To Have & to Hold Forever
This story is a sequel to "Sickness & Health, Good Times & Bad", along with other stories in the "Together Forever" Series. You don't have to read those stories first but this story will make more sense if you do.
Brian and Justin are established partners, sharing custody of Gus and raising Brian's nephews.
I don't own the original QAF characters just the situations I create. No copyright infringement intended.
Chapter 5
WelcomeTo The World
Lilly Jennifer Taylor-Kinney Born: May 26, at 9:27 am 5.5 Lbs (2,495 grams), 18 in.
Liam Victor Taylor-Kinney Born: May 26, at 9:30 am 5.2 Lbs (2,359 grams), 17 in.
Jennifer & Debbie left after visiting for almost an hour. They got the not so subtle message from the new Daddies that it was time for them to be alone with their children.
After the grandmothers left, Brian called Lindsay to ask her to bring Gus to meet his new siblings. He was pleased when Lindsay said she would contact Fort Pitt and get Gus released early.
Justin & Brian, observed by a nurse, passed baby feeding and diaper changing with flying colors. They spent most of the afternoon mesmerized by the twins. The neonatal doctor gave the babies one final check and told the nervous fathers that the babies were doing great and could be taken home.
Justin has just gotten his son & daughter dressed in their going home outfits when Gus & Lindsay walked into the room. Gus had a huge smile on his face as he hurried over to where Justin & Brian were watching over their babies.
Gus spoke in a soft voice.
"Hi Daddy, Hi Papa. Are these my new brother & sister?"
Brian smiled and put his hand on Gus's shoulder.
"Yes Sonny Boy, these are your new brother and sister. Did you think your Papa and I were looking at someone else's babies?"
Gus laughed as he looked closely at the babies.
"They are so tiny. Was I that little when I was a new baby?"
Lindsay smiled at her son.
"You were almost that small but usually twins are a little smaller than a single baby."
She looked at Justin.
"The babies are beautiful Justin. Congratulations!"
Justin had a sunshine smile on his face.
"Thanks Lindsay. Brian and I are over the moon."
Lindsay turned to Brian.
"Yes, Brian congratulations to you too."
Justin bent down to Gus's level.
"Gus, why don't you sit in a chair and you can hold Lily and Liam. You can introduce yourself to them and we'll take some pictures."
Gus gave a big "Hooray!" and his mother reminded him to use his indoor voice in the hospital.
A very excited Gus got settled in the chair and Brian brought Lilly over to him. He warned Gus to support her head as he placed the tiny baby in Gus's arms. Gus told her that he was her big brother and he would always take care of her and they would have lots of fun together.
Justin kept busy taking pictures with his phone, Brian's phone and Gus's phone. Gus kept a firm hold on his sister and his smile went ear to ear. His proud Daddy stood by ready to assist or catch Lilly if necessary.
After a few moments Brian put Lily back in the bassinet and placed Liam in his big brother's arms. As Gus introduced himself to his new brother Brian stood by with a huge smile on his face. Justin couldn't resist including a doting Daddy in a couple of the photos.
Lindsay also wanted to hold the new additions to the family. When the twins were put back in the bassinet they both got a little fussy. Brian quickly picked up Lilly to soothe her and Justin picked up Liam.
Gus came over to watch what Justin was doing.
"Is Liam okay Papa? Is anything wrong?"
"No Gus. Lily and Liam are fine but they are still getting used to being in the world. They want to feel safe so that is why Daddy and I are holding them tight against us.
They are small but they are perfect little humans. Look at their hands, see they look just like our hands just smaller. They even have tiny wrinkles in the skin at their knuckles."
Gus was fascinated by Liam's tiny hands. He held up his hand and compared it to his brother's.
"Papa, that is so neat. I am going to be the best big brother ever! It's so cool to have a baby brother."
Justin leaned down to give Gus a kiss.
"Liam and Lily will both love you so much."
Lindsay came over for a final look at the twins.
"Say good bye Gus. We have to go and pick up JR from after care at school."
Gus gave Justin a good bye hug and kiss and moved over to Brian.
