Five months later…

“God, I hope they decided to spread their legs today,” Michael groans, “They have been so bashful the last couple appointments. I just want to know what they are, you know?”

Doctor Robinson laughs as she gets the gel out, “So you’ve said. But twins can be hard to figure out. They start acting sneaky, even in the womb.”

As Doctor Robinson preps Angelica for the ultrasound, Michael turns to Ben.

“I wish Marilyn was still in the Pitts. She might be able to tell us,” he mutters.

Ben snorts, “I could tell that she knew once we made the announcement.”

“Why did she have to pick Brian to be her favorite?” Michael smiles, “She told him what his twins were right from the get go.”

“Granted, he needed some encouragement,” Ben reminds him.

“The babies are looking good. Baby A has a strong heartbeat and is in the right position. Baby B is getting there as well and seems to be feeling a bit feisty this morning.”

“I have been feeling some movements today,” Angelica admits as she looks down at her stomach.

“Let me get a reading of their...oh dear,” Doctor Robinson trails off.

“What’s wrong?” Michael asks frantically, trying so hard not to panic.

“Is there a deformity? Is one of them sick? Is-” Ben starts to list off but is cut off by Robinson waving her hand.

“No, no. It isn’t that. Baby B turned a little and gave me a better look at what was behind them. It looks like there is a hidden triplet there. If you look behind Baby B, you can actually see Baby C coming into view quite clearly.”

“Baby C?” Ben asks again, swallowing the lump in his throat.

“Baby C,” Doctor Robinson confirms as she rolls the ultrasound wand around Angelica’s belly.

“I knew it,” Angelica glares, “I knew it was more than twins. I knew I was fatter than I should be. My body is going to be ruined.”

“You sure do have you sister’s charm,” Michael remarks as he runs a shaky hand through his hair, “I’m not trying to be rude here, doc, but how did you not catch the third baby until now?”

“The babies’ heartbeats can synchronize in the womb. We heard two from the get go and you did know that multiple births are common in IVF. I’m actually thinking the twins were synchronized. They are identical so it seems more likely. We were probably hearing the singleton’s heartbeat but couldn’t make a visual confirmation on the ultrasound This third baby is smaller and was behind the two we already knew but now we are getting a decent view since they are getting bigger.”

“How much smaller?” Ben asks, alarmed.

“Maybe an ounce or so,” Robinson remarks, “Doesn't sound like much but at this stage it's a bigger difference. We’ll keep an eye on it. I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.”

Michael nods as he watches the monitor.

“You do want to know the gender, right? I have a clear view of all three of them now.”

Michael looks at Ben and they both smile excitedly.

“Yes. Yes, absolutely,” Michael tells her.

“Baby A and B, the identical twins, are boys,” she reveals.

“JR is going to be bummed. She was hoping for baby sisters,” Michael laughs as Ben puts an arm around his shoulder and kisses his temple.

“Well, she’s in luck. Baby C is a girl.”

Michael feels his eyes get misty when he hears that. Maybe it’s just because of how precious JR was and still is but he just has a soft spot for little girls.

Ben must feel the emotion coming off of him in waves because he says, “Michael is just thrilled he can put all the cute dresses he bought for JR to use again.”

“And buy more,” Michael adds, “The baby girl clothes are so adorable.”

Despite their happiness, Michael is worried about their children. He knows the birth of multiples are more high risk and anything past twins isn’t very common, at least with natural conception. He just wants their children to be healthy. As much as the consequent bills for hospital stays and extra care for the triplets worry him, he will do or pay anything to ensure their sons’ and daughter’s safety and he knows Ben will too.

“I will be making the appointments more frequent,” Doctor Robinson notes, “Angelica, since you are pregnant with triplets, there are more risks involved. It’s a given that you won’t make it to 40 weeks. We want to aim for at least 33 weeks though, if at all possible. You are at 22 weeks now. Since your blood pressure and levels are ideal, I won’t put you on bed rest quite just yet but you do need to take it extremely easy. Don’t stress about anything and go to the ER if you notice any irregularities or contractions.”

