a lot of hope since even finding out Clare was pregnant. Not to mention they never would have come back together if they weren't very in love I think the ring couldn't be more perfect.

"It's great, perfect actually they'll both love it but how much is it?" I inquire.

"Well it was a special order but the guy never came back for it. He no longer wants it, the relationship is over so it's been sitting in the back room for months. I'll let it go for let's say…oh four hundred and it's yours," he says and I grin.

"Wrap it up," I grin getting out the checkbook.

I write the check and he gives us the ring in a little velvet heart shaped box and a pouch with some care instructions. Now that we have everything we head back to the hospital. I park and we go up to Clare's room, I don't remember the room number but I remember how to get there.

"We brought some stuff for you and Clare," I tell Drew coming into the room. It's packed with people but a lot of the ones that were here earlier are now gone, I guess there wasn't room for everyone. Mom and Dad are still here, so are Owen and Stacey, Fitz and Meghan as well as Lucas and Jay.

"Thanks," Drew smiles at us but it's a weak smile, a smile filled with worry and fear underneath the appreciation for us bringing some stuff they'd need. Drew is now sitting up higher on Clare's bed, near her upper arm and with his back against the slightly elevated bed. He has some wires draped over his legs that connect to the heart monitor. His hand holds her hand that doesn't have an IV. His other hands gently caresses her her temple and he looks at her with eyes glassed by tears, full of sorrow, fear and anguish but also a deep love and hope.

"Jake and Glen went to see if they could get a hold of Darcy and let her know. Katie took the younger kids home and Evelyn had to work. Dave, Connor, K.C., Fiona and Imogen said they'd come by tomorrow and asked that we keep them informed. I think we'd better go call family, we'll come back with lunch," Mom says.

She and Dad hug me and my brother, Mom kisses Clare's forehead but it's hard to get to her with all the wires and things. They leave the room and Eli puts the suitcase in the corner.

"Did you get it?" Drew questions.

"Yeah," I tell him pulling the pouch from my pocket, I open the pouch and then the box handing Drew the ring. "The stones represent love, faith and hope and it's engraved on the inside," I tell my brother.

"It's perfect Adam thank you, you too Eli," Drew grins looking at the ring and the engraving. "Put it in the box, keep it safe. How much was it?" He asks.

"Four hundred, it had been a special order but the guy never came back for it," I reply.

"Great that's even better and it's absolutely perfect," Drew smiles a little brighter this time.

"It's very beautiful are you going to give it to Clare as a new mom present?" Stacey asks.

"Actually as an engagement ring, when Clare wakes up I'm going to ask her to marry me."

(JAKE)

Dad and I e-mailed Darcy and got in touch with the Red Cross to let Darcy know what happened with Clare. Then Dad had called Helen and told her she needed to come home for lunch. I heard her car pull into the driveway and I look at Dad.

"Maybe we just shouldn't tell her, she's not going to care," I say to Dad listening to Helen's heels clack up the walk.

"No she has to know and if this doesn't pierce into her and make her come around then I'm done," Dad responds.

Helen opens the front door and walks in looking at us both and sort of glowers at me like I don't have a right to be in my own house.

"I thought you called me home for a lunch date," Helen sort of snaps at Dad.

"I called you home to tell you that your daughter is in the hospital Helen. She's in a medically induced come after giving birth to twin girls at 29 weeks," Dad informs Helen while gritting his teeth.

"I left work for this? That tramp is not my daughter any longer, what happens to her is in God's hands and he obviously thinks she is not worthy of children or to possibly live. Clare stopped being my daughter the day she willingly got pregnant out of marriage. She knew the consequences of sleeping with that boy and yet she did it anyway. Next time you want me to come home from work in the middle of the day make sure it's for something important," Helen barks back with her arms crossed over her chest. Her voice and eyes are ice cold and hollow it's as if she's become completely empty inside, perhaps she has.

"How can you say that? Any of that?! She's still your daughter!" I snarl.