"Bye Daddy. I love you."
"Good bye Sonny Boy. I won't be able to pick you up from school tomorrow."
Gus looked quickly across the room at his Mommy.
"That's okay Daddy. Mommy said you would probably be too busy with the babies to have me come and stay for the weekend."
Gus tried his best to not show his disappointment. Brian gathered his son up in his arms.
"Gus, I just wanted to let you know that Grandmom Jen will pick you up tomorrow afternoon. She is coming out to the house for the weekend too. Your Papa and I will NEVER be too busy for you. We both love you and want to spend as much time as possible with you. Lily and Liam don't make any difference in how we feel about you Sonny Boy."
Lindsay attempted to intervene.
"Brian I don't think you and Justin realize how much care two new babies require and how much of your time they will consume."
Brian still held Gus in his arms.
"We will have Jennifer to help out this weekend. Alice & Charlie are on call if we need them. John and Peter can also pitch in and help. There is no reason for Gus to skip his weekend with us."
Gus had a hopeful look on his face.
"I can help too Daddy. I am the big brother so I can help you and Papa with Liam and Lily."
Lindsay attempted to gain control of the situation.
"Brian I don't see the point in Gus coming out to be with you if you are just going to pass him off to someone else."
Justin's smile had disappeared and he looked over at Lindsay.
"What an absurd thing to say. Brian and I would never ignore Gus when he is with us. I don't see the need for any further discussion. My mother will pick up Gus after school tomorrow. I already sent an email to Fort Pitt. Mom is authorized to pick up the kids but I didn't want there to be any questions tomorrow."
A delighted Gus gave his Daddy a kiss. "See you tomorrow."
He kissed his Papa as well and said goodbye to Lily and Liam before taking his Mommy's hand and leaving the room. Gus knew that when his Daddy and his Papa both wanted something to happen that is what usually happened.
Once Gus & Lindsay left, Brian cane over to give his favorite blond a hug and a kiss.
"I can't believe Lindsay would…"
Justin put his hand over Brian's mouth before he could continue.
"I want today to be about taking home our beautiful new babies. I don't want to get into a discussion about how difficult Lindsay and Melanie are to deal with."
Brian smiled, nodded his head and gave Justin another kiss.
They got Lily and Liam wrapped in blankets and strapped into the baby carriers. Justin waited with the babies at the hospital entrance while Brian brought the SUV around. Since they had both practiced many times it was easy to snap the carriers into the car seats.
Brian drove and Justin sat in the rear seat between the 2 car seats. Both men were grateful that the twins were quiet on the drive home. Alice was waiting in the kitchen, anxious to get a look at Lily & Liam. Charlie was on the school run to pick up the boys.
Alice's eyes glistened with tears.
"They are so beautiful. Oh my goodness Justin, Lily looks just like you."
Justin has a sunshine smile on his face as Alice picked up each baby to get a really good look at them. She looked over at Brian who, for once, also had a huge smile on his face.
"Sorry Brian, I don't think either Liam or Lily look too much like you."
Brian smirked.
"I'm sure they will both have my sense of style and will never set foot in the Gap. Their Papa can be held up as a "fashion don't" example."
Alice and Justin both laughed. A few minutes later John, Peter & Josh rushed into the house followed by Charlie. The three boys quickly came over to get a look at the twins. Peter stood next to Justin.
"Papa the babies are beautiful. Josh wanted to come see them, hope that is okay."
Justin nodded. "We are happy to show off Lily and Liam."
Josh smiled. "They are so tiny. I really don't have much experience with babies."
Brian chuckled.
"Join the club. We don't have that much baby experience either but Justin has read about every book available on the subject."
Justin just shook his head and laughed.
John's attention was fixed on the babies.
"Uncle Justin, can I hold Lilly or Liam?"
"Of course you can. You have to be sure and support their heads."
John nodded and tentatively picked up Liam, who started to fuss a little. John looked at Justin who smiled.
"Hold him against your chest. Liam wants to feel secure, he isn't used to being out in the world yet."
John cuddled his little cousin against his chest and Liam quieted down. He looked over at Justin.