“Don’t worry. I will,” Angelica promises, “I am not going to put anything off when it comes to this. I won’t be the woman who gives birth to triplets in her bathroom. I want to be knocked out and cut open.”

Michael rolls his eyes and listens to Doctor Robinson’s advice before taking copies of the ultrasound pictures and helping Angelica get up and ready to go.

As they lead her to the car, Ben brings up the topic that they have been trying to hint for weeks.

“Angelica, are you sure you don’t want to stay with us? I really don’t think it’s a good idea that you are staying by yourself in your apartment, especially with it being triplets now.”

Angelica sighs and turns around, “I know. Maybe it’s my pride but I know I need to start staying with someone until after this is all said and done with.”

“Then stay with us,” Michael tells her. You can take our bedroom even and we’ll take Hunter’s. We want you to be as comfortable as possible.”

“We have a nice huge bed you can sleep in,” Ben tempts her, “Memory foam.”

“Alright, alright,” Angelica laughs, “I’ll bring my stuff over after you get back from Hawaii.”

Shit. With his twins becoming triplets, he suddenly forgot about Marilyn’s prediction on Brian’s due date next week.

“I...I don’t know if I feel comfortable leaving you here since we got this news,” Ben hesitates looking at Angelica before glancing over to Michael.

“I don’t either,” Michael admits, “I know Doctor Robinson says you’re healthy but something could happen. Brian might kill me if I don’t show up. He called last week to make sure I was going to be there and told me he needed me there in case Justin fainted. Jesus, he will. He’ll kill me-”

“But you are much more important than Hawaii when it comes down to it,” Ben cuts in, “Brian will have Debbie, Jennifer, Lindsay, and Gus out there as well as Marilyn, his doctor, and whoever else is assisting in the birth. And most importantly, he’ll have Justin. He’s going to be fine.”

“Guys, come on,” Angelica tells them as she gets into the backseat of the car, “In just a couple of months you will be raising three newborns. Three. You already bought the plane tickets. You have a place to stay. Think of it as a vacation. Who knows when you will get another one?”

She does have a point and, when Michael looks at Ben, he can tell Ben sees her point too.

“We’ll talk to Marilyn about it. Get her to spill when it comes your condition and see how much of a risk there is in you having complications while we’re away. If there is no risk at all, we’ll take the two weeks in Hawaii.”

“But if there’s even the slightest chance, we’re staying here,” Ben adds in.

Angelica nods, happy with that compromise.

After they take her to her apartment and get back to the car, Michael puts his hand on top of Ben’s as he switches the gear. They don’t let go until they get home.

They act pretty quickly when it comes down to resolving the question of whether or not they are going to Hawaii still. Ben tosses him the phone because, out of the two of them, Michael does know her better and she may be more willing to spill to someone who isn’t exactly human.

The phone rings a couple of times before he hears the deep sultry voice pick up.

“Hello, Michael,” Marilyn greets knowingly, “Congratulations on the surprise. And here I thought you and Brian were going to finally have something in common.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Michael tells her quickly, “Since you know about Baby C, you have to know what I’m going to ask you.”

Marilyn must not be feeling very coy today because she just gives him the answer immediately.

“They make it to 34 weeks, quit your worrying,” she says distractedly.

“34 weeks? Ben, it’s 34 weeks!” he says excitedly to his husband.

Ben puts a hand to his heart and slouches, “Oh, thank god.”

“And all of them survive and are happy and healthy babies?” Michael presses.

“Mr. Novotny, it is unwise to gain too much knowledge about the future,” Marilyn answers, unfortunately gaining her coyness back.

“Marilyn, please. I have to know.”

Marilyn is silent for a minute before giving him an answer.

“Yes, Michael. They all survive. Your little girl will have a close call when she first comes out after her brothers but she will be fine within minutes. She just has trouble breathing at first. When that happens, do not panic. Alright?”

Heart beating fast at the news, Michael nods to Ben to let him know everything was going to be okay.