"No she's not, she hasn't been from the moment she slept with that boy! And don't either of you go talking about this, she's on her own, I don't want people to know she…"

Helen is saying when Dad grabs her and holds her arms so she's forced to look at him. I've never in my life seen my dad so angry but he's looking at Helen like she's a threat now.

"NO CLARE IS STILL YOUR DAUGHTER, YOU CAN SAY YOU DON'T ACKNOWLEDGE HER ANY LONGER BUT SHE STILL EXISTS! EVEN IF YOU WERE ACTUALLY TO LEGALLY DISOWN HER IT WOULD NOT CHANGE THE FACT THAT SHE IS YOUR DAUGHTER! SHE'S LYING IN A HOSPITAL BED FIGHTING FOR HER LIFE AND SO ARE HER TWO DAUGHTERS! YOU'RE GRANDDAUGHTERS HELEN AND YOU DON'T CARE AT ALL! DON'T YOU EVEN WANT TO SEE YOUR GRANDCHILDREN OR ARE YOU TOO WORRIED WHAT PEOPLE WILL SAY BECAUSE YOU'RE BARELY FORTY AND HAVE UNWED TEENAGE DAUGHTER! HOW CAN YOU BE THIS COLD? CLARE NEEDS YOU AND YOU JUST TURN YOUR BACK ON HER!" Dad yells but Helen seems totally unfazed.

"She knew what she was doing, she knew the consequences and now it's in God's hands and he turned his back as soo…"

"Don't you dare, you can't bring God into this like that, he's been with them through everything! God doesn't turn his back, most certainly not on innocent children. Clare and Drew used protection and it broke and their decision to have sex because they are in love doesn't make them bad people! God forgives and God loves but you won't even try! It might be in God's hands but that doesn't mean that Clare and Drew and their children don't need all the love, faith, prayers and support they can get. I can't believe your heart has gone so cold but you're going to lose everyone if you don't start feeling like a person again! If you think Darcy is going to choose you over Clare then you're wrong," Dad tells Helen his voice is still angry but calmer, he's pleading with her. "Come to the hospital, just see them, if the faces of your grandchildren can't crack that heart then nothing will," Dad asserts.

"Have you been smoking Jake's pot? They are not my grandchildren, they are monsters and Clare is not my daughter. I have no unwed teenage mother as a daughter; I don't ever want to see her or those children. I hope they die and go to their eternal damnation and now I need to go get some food and get back to work, someone needs to pay the bills around here," Helen spits at us with venom seeping in every word. Then she turns and walks out of the house slamming the door behind her.

"She can't mean that? Can she? She wants them to die?! Has she totally lost her mind or her heart? How can she just let Clare go like that and not even want to see the twins," I say to Dad as I'm in complete shock at Helen's reaction.

"I think she meant every word, I truly think she'd just be happier if Clare died and she never had to hear about them again. Come on son we need to make a stop and then we'll go back to the hospital to see the twins again and see if Drew or the Torres' need anything," Dad tells me.

I nod and follow him outside, we haven't heard from Darcy yet but she's in impoverished India so it could be hours or maybe days before we hear from her. We get back in Dad's truck and he drives downtown to a law firm, a family law firm. I'm not entirely sure what we're doing here, I didn't think Dad was actually serious when he threatened to leave Helen but maybe he was. We go inside and Dad asks for a name I recognize, Chuck Murphy, he's an old high school friend of Dad's I've met a few times but I don't know him very well.

"Hi Glen, good to see you Jake what can I do for you?" Chuck asks after we've been shown back to his office and his secretary closes his door.

"Two things, first I need to file for divorce, as speedy as possible if you can point us toward a good divorce lawyer in your office. Second my soon to be ex-wife has a 17 year old daughter and I want to adopt her as my own and get all parental and custodial rights taken from her mother. The girl's father is already out of the picture; he moved to France and has little to no contact with her. I'm afraid my soon to be ex-wife might try and hurt her daughter who is currently in the hospital after delivering premature twins. I don't want Helen to be able to get anywhere near, or harm in anyway, Clare or her children. I can show a pattern of mental and emotional abuse. I know she's slapped Clare before and she just flat out told the two of us that she hopes Clare and her children die," Dad tells him.