"This is awesome!"
Justin turned to Peter & Josh. "Do either of you guys want to hold Lily?"
Peter shook his head. "Maybe later."
Josh looked interested but was unsure.
"I don't know how to hold a baby. I don't want to hurt her."
Justin smiled.
"Babies aren't that easy to break. Go sit down and I'll hand you Lily."
Josh hurried over to a couch in the family room. Justin brought Lily over to him and placed her into his arms. Josh looked down on the tiny baby in his arms with a look of wonder. Justin quickly took a picture with his phone and sent it to Bill & Mary with the caption "I think Josh wants one of these for his own" .
Both babies started to fuss and Justin announced they must be hungry. Alice started toward the refrigerator.
"I have a few bottle already made up in this fridge and some in the little nursery refrigerator. Peter come over with me and you can learn how to warm the bottles."
Peter went over to get instruction on shaking the bottle to be sure they are well mixed and to warm them in the microwave. Finally doing a temperature check on the inside of his wrist.
Brian looked over at Justin with a smirk, remembering when Justin almost tried to feed Gus an overheated bottle. Justin just smiled. "I didn't have an Alice to teach me the correct way to heat a bottle."
John looked over at Uncle Justin.
"Can I feed Liam?"
"Sure Buddy, just take a seat; that will make it easier."
Josh started to look a little panicked so an amused Brian took Lilly from his arms.
"Come to Daddy Princess."
Peter handed one bottle to his brother and took the other to Brian. Charlie said he would take Josh home and Peter went along for the ride.
Justin sat beside John and gave him a few instructions on feeding Liam. John was fascinated by his new cousin. Liam grabbed John's finger and held on, John looked at Justin with a big grin on his face.
When Liam finished half the bottle Justin showed John how to get the baby to burp. When Liam cooperated with a strong burp, John chuckled and said. "Good job Liam!"
Alice watched the baby feeding from the kitchen with a big smile on her face. John & Brian feeding the babies gave her a warm feeling. Those "unfeeling" Kinney men were both captivated by the babies. She was proud of Justin who wasn't giving in to new father protectiveness and happily let John feed Liam.
When Charlie & Peter returned, Alice & Charlie left for the cottage. Alice reminded Brian & Justin that they were close by if they needed anything.
Now that Liam & Lily's tummies were full they were put in the first floor bassinets. The babies did not settle as quickly as they did at the hospital. With difficulty Justin resisted picking up the twins. He knew his son & daughter should not get used to being held all the time.
Seeing Justin's unhappy look, Brian came over and put his arm around his partner's shoulders.
"Maybe they miss each other? I mean so far they have always been next to each other. They were in one bassinet at the hospital."
Justin liked the idea and moved Liam into the bassinet with his sister. Both babies seem more content sharing the bassinet. Justin squeezed Brian's hand.
"Good call Daddy."
John & Peter were observing the newest additions to the household. Peter had a big smile on his face.
"That is so cool that Liam and Lily want to be close to each other. I am going to start a journal with all this neat stuff that we learn about the twins."
Justin was delighted with the idea.
"That's a great idea Buddy. It will be so much fun to read when they are older. I wonder if Lily and Liam will eventually get bored with togetherness. It will be neat to remind them that early in their lives togetherness was important to them."
John told Justin and Brian to relax while he and Peter finished dinner. Instead of relaxing the proud fathers stood by the bassinet and watched Lilly & Liam. Every slight movement or tiny snort was of great interest to both Justin & Brian.
Justin was surprised and pleased when Brian spontaneously took his hand while they were standing over the bassinet. He realized how foolish it was to worry that Brian wouldn't adore their babies.
Just as they finished dinner Liam & Lily woke up and were ready for another bottle. Peter asked why they didn't give them a bigger bottle so they wouldn't have to feed them as often. Justin explained that the babies' stomachs were not big enough for a big bottle of formula.
After the feeding John & Peter helped their uncles try to keep the twins awake as long as possible. The four of them discovered it is not easy to entertain newborn babies enough to keep them awake. Eventually two cranky babies went back into the bassinet.