“I have one more question,” Michael tells her only to get a groan in response.

“I am NOT your personal crystal ball, Michael Novotny!”

“I know. I know that. And I really appreciate everything you have done for me and Ben and Brian and Justin but I just need to know. You said that my...ability. It passed down from father to son. Now I’m about to have two sons. Are they going to be like me?”

“Yes, Michael. They’ll be like you. They’ll actually shift more often.”

“...Okay. Alright, then I need to know how to start shifting at will. I need to be there for them and keep an eye on them if they start shifting early. My sons need someone there for them in both of their forms.”

“You will have a harder time since the ability skipped your father but it is doable. I will send you the contact information of a couple acquaintances I have in the Pittsburgh area who can work with you. I think if you work at it hard enough and get your mindset in place then you can achieve it within a few months, which is plenty of time since they won’t start shifting until they are at least 3 years old.”

“Then I have some time. Thanks for all your help, Marilyn.”

“Is that Michael?” he hears Brian ask in the background.

Marilyn must nod because the next thing she says is, “Brian wants to talk to you.”

“Yeah, of course. Put him on.”

“Hey, Mikey,” Brian says, sounding a bit strained.

“Hey. How is everything?”

“So fucking uncomfortable. I feel like someone sewed a basketball underneath my skin and left it there. That would have been kinder though because a basketball would have been smaller.”

Michael stifles a laugh at that before clearing his throat, “Are you getting along any better with your doula?”

Brian freezes before groaning, “He told you. I’ll fucking kill Justin.”

“He said that she simultaneously infuriated you and brought you comfort.”

“Whatever. She’s soothing and it bugs the shit out of me. Enough about me. I overheard Marilyn talking about triplets. Don’t tell me we are bringing five fucking kids into the family.”

Michael laughs and shakes his head, “ Yeah. Five kids including your twins. It hasn’t hit me yet. I know I’ll be freaking out by tonight.”

“Poor Angelica. She’s going to kill me for bringing her into this as soon as I get back to the Pitts.”

“How long are you staying in Hawaii after the twins are born anyway?”

Brian sighs, “I wanted to hold off until I get back in shape but Sunshine keeps reminding me that I’ll look like shit for months to come.”

“I never said that!” Justin calls out, “Brian, you know I think you’re beautiful!”

“Don’t be disgusting,” Brian growls to his partner, “Anyway, I’ll probably give it a month tops and come back. They need to be around their family, after all. I’ll probably be a recluse for a while though. Justin’s going to be the breadwinner while I work from home and stay with the twins until they are at least 6 months old. I’ll probably tear my hair out and throw myself off the roof.”

Michael smiles but doesn’t say anything in return. He knows Brian would deny it but the man is probably glowing right now. Even though Brian probably never wanted to get pregnant, Michael knows he wouldn’t take it back. When he talked to Justin a couple of weeks ago, he had even told Michael that Brian brought up staying at home with the babies once they got back and that he had a severe protective streak already forming. It was weird but it seemed like weird was meant to stay when it came to their lives. And if it brought them happiness, then Michael wasn’t going to complain.

“You’re still coming, right?” Brian asks, sounding insecure for the first time since they began talking.

“Yes, Brian,” Michael tells him gently, “Marilyn said Angelica would be fine. Ben and I are still coming.”

“Good. I don’t want you in the room or anything. But I do want their uncle to be the first one to see them. After Justin, Gus, and Mother Taylor, of course.”

“I’m so happy and excited for you. I mean, I never would have imagined it, but you sound...you sound elated. Like you’re walking on air.”

It takes a minute for Brian to say anything but then he finally responds with, “Yeah. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.”

“Me too. We grew up a lot.”

“Grew up into freaks,” Brian snorts.

“Did you expect anything less?”

“Talk to you later, Mikey. Or I’ll see you on Saturday. Whichever comes first.”

“Alright. Bye.”

