Epilogue

Tina smiled as she looked down at the twins each sleeping on a separate couch. Tenderly, she brushed the hair off Denise's forehead. Jeremy clutched his old baby blanket to his chest, the soft yellow blanket faded from numerous washings. "They're such little angels when they're sleeping," she murmured.

She straightened, knuckling her lower back as she did so. Eight months pregnant with Nick's first child, she was looking forward to having it over with. She wasn't anywhere near as large as she'd been with the twins, but still felt like a beached whale. Taking a look around the living room, she sighed.

If a toy store had blown up, it couldn't have been more devastating. Toys were everywhere. Stuffed animals, a maimed Barney among them, littered the floor and couches. Naked and nearly naked Barbies sprawled indecently with the Backstreet Project figures. Tina glanced at Denise, and smiled. Denise clutched AJ's figure in one chubby little fist.

She made her way through the maze of toys, then collapsed in a chair. Only to struggle back up to remove the yellow squeaky bunny she'd sat on.

A smile curved her lips as she relaxed into the chair, staring at the bunny in her hands. It had been one of the first toys AJ had bought, along with the yellow blanket. AJ was a good father, taking the time to get to know his children, watching them grow. She chuckled, remembering when Denise had her ears pierced, and the howl that had erupted from her at such treatment. AJ had said that Jeremy, who was much more easygoing, would be much quieter when his time came.

Tina very calmly stated that would be when Jeremy was old enough to decide to do it on his own. She snorted. If AJ had is way, Jeremy would have undergone his first tattoo.

The baby in her belly kicked, and she rested her hand on her stomach. Nick was a good father, too. The twins adored him as much as they adored AJ. He'd taught both of them to swim, and they loved the water. Nick called Denise his 'little mermaid'.

Tina closed her eyes, and sighed. She missed him. She hadn't joined him for this tour because she felt the twins were too young yet for the rigors of life on the road. She'd thought she could bear being away from Nick. She'd forgotten, though, just how big the bed was without him in it.

She cast one more glance around the devastated living room, then sighed. It would keep, she decided, closing her eyes once more for a much needed nap.


Nick juggled an armful of packages until his hand closed around the doorknob.

"C'mon, Carter, can't you get the damned door open?" AJ demanded.

Nick ignored AJ's outburst. He was just as impatient to see the twins, but Nick wanted to see his wife even more. A grin lit his face.

"The sooner you open the bloody door, the sooner you'll see her," AJ barked. "Get out of the way, I'll do it!" and with that, shoved Nick to the side, and pushed open the door.

Nick followed AJ, dropping his packages next to AJ's where they rested near the living room doorway. AJ stood in the doorway, a smile on his lips. After a moment, Nick joined him in the doorway.

Tina was asleep in a chair on the other side of the room. The twins were in the middle of the toy strewn floor, dark heads bent together as they jabbered at each other. Ever since they could talk, they'd seemed to be speaking their own language. Denise glanced toward the doorway, then did a double take. Catching his twin's gaze, Jeremy turned toward the doorway. There was a moment of silence, then...

"DADDY!!!"

Denise hurled herself into Nick's arms.

Jeremy barreled into AJ's, wrapping his chubby little arms around his neck.

"Mithed you, Daddy," Denise lisped, smacking a wet kiss on Nick's cheek.

"The girls always do go for you first, don't they?" AJ chuckled, setting his son down.

Denise wriggled out of Nick's arms then flung herself into AJ's arms. "Mithed you, too, Daddy," she lisped, giving him a wet kiss as well.

Jeremy was hugging Nick when he heard Tina say, "We all missed you."

Nick kissed the top of Jeremy's head, then set him down. Two strides then Tina was in his arms. He kissed her, holding her so close as to never let her go.

"Yuck, yuck, yuck!" Denise chanted.

Tina and Nick broke apart. "What's this?" Nick asked, grinning at Denise.

"Well, Denise and I had a little chat about boys, and I told her that if a boy ever wanted to kiss her she had to say..."

"Yuck, yuck, yuck!" Denise offered obligingly.

Nick and AJ laughed, but Nick sobered quickly when Tina sucked in her breath. "Tas?"

Her smile was warm. "Your son is happy you're home, too."

He laid a hand on her rounded belly, then slid his arms around her. "You've got no idea how much I missed you."

"Okay, that's our cue," AJ said, rounding up the twins. "Let's go see what Daddy Nick and I got for you little monsters."

Jeremy growled, and Denise howled, and AJ led both of them from the room.

Tina looked up into Nick's blue eyes. "I love you, Nicky," she said softly, running her hand over his cheek.

"I love you, too, Tas," he whispered, then he kissed her, pouring his heart into it.