"Hard to believe a mother could say that. Well with enough statements from others we should be able to show that there's malicious intent and child endangerment on Helen's part. Do you anticipate a fight from Helen?" Chuck questions.

"Not after what she just told us, she's completely rejected Clare and refuses to even admit she's her daughter. I want to protect Clare and her children, I don't want Helen to be able to get anywhere near them I'm honestly afraid of what she might do," Dad tells him.

"Alright then, I'll draw up some preliminary papers and talk to one of the divorce lawyers in the office. Can you come back at say 4:30? Not everything will be ready but we can petition a judge for emergency custodianship, especially with the girl in the hospital," Chuck tells us and for the first time since hearing that Clare was in the hospital I feel a sense of relief.

"I'll be here at 4:30 thanks Chuck," Dad smiles.

We shake Chucks hand and go out to Dad's truck; we're driving back to the hospital when my cell rings. It's a long international number starting with +881 so I know it must be Darcy or someone that's trying to get a hold of her.

"Hello?"

"Jake? It's Darcy they said you were urgently trying to reach me is Clare okay?" Darcy says loudly over a lot of static.

"No not really, Clare gave birth," I inform Darcy and talking loudly myself.

"This satellite phone must have a terrible connection because I thought you just said Clare gave birth?" Darcy responds.

"She did, she had twin girls, they're in the NICU but the doctor says their prospects are good. They'll be in the hospital until the week they were due. They're so tiny Darcy," I tell her.

"What about Clare is she okay?" Darcy questions.

"She bled a lot and had to deliver the second baby by C-section, they put her in a medically induced coma to heal but they tell us she'll pull through," I reply.

"I'm coming home, I'll figure out a way. Poor Clare, tell her I love her and I'm coming home," Darcy says and I start to say I will when the connection is lost or possibly Darcy hung up in a panic to try and come home.

"Darcy's coming home," I tell Dad after getting my phone back in my pocket.

"Good I think she should be here, you know I realize I did all this without even asking you how you felt. Divorcing Helen and filing for adoption of Clare," Dad remarks.

"Are you kidding I'll be glad to be rid of that bitch and have Clare as part of our family and my full legal sister," I reply and Dad smiles.

We park at the hospital and go up to Clare's room, Lucas, Adam, Eli, Owen, Stacey, Fitz and Meghan are still here. Of course Drew is still here too, he hasn't moved from his position since the last time we saw him. I doubt he's eaten or done anything but hold Clare since we left.

"We got a hold of Darcy, she's coming home," I tell everyone.

"And after speaking with Helen I'm not only filing for divorce but petitioning to adopt Clare," Dad informs everyone, "I want to keep Helen as far away from Clare and her babies as possible. I don't know what that woman's capable of anymore but I will not let her hurt Clare or my grandchildren."

(DREW)

"Good I don't want her near Clare or my children either, I don't want that woman to even think of them," I respond after Glen tells us he's divorcing Helen and adopting Clare.

"Is Daddy in here?" A nurse asks coming in the room and my heart starts pounding as I begin to panic that something is wrong with my daughters.

"That's me what is it? What's wrong?" I question squeezing Clare's hand and sitting up a little.

"Nothing is wrong, your daughters are fine, we have the both on vents and have umbilical IV's for feeding. They aren't jaundiced and we're monitoring everything else. The first one that had the chord around her neck is breathing better but she will need some C-pap therapy probably. They've been fully examined and secured and it's important that you bond with them. We can't bring them into Mom right now but you should come be with them," the nurse answers.

I look at Clare's sleeping face, she knows none of this, I'm not even sure that she'll survive and I'm reluctant to leave her but I do want to see my daughters.

"We'll stay with Clare, all of all us, go be with your girls," Owen urges putting a hand on my shoulder.