Michael hangs up before looking over to Ben to reach his hand out. Ben gives him that soft smile before walking over to lace his fingers with his. As they sit on the couch together, trying to absorb what will be their new life, Ben speaks first.

“So Brian has a doula?” is the first thing Ben asks to break the silence. Michael had been expecting an inquiry about his health or a request to break down everything Marilyn said but he was mostly expecting worry over his decision to work on his shifting. So when Ben asks about Brian’s doula he can’t help but burst into giggles.

“Y-Yeah,” Michael gasps out between laughs, “Justin says he c-claims he hates her but calls her for every single problem or question so it must be a love/hate thing.”

“But a doula?”

“We shouldn’t make fun. Even Justin probably has a hard time coaching Brian with lamaze. I guess he fights it every session.”

“I wasn’t making fun,” Ben smiles but Michael can see he is trying to hide his smirk, “Doulas are wonderful. They coach the mother not only through her pregnancy but into the first stages of motherhood. They help with proper breastfeeding and prevent the mother from getting overwhelmed.”

“Don’t let Brian hear you call him mother,” Michael playfully warns, “And I don’t know if he can breastfeed. I mean, if he’s pushing out the kids, I can only assume that he can. I was too afraid to ask. But Brian’s the type to not budge or go all in. There is no in between. He’s already decided to give birth naturally, get a doula, and stay at home with the twins once they are born. I’m guessing he has decided to breastfeed too. Hell, maybe he made some in-depth and color-coded birth plan that he’s making Justin go along with.”

“At this point, I can’t even be surprised with anything,” Ben admits, “However, I was a bit surprised when you asked about learning to shift at will.”

Michael rubs the back of his head, “Yeah.”

Ben stays silent for a few seconds before continuing.

“I can’t go through that kind of worry again, Michael.”

Michael’s gaze softens as he turns and lets his fingers run through Ben’s hair.

“I know. And I promise, I won’t shift and get stuck like that. I’m too happy with my life now. The only reason I shifted before was because I was depressed. I won’t be shifting for those reasons. And, maybe if I get control of it and can shift whenever I want to, I won’t shift just because I get really sad over something. I’ll know better and be more conscious of my body and ability.”

Ben stares at him and nods, “You make a good point.”

“And it’s father to son. Our sons will be like me. They will have this thing about them and maybe it will be instinctual to them and maybe it won’t, I have no idea. They’ll have both of us when they’re human and that’s great. And yeah, they’ll have both of us when they shift too. But I need to protect them at all costs. I can’t show a weakness by not being able to shift. They could get out or get lost so I want to shift whenever they do until they get older. I want to teach them to take control of it,” Michael tells him passionately before continuing, “And besides, being a duck gives me an advantage with all of our kids. I am able to fly and get into smaller spaces. I can get the word out to other ducks in the area if we can’t find the triplets, JR, Gus, or the twins. I can-”

“Okay, I get it,” Ben chuckles, “You worry so much, Michael. But I don’t think I ever realized the full extent of your flair for dramatics until now.”

“I am half Italian and half drag queen,” Michael reminds him, “And apparently part duck.”

Ben huffs out a laugh and looks down, “God, life has been changing so much.”

“In a bad way or a good way?” Michael asks nervously.

It takes Ben a few moments to respond but he takes Michael’s face into his hands and whispers, “Good way.”

“Even with triplets entering the mix?” Michael wonders, still not quite believing it.

“It’ll be tough.” Ben agrees, “But we’ll figure it out.”

“We do have three whole months,” Michael adds.

“Oh yes, that’s so much time,” Ben says sarcastically before sobering, “They’ll be here in June, right? That’s good. I’m glad I’m not doing summer classes this coming session. I can stay home with them.”

“That’s what I was thinking. Summer is always the best for business at the store so money shouldn’t be a huge problem with all the kids coming in throughout the day since there’s no school and the big comic based movies coming out that bring people in to buy the original material. We might even be able to afford another employee to help man the store so I can be home more and a nanny to help you out at home while I’m working. I’m sure Ma will jumping up and down to help though. If you can stand her for several hours at a time, that is.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Ben tells him, “And I think we should probably take all the help we can get with three babies to take care of.”