They slept for a few hours and woke up needing new diapers. Peter was horrified and somewhat nauseated by the sight and smell of the diapers. He quickly moved to the other side of the room. John was amazed.
Brian was almost as horrified as Peter but knew he had to man up and change Liam's diaper. Justin was not happy but knew this was part of parenthood. His issue was all of Lily's creases & crevices that had to be cleaned.
As Brian bent over and attempted to get a clean diaper on his son, he got a direct spay of baby pee to the face. He quickly stood up and grabbed the closest piece of cloth, a receiving blanket. John burst out laughing and received an aggrieved look from his Uncle.
Justin quickly got a clean diaper on Lilly and moved on to Liam. There was a cloth diaper nearby and he quickly placed it over Liam's penis while he slipped a clean diaper under his bottom and got it fastened on Liam without incident.
Brian had moved to the kitchen sink to wash his face. An amused Justin went over to him.
"Are you okay?"
Brian stared at his partner.
"I am okay as I can be after getting a face full of piss from YOUR son. As you well know I have never been a fan of water sports. I'm glad that my discomfort is amusing you and my nephew."
John was still chuckling.
"You were pretty funny Uncle Brian. I don't think I ever saw you so surprised."
Justin put his arm around Brian's waist and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"That is what the cloth diapers are for. I read about baby boys marking their territory when the diaper comes off. I did tell you that might happen."
"Excuse me for forgetting one of the million things you told me about babies. You could have reminded me before I got a face full of piss."
Justin assumed what he hoped was a contrite expression. "Sorry."
Bran smirked. "Justin, I can tell that you still really want to laugh."
"Come on Brian, it was really funny."
Brian couldn't resist the smile on Justin's face. He bent over and whispered "Twat" in Justin's ear.
Peter was still keeping his distance from the dirty diapers.
"What are we doing with those stinky diapers?"
Justin smiled.
"That is was the diaper genie is for. It locks the odor inside."
He demonstrated how it worked to Brian & John. Peter was too far away to really see the operation clearly.
The babies and in consequence their fathers did not have a restful night. Both Brian & Justin spent hours in the nursery with crying babies. When they were finally quiet Justin told Brian to go to bed while he lay down on the daybed in the nursery.
At bottle time Justin put the babies in their carriers and was able to feed them at the same time. When Brian came back over to the nursery in the morning he found his Sunshine and his children sleeping peacefully.
He smiled and went over to give Justin a kiss.
"Go to bed and get some sleep. Daddy will take over baby duty."
An exhausted Justin gave him a small smile and stumbled over to their bedroom and collapsed onto the bed. An amused Brian, used to doing with little sleep, picked up the bassinet top and went downstairs.
Alice and Charlie were on duty early. Brian put the bassinet top on the base in the family room and came over for the cup of coffee Alice poured for him.
"How did Lily and Liam sleep?"
Brian rolled his eyes. "Sporadically at best. Justin sent me to bed around three and stayed in the nursery. I just sent him to bed."
John & Peter appeared for their breakfast. John went over to check out the babies before starting his breakfast. He came over and sat beside his Uncle at the breakfast bar.
"They seem like good sleepers."
"Looks are deceiving. They are good for about two hours of sleep at a time. Uncle Justin took overnight duty in the nursery so he is catching up on his sleep now."
An amazed John & Peter just looked at each other.
Alice chuckled.
"That's about average for new babies. They will start to sleep more as they get older. Brian you should be able to get a nap this afternoon. Cassie will be here for the afternoon."
Brian nodded. Justin was completely opposed to a live in nanny but agreed to hire Alice's friend, who had helped out with Joan, for five hours a day. Brian was already thinking about expanding her hours.
The boys left for school and soon after that Liam and Lily made their presence known. Brian started to get up but Alice told him to relax, she & Charlie would handle feeding the twins. Alice heated the bottles and Charlie had a big grin on his face when he picked Lily up and settled at one end of a couch. Alice sat at the opposite end of the couch with Liam. Alice & Charlie looked at each other with big smiles.