"We'll come get you if there's even the slightest sign of trouble," Adam assures me.

I kiss Clare's forehead and get off her bed following the nurse back to the NICU wing where my daughters are. I have to wash my hands really well and put on this gown sort of thing that's tight around my arms. The nurse says it's to prevent bacteria from getting in because they're immune systems wouldn't be able to fight off an infection. Then I'm taken back to where I saw the twins through the window but we go through the door. The room is very loud actually, nurses are moving around and several monitors are beeping. I'm taken to my daughters incubators which have been moved apart so a chair is put between them.

"You can sit in the chair and put your hands through the holes in the incubators there. Be gentle and be aware of the wires and tubes, don't massage or rub though it will be over stimulating for them. You can hold their hands, touch their chests and very gently stroke their arms or legs in one direction, like petting a dog. Be gentle but don't be afraid to touch them it's good for all of you," the nurse informs me, I nod and sit down.

I look at my two girls, they are so very small, they weigh less than two pounds each and they look like these little porcelain angel babies my grandma has.

"They don't even have names," I say to the nurse and my voice starts to choke with tears.

"Most preemies don't have names for the first week or two, when the mom wakes up you can discuss it. Right now bond with your children," the nurse urges again.

I slowly move my arms up and creep my fingers through the holes nervously and reach for my babies. Their skin is very soft but sort of wrinkly and very hair in some places too; of course there are babies with a lot more of the white hair I see on them so it must be normal. My fingertips barely touch their skin and I feel different, I suddenly want to keep them safe from everything, to breathe for them and make them strong. My heart swells and my body starts to shake. I look at my daughter that's to the right of me and very softly put my hand on her forehead, her head is partially covered by a little pink cap but I can feel her skin. Looking at my other daughter I do the same, they both jerk a little and sort of move toward me.

"You can talk to them; it's good for them to hear your voice. It will be familiar to them since they heard it in the womb," the nurse advises.

"Hey beautiful girls," I say with a shaky voice as tears pool in my eyes. "Everybody was here to see you. Even your aunt Darcy is coming all the way from India to see you. Your uncle Peter and Uncle Spinner and Aunt Emma will be here tomorrow to see you. I can tell you're going to be a handful because you surprised us by coming so early and surprised us by there being two of you. Then again I was a handful so I should've expected my kids to be. Your mom is going to be so happy when she wakes up, she'll be so happy to meet you and touch you," I tell my girls, my voice cracking again with emotion.

I move my hand down to their chests and just place my hands their lightly. They have breathing tubes in their noses, taped to their cheeks with the tubes held in place by lots of tape along the incubator. I'm careful to not touch anything but their skin, I want to hug them, to kiss their skin and never let them go but I can't.

"How long before we can hold them?" I ask the nurse.

"Not long, a week or two maybe. It'll be hard at first because you'll have to hold them with the vent and feeding tube still in. They need to get a little stronger but we'll start kangaroo therapy soon. That's where we put them on your bare chest for skin to skin contact and cover you both with blankets for warmth," the nurse informs me with a smile.

"Wait until you meet your mom; she's beautiful, smart and strong. She loves you guys so much and she doesn't even know there's two of you yet, two miracles that we made together. I love you, both of you," I tell my daughters.

Taking my hands from their chests I move them down to their tiny little hands, lying partially open on their heated mattresses inside the incubators. I slip one of my fingers into theirs, their fingers are so small my one finger dwarves their entire hands. But then the most incredible thing happens, their tiny little fingers curled around my finger and gripped it! My daughters are holding their daddy, they know me, they're saying they love me and they need me and my heart melted like butter on a hot skillet. I knew from that second that my life would never be the same again, I know I will never love anyone or anything this much or this way ever again!

Update next Tuesday including Peter, Spinner, Emma and Darcy arriving. Adam and his parents getting to touch the girls and maybe just maybe I'll have Clare wake up too…maybe. Hey just be glad it didn't end on a cliffhanger!