“True...Fuck, this is going to put a damper on our sex life,” Michael groans.

Ben gets an ornery glint in his eye, the one that he gets when he’s horny and wants to make the most of it and Michael grins before letting their lips crash together. Before he knows it, Ben’s on top of him on the couch and they are heatedly making out and god, they need to get upstairs to get a condom. They really do. But Michael just finds the arousal in kissing his husband, something he was kept from doing for two weeks not so long ago. And you better believe they made the most of it once he turned back. Michael has never been fucked in so many positions in his life.

Ben’s about to display his strength by playfully picking him up and tossing him over his shoulder. Michael secretly loves it when he does that, despite his playful complaints about it.

“Ben, stop!” Michael laughs, “As JR would say: I’m not a baby.”

“You’re my baby,” Ben growls before heading for the steps.

“Quack!”

Ben turns to look at the door, “Can we ignore whoever it is?”

But when Apollonia quacks again, it is a quack filled with distress and heartbreak. It practically breaks Michael’s heart just hearing it.

“Michael! Michael, please!” Apollonia quacks mournfully, “I just...I need to talk to someone!”

Michael sighs before he pats at Ben, gesturing in a request to put him down.

“It’s Apollonia,” he informs Ben, “She’s really upset about something. I can’t leave her out on the porch.”

Ben sighs and puts his husband down.

“I’ll try to keep it short,” Michael promises him.

“The trials of dating a shifter,” Ben sighs, “You may want to think of something that brings down your little problem.”

Michael looks down at his hard-on before rolling his eyes.

“She’s a duck,” Michael reminds him, “I don’t think she’ll care.”

Ben just shakes his head then goes upstairs so that Michael can have some time to figure out what’s wrong with Apollonia. As soon as he opens the door, he can tell something is seriously troubling her.

There she is, the poor duck, letting out quacking sobs as she hangs her head.

“My heart!” she gasps out, “It hurts!”

“Apollonia, what’s the matter?” he asks, squatting down.

Apollonia takes a few deep breaths and finally raises her gaze a little.

“An erection? You are getting an erection while you watch me in pain? How dare you!” Apollonia quacks forcefully.

“You sort of interrupted me and Ben,” Michael blushes as he defends himself.

“...O-Oh,” Apollonia says softly before her sobs pick up again.

“Shit, come in,” Michael tells her as he gets up and lets her in.

Apollonia waddles in and goes over and hops on the couch. When Michael goes to sit next to her, she rushes over to him and sits in his lap. Michael sighs as he strokes her head and puts an arm around her.

“What’s the matter?” Michael murmurs, trying to calm the usually sassy and fierce duck down. Seeing her like this breaks his heart.

“...Why doesn’t she love me?” Apollonia chokes out as she leans into Michael’s touch.

“Who?” Michael wonders.

“Jesus, Michael. Betty! Isn’t it obvious? I mean, how could I love any other duck?” Apollonia glares.

“Sorry, sorry,” Michael tells her, putting up his hands, “I didn’t realize. But I completely understand why you would like her. She’s very sweet.”

“Love, Michael. I love her,” Apollonia tells him forcefully, “I always have.”

“Did...did you tell her?”

“No, of course not!” Apollonia scoffs, “She would never feel the same way.”

“What makes you say that? I think you’re great.”

“S-She...She wants a family. She wants chicks to take care of and I can’t give her that,” Apollonia sniffles.

“Apollonia,” Michael smiles, “You of all ducks should know that just because a couple is of the same sex doesn’t mean they can’t raise a family. Look at me and Ben. We adopted Hunter as a teenager and we have JR three days a week now. And just today we found out that we are bringing three babies into our lives full-time! Three! Can you believe it? I don’t know how we’ll manage.”

“Three?” Apollonia asks, unimpressed, “That’s it? Sorry, I don’t mean to put a damper on your news but that just doesn’t impress me. I have had 20 chicks in my life so far and I’m only two. I even still talk to a few of them from time to time.”

