It's funny, I was planning on doing an Epilogue and then I'd be done with another story...well, my muse took over and now there are parts to the epilogue...I can't imagine there being more than two or three but who knows. Hope you like.
Epilogue Part One
Five years later…
"Jason, do you know where Jake's shoes are?" Elizabeth asked.
Jason looked at the three boys sitting in front of him, "Do you have anything to say?"
Cam, being the oldest and a little more capable of withholding when his father gave him 'that' look, he said, "Why would I know where his shoes are dad?"
Jason could see the little imp knew something but was going to be a tough nut to crack. "Jake? Alan? Do either of you have anything to say on the matter?"
"No daddy, nopes…" They answered in stereo. Alan was three and a half and looked so much like Jake at that age; the only real difference was that Alan had Elizabeth's outgoing personality while Jake was his father's minature.
Elizabeth walked in, carrying the twins. "Jason, are you planning on helping me or do I have to do everything myself?" It was said playfully but…there was an undercurrent of 'you're pissing off momma bear' threaded throughout.
One and a half year old Edward and Gavin were snuggled lovingly in their mother's arm, not quite but almost asleep. So she refused to raise her voice and risk waking them.
"I was asking the boys, Cam says he doesn't know where they are and Alan and Jake were most emphatic that they hadn't seen them…Do you want to watch the boys while I go look or…"
"No, if we continue to look for them, we'll be late. It's a good thing I was thinking ahead; I bought ALL of you boy's new shoes. It is Edward's ninety-third birthday and we will be on time…I refuse to use the excuse that I am once again knocked up, for missing a milestone like this!" Elizabeth said sternly. Giving everyone, even her up to something husband, it seemed every time she was pregnant, he was up to something.
Jason looked at her curiously, "When you said 'All' you boy's, you meant the kids, right?"
"No…I swear, we've been in Port Charles for three hours and you are already falling back into bad habits. Where is my loving and doting husband?" Elizabeth asked with a raise of her eyebrow.
Understanding that hormones more than anything, were the cause of Elizabeth's attitude, Jason's gently took the boys to the SUV and had Francis watch over them while he went back in. "Where are the shoes you bought?"
Trying not to sniffle and failing epically, Elizabeth turned and left the room, quickly returning with four shoe boxes.
Without saying anything, Jason took the boxes and got everyone in their shoes and out to the vehicle. "I'll be right back, please behave. Your mom is under a lot of stress at the moment and coming back here isn't helping. I know you don't like dress shoes because the pinch but it is a big day." He gave them his best enforcer glare before going back in for his last precious package.
"Elizabeth…" He began.
"No don't…I know I haven't been the easiest to live with but Jason…" She said with a whine, the tears that had been trembling on her eyelashes, finally breaking free.
"Oh baby…please don't do this. You are amazing and if you have a moment every once in a while, well, I think that is understandable. The doctor even felt…umm…badly. She knows how much you were wanting a girl, I want a girl but you said and I'll quote you here, "6 and that's it, girl or not, I am not having another." So umm…" Jason said, trying and failing to keep a little smirk at bay.
"Shut up…You can't hold something I say in the throes of labor against me. Besides, we both know there are not one but two babies growing in here, Mr. SuperJase and his SuperSperm!" She said venomously.
He knew that nickname was going to make a resurgence with this pregnancy. It was said with a lot of malice throughout the last pregnancy. You'd think after three single pregnancies that twins wouldn't be in the cards but… Knowing anything he said right now was more likely to piss her off than anything; he simply took her in his arms and kissed her. Whenever her emotions or temper got the best of her, kissing her, worked wonders.
"We better get going, the kids hate being in the car and if we are late, I'll have to listen to Edward rant about 'in his day and age…' I'd prefer to spare all of us, tales of the olden days. You'd swear he thinks he grew up in the dark ages or something." Jason said after breaking away from her lips.
"You can't just kiss me like that, when you want me to shut up!" Elizabeth said when she caught her breath. His ability to kiss was why she was once again pregnant…well and his abilities in the love making department.
"I wasn't kissing you to shut you up; I was kissing you so you would stop stressing out. You know it isn't good for you or the boys." Jason replied as he began to lead her out of the cottage.
They had booked a suite at the local hotel but after discovering, in person, that Carly was still sort of in charge and would be up his ass with a fine toothed comb, Edward had offered the cottage.
Elizabeth knew she needed to keep her blood pressure down but being back in Port Charles and running into a few unsavoury people; she wasn't sure how well she'd be able to manage. Then what Jason had said registered, "Wait a minute…we only know that one of them is a boy…the other is being bashful!"
Feeling bad about lying, Jason contemplated saying something but just as he was about to bullshit his way out of it, Elizabeth's eyes narrowed.
"Jason Morgan! What the hell is that look about, what aren't you telling me?" She all but screamed, pulling out of his embrace. Her tears were back with a vengeance.