Brian had complete confidence in the Simpsons' ability to deal with his son and daughter.
"I'm going to take some water up to Justin and grab a shower. I'll leave you two experts in charge of the twins."
Justin napped until close to lunch time. Brian worked in his laptop in the Family room so he could keep an eye on Lily & Liam. Alice & Charlie stayed on duty for helping with the twins.
Justin appeared in the kitchen just as Cassie arrived. Brian was feeding Liam and Charlie was feeding Lily. Since there were plenty of people to take care of Lily & Liam; Justin & Cassie spent some time working on a schedule and a routine so there was consistency for the babies.
Lily & Liam's second night at home went somewhat better. Brian took his turn as the nursery parent and the twins cooperated by sleeping for over 3 hours at a time.
Jennifer arrived early at Fort Pitt School to pick up Gus. She was not overly surprised to see Melanie arrive a few minutes later.
"Hello Melanie. I thought JR was going to after care today. I guess your schedule changed and you are able to pick her up after classes."
Mel & Lindsay had discussed Gus going to stay with his fathers for the weekend and agreed it was not a good idea. She texted Justin to let him know about the change in plans. Justin replied that his mother was picking up Gus for his scheduled weekend.
Justin had called Jennifer as she was prepared. She told him not to worry, she would arrive with Gus as planned.
Melanie was determined to take both children home with her.
"Jennifer, I did let Justin know that we don't think it is a good idea for Gus to come visit for this weekend. I just don't think they will have enough time for Gus when they are busy with the twins."
Jennifer had a smile on her face and just stared at Melanie for a few seconds.
"Melanie Dear, you, Lindsay, Brian and Justin have a written agreement about what time he will spend at each house. This weekend is his time with his fathers, it is immaterial what you and Lindsay think.
I will be there for the weekend, Charlie and Alice are nearby. John has already learned how to feed the twins and change diapers. I don't see any reason for Gus not to come for his scheduled weekend."
Melanie was determined not to give in to Jennifer.
"Lindsay and I are Gus's mothers and we will decide what is best for our son."
"You are a lawyer correct? Surely you realize that you do not have the right to disregard your written custody agreement. I am leaving here with Gus today and if that requires a call to a lawyer or the police I am prepared to do that. I bet your law firm would be delighted to know their prospective partner is involved in a domestic dispute because she won't conform to a written agreement."
Melanie wasn't ready to give in.
"I am trying to do what is best for Gus."
Jennifer laughed.
"Oh you don't want to hear my opinion of that statement. It is quite simple really. Gus wants to come to his fathers' house this weekend, they want him to come and so Gus IS coming with me! You have no legal right to stop me."
Mel was aware that several other parents, waiting to pick up their children, were listening to her conversation with Jennifer. She had hoped Jennifer would be reasonable.
"I don't want to have a tug of war over my son. I truly believe it is better for Gus to come home with me."
"Honestly my dear, I couldn't possible care less what you think just as you don't care what I think. The simple fact is that this is a legal matter. You either comply with a legal document or you face a court battle that you are doomed to lose."
Melanie & Lindsay frequently talked about contesting the custody agreement they signed when they needed Brian & Justin's help. Each time they decided that if they lost the battle, they could lose primary custody of Gus and it would not help Mel's career if she couldn't win her own court battle.
She felt her jaw tighten as she answered Jennifer.
"I was hoping you'd be reasonable but fine."
"No dear! You were hoping I would acquiesce to your demands. You should have known better."
Mel heard a few chuckles from the people surrounding them as Jennifer moved away from her.
When Gus & JR came out of school he immediately spotted Jennifer and ran over to her. He took Jennifer's hand and then noticed his Mama. He called over to her.
"Hi Mama, I didn't think you would be here this early. JR went to aftercare so you'll have to go in and get her. See you Monday!"
He happily went with Grandmom Jen, looking forward to spending time with Liam & Lily. He had shown everyone the picture of him holding his brother and sister. No one else in his class had any twins in their families.
Gus was happy to relate everything that happened in school to Grandmom Jen. She smiled and laughed all the way to Washington Township.