Michael looks away and nods, trying to suppress his grin, “That’s great, Apollonia. Does Betty have any kids?”

“She laid eggs once last year. The father was an okay duck but it was just a fling and they were both young. He didn’t stick around,” Apollonia explains, “Only three of them hatched. It was cold so they didn’t incubate that well. A...A coyote got two of them. She was devastated. I didn’t know how she would make it through. But her son survived. He’s doing well and she raised him right. He and his girlfriend are thinking of having their own chicks once summer hits. But since then, she’s yearned to have a family. A FULL family where all her chicks hatch.”

“Maybe you can ask a friend. Maybe Hubert will be interested in becoming a father.”

“...That might be a good idea. He’s with Georgina now and she’s a lot older so she’s not interested in raising any more chicks. Maybe he would be interested. He’s good with the little ones.”

“It could be a three parent effort,” Michael smiles.

“But you are jumping the gun,” Apollonia quacks, “I still don’t know if she loves me. She probably doesn’t. I bet I would scare her away if I told her.”

“Apollonia, how do you know if you don’t ask? And I know Betty well enough to know that even if she doesn’t have the same feelings as you do, she still loves you as her best friend in the world. She would never abandon you just because you’re in love with her.”

“I know,” Apollonia sighs, “Logically, I know that. But it’s just scary, you know?”

“Just listen to your heart, Apollonia. I think things will go better than you realize,” Michael smiles knowingly, “I’ve seen the way Betty looks at you. She cares.”

Apollonia holds her head up and nods, looking resolved in her decision.

“Thank you, Michael,” she tells him, “Thank you for speaking with me.”

Apollonia hops off the couch and Michael walks her to the door.

“You’re sure you are going to be okay?” Michael asks her softly.

“Yeah, I think so. I just have to tell her, right? Then it will be out in the open.”

Michael looks behind Apollonia and smiles a little.

“Looks like it may be your chance,” Michael points out nodding towards Betty.

Apollonia turns around quickly and sees Betty.

“Apollonia? I thought we were going to meet at the park. I came here looking for you because I was worried,” Betty tells her, concerned.

“I’ll leave the two of you alone,” Michael tells Apollonia quietly as he shuts the door.

Michael sighs happily before going upstairs to meet his partner. There Ben is, naked and sprawled on the bed, waiting for him of all people. God, how did he get so lucky?

“Everything okay?” Ben asks him.

“Lesbian drama,” is all Michael says before pouncing on him.

Ben gives him a double take, “I thought you were talking to Apollonia.”

“She’s in love with Betty. I gave her advice on how to tell her. I’m a great person.”

Ben laughs, “You definitely are. Lesbian ducks, huh?”

Michael nods, “But let’s not talk about it anymore. Lesbian ducks really aren’t a turn on for me.”

Ben pulls a face and nods, “ I agree. Roll over.”

And as Ben enters him, he forgets about the sci-fi soap opera that is his life and just gives into the pleasure.

After the orgasms have been had, multiple times in multiple ways, Michael finds himself sprawled on the bed as he watches his husband get up and go to the window.

“Are...are they kissing?” Ben squints out into the yard.

Michael gets up and goes over to the window only to see Apollonia and Betty touching bills outside.

“Oh, I’m so happy for them!” Michael sighs. They are going to be great together, don’t you think?”

“Uh...yeah, sure.”

Michael nudges Ben and his husband laughs.

“Okay, they’ll be good together. They seem like very nice ducks.”

Michael smiles and lets his head rest on Ben’s shoulder as they watch their friends fall quickly in love.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After they get off their flight in Maui, Hawaii, they get on a smaller plane to take to Kauai, the secluded island Brian and Justin are at. Besides the two of them, their small group only consists of Lindsay, Mel, Gus, JR, Jennifer, Debbie, and Carl but Michael is worried that they might overwhelm Brian in some way. He’s just days away from giving birth and he just hopes no one stresses him out.