"It isn't so much what I'm not telling, it's just…when we were at your doctors the other day…well, you see…she was pulling the wand off your stomach and baby B must have moved because…you see…umm…hesgotapenis…" Jason said so quickly that his words ran together.
Instant waterworks. Before, the tears were hormone induced but this…this was like having your biggest dream instantly stolen from you. It wasn't that she was unhappy about more boys, she loved her boys but she wanted a girl damnit! She was tired of always being the only female in the house. Francis and Johnny, Cody and Arlo…not dating, no kids, nothing, she was surrounded with testosterone 24/7.
"I don't care what it takes or how many times I have to go through this, I will birth a damn baseball, football, hockey and soccer team if I have to, I WILL have a damn girl if it is the last thing I do!" She yelled at Jason before storming from the house, slamming the front door twice for extra emphasis.
By the time Jason made it outside and to the SUV, he was surprised to see the kids all looking wide-eyed. "What happened?" Jason asked softly.
Francis' smiling face was almost, almost punchable but Jason refrained, he didn't want to teach his boys that violence solves problems.
"Elizabeth told us she'd meet us at the house, that she wasn't putting up with SuperJase and his and I quote "SuperSperm"." Francis said still trying to hold back his laughter.
"Oh boy…"
"Seriously, what's going on?" Francis asked, worry now coloring his words.
"I may have screwed up. I didn't mean to keep it from her but when we went for the ultrasound last month, Elizabeth was really excited, she said she just knew she was having a girl…well, we get there and we find out we're having twins again, which almost cost me my penis…and one baby was all for exposing himself…" Jason trailed off when he saw Francis nodding. "And then, after several attempts the doctor was giving up and moved the wand and there was baby B, flashing his 'family jewels' on the screen. The doctor and I both saw but Elizabeth didn't…I didn't want to burst her bubble…"
"In other words, you were hoping on her next checkup the doctor would see and burst her bubble instead?" Francis asked while raising his eyebrow.
"If you are going to call me a chicken, hurry up and get on with it. If we are late, not only will I never hear the end of it from Edward but Elizabeth is likely going to try causing irreparable damage to key features."
"Cluck, cluck, cluck…"
"Asshole!" Jason said under his breath before getting in the passenger seat.
"You know, you're going to end up with a football team if she demands you keep trying."
"She threatened me with a soccer, hockey, baseball and football team, that she wasn't going to stop trying till I gave her a daughter." Jason said, awed and a little frightened.
"You…if you keep it up…no pun intended, I'll have to call you Miss Hannigan." Francis said.
"Who the he…umm…you know what, never mind. You and Johnny are going to get too much airtime with this as it is. Let's go…" Jason said, closing his eyes and praying for a break, a miracle, something…
XxXxXxX
Elizabeth took the short walk to get her emotions under control. It just felt like everything was piling up and she didn't get a moment to just breathe anymore.
"You okay short-stuff?" Johnny asked from behind her.
"You aren't supposed to talk, remember. The condition that you could follow me was supposed to be silence. I need time to come to grips with the fact that I will be the mother of seven, SEVEN Johnny, seven boys. I wouldn't trade a single one of them for anything in the world but I would like to have a little girl at some point but if Jason and I keep trying…just, let me wallow until we get to the house and then I'll pull up my big girl panties."
XxXxXxX
When Jason and the kids pulled up, he saw her standing on the stoop, waiting for them.
"You didn't have to wait, you could have gone in." Jason offered as he started to unbuckle the kids with Francis and Johnny's help.
"I knew you wouldn't be long and besides, we are a family, we should always show a united front, even when were mad." Elizabeth offered with a small smile.
"You aren't mad baby, you are disappointed and I understand that. If I could do anything…" Jason began but Elizabeth's lips against his silenced him.
"Shhh…I'm not mad and I'm not disappointed, happy and healthy children are a great thing. I guess I just got my hopes up that this would be the time. I will never regret a single one of our children; they are an extension of our love for each other. We have fought our way through some pretty gruesome shit…if all we ever have is boys, I'll love them with every ounce of love in my heart. I was just being a brat and let my emotions get the better of me." Elizabeth said with feeling.
"I am a lucky son of a bi…" Elizabeth's hand over his mouth, reminded him of little ears. "I'm the luckiest guy in the world." He said instead.
"I think we are both lucky. You know, it makes me regret ever dating a guy with that name; it just ruins the word completely. In our next life, how about not taking so long to find me, so I never end up with an idiot like that?" Elizabeth said while laughing.
"Yes Master…" Jason said in his best Igor impersonation, hunching over to make himself look like he had a hump. He was up on his pop culture now; he kind of had to be with so many kids.
Smacking his arm while everyone laughed, Elizabeth took Gavin while Jason grabbed Edward. Jake held Johnny's hand while Francis carried Alan and Cam walked beside them.
After Alice directed them to the living room, the once quiet house became absolute bedlam.
XxXxXxX