When they get to the island, Marilyn is their to meet them in a long floral patterned dress.

“Oh, this place is beautiful,” his mother exclaims as she takes in the sights when they get outside.

“I feel relaxed already,” Jennifer agrees, “No wonder Brian decided to come here.”

“I think the place has been good for Brian and Justin,” Marilyn agrees, “He was quite relaxed when I made my way here a couple of months ago but right now, I think he’s feeling anxious.”

“Can’t blame him for that,” his mom mutters.

They don’t all fit in what Marilyn says is Justin’s car so Lindsay, Melanie, and the kids get into a taxi. The drive isn’t too far, just 15 minutes or so, but the oceanfront is beautiful and Michael can’t help but watch the ocean as they drive along the road.

When they get to the large and impressive villa, Justin is there, looking tan and radiant. Michael is surprised that he is thinking of boy wonder in those terms but with his sunkissed skin and big smile, that’s what he is.

“Oh, sweetheart!” Jennifer exclaims, running up to hug her son. The place looks gorgeous! And look at you! You have a tan! How did you get a tan? You always burn! Have you put on some muscle? Have-”

“Mom,” Justin laughs, “I got a tan by practicing moderation and I have been working out in the mornings. Now, what’s going on with you? How are Molly and Tucker?”

“They’re great. Tucker got a raise and Molly got straight A’s on this last report card. You father has Molly this weekend and Tucker will have her on Monday when he picks her up from the high school.”

Justin nods silently, and Michael thinks the subject of his father has made things a little weird for him and Jennifer must sense it too because she quickly changes the subject.

“How’s Brian?” she asks him, “And where is he?”

“He’s inside. He wanted to come out but it’s hard for him to get around at this point.”

“I bet!” Debbie responds, “I remember how tough it was just being pregnant with one kid, let alone two.”

“He’s complaining a little less ever since he found out Angelica was pregnant with three,” Justin laughs before turning to Ben and Michael, “Congratulations, by the way. I’m really happy for you guys.”

“Thank you,” Ben tells him sincerely, “We’re nervous and terrified but also very excited.”

“Brian and I can relate,” Justin agrees, “But hey, they’ll be close in age so we’ll be able to help each other out.”

Justin leads them inside the villa but, before they can get to the living room, he stops them.

“A couple of rules,” Justin says lowly, “First things first, don’t call him fat. If anything, he should have put on a few more pounds. Don’t poke fun at him. I won’t hesitate to throw you out. He can’t deal with the stress right now. He’s already nervous about going into labor and about the health of the babies even though the doctor keeps telling him they’re fine. No snide remarks about lamaze or the doula Marilyn got him or his decision to breastfeed.”

“He has tits now?” Debbie blurts out.

Justin glares at her and shakes his head, “No. Not really. If anything, it just looks like he has slightly larger pecs. But they’ll work and it’ll be good for the twins. Now all of you need to agree.”

“...We can’t even mock him over the doula?” Mel pouts.

“Mel…” Justin warns.

“Fine!” Melanie agrees, holding her hands up, “I won’t say anything.”

Justin looks at the rest of them and they nod in agreement so Justin takes their word for it and leads them into the living room.

Michael makes sure he keeps himself from dropping his jaw when he sees his best friend. The man is lying on his side on the couch, stroking his protruding almost beach ball sized belly, as he watches On the Waterfront. It’s a normal thing for Brian to do except one thing in the scenario makes it so bizarre. He can tell the man is self-conscious. He wishes he wouldn’t be. They aren’t going to judge him...Okay, maybe a little but they aren’t going to love him or those babies any less.

“Oh, hey,” Brian says he tries to sit up.

“Need help?” Michael hears Justin ask him quietly.

Brian struggles for a few seconds before looking up at his partner to nod. Justin gives him a small smile before getting him in a better position and standing him up when he’s ready.

“Oh, look at you!” Debbie coos as she goes over to marvel over Brian’s tummy.

“Have they been moving around and giving you trouble?” she asks.

“Yeah, they’re set to be kickboxers. I heard that you can’t feel twins move as much since they have less room. Total bullshit in my opinion,” Brian grumbles.

“I want to touch!” she exclaims, “Oh, please Brian. Can I?”

Brian purses his lips but surprisingly nods and Debbie rushes towards him to put both hands on his belly.

“Oh, I felt a kick right there! You know which one it was?”

“Our feisty little girl is on that side,” Justin tells her proudly.

“Hi, sweetheart!” Debbie says softly as she rubs the left side of Brian’s belly, “I bet you are just dying to get out to say hello to the world.”

Brian’s eyes widen as he puts his hands in front of his stomach. Michael wonders why until Justin rolls his eyes and rubs his back.

“You know it’s just an expression,” Justin tells him quietly, “Stop being so superstitious.”

Debbie doesn’t seem to hear the exchange as she goes to the other side of Brian’s belly to talk to his son. They all stand back and wait their turn, probably figuring out what they are going to say to him. They’re lucky his mother doesn’t have any qualms about it and has no problem with rushing up to her pseudo-son. Not everyone can be as outgoing as Debbie Novotny.

Except for his daughter. JR takes after her grandmother when it comes to personality. No. Filter. At all.

“Your belly is so big, Uncle Brian!” JR squeals as she runs up and puts her ear next to his belly button, “There has to be lots of babies in there to make it so ginormous,huh?”

The whole room freezes and for just one second, he’s afraid that the hormones will get the best of Brian and cause him to waddle out of the room, crying his heart out. But instead, Brian shakes his head and laughs before ruffling the little girl’s hair.

“It feels that way sometimes, but there’s only two of them in there,” Brian tells her, wiping his eyes as he gets over the fit of laughter, “How have you been, kid?”

This leads JR into a story about all of her friends at her new preschool in Pittsburgh and how much she loves it there. She talks about coming to her daddy’s house to play with the ducks that come over, her fifth birthday party from a few months ago, and goes on and on the way JR does as Brian nods along. Out of the corner of Michael’s eye, he sees Gus hanging back, looking as though he wants to approach his dad but is too nervous to. Brian must see him too because he keeps glancing in the boy’s direction, looking hopeful and anxious.

“Jenny, baby,” Michael says quietly, “Come stand with me for a second so your brother can talk to his daddy.”

JR takes Michael’s hand and reaches up in a request to be picked up and of course he can’t deny her.

“Hey, Sonny boy,” Brian says softly, “Not too embarrassed of your old man to give him a hug, are you?”

Gus shakes his head vigorously and runs over to his father to gently hug him around his middle. Brian returns the hug and leans down to kiss Gus on top of his head.

“Missed you, Dad,” the eight year old whispers as he holds onto his father.

“Missed you too, Sonny boy, missed you too,” Brian smiles, “Ready for a couple of more siblings?”

Gus rolls his eyes, “I guess so. I’m not changing any diapers though.”

“Yeah, me neither. I’m leaving it to Justin,” Brian smirks as Justin flicks him on the shoulder.

“You wish,” Justin responds fondly before turning to Gus, “I’ll try to keep you from having to change them though. But we’ll look forward to you helping us in other ways.”

Gus nods, “I’ll help you guys.”

“We knew you would,” Justin grins as Gus comes over to hug him as well.

They all get their luggage into their rooms before going to sit on the terrace to catch up with the two expecting lovebirds. Jennifer is filled with questions for Brian on how his pregnancy has been and asks if it would be okay for her to help watch them during the mornings if they need it once they come back. Brian says yes almost immediately and Michael smiles a little at his exchange with his would be mother-in-law after that. They really have grown to love each other and Michael just thinks that’s great. Brian’s mother wasn’t the mother he deserved but the man was lucky enough to get two great ones in replacement. He hasn’t gotten to exchange more than a few words with Brian, considering the fuss the excited grandmothers were making over him. He knew he would get his chance to speak to him one-on-one about things though.

After the kids go to bed, there is talk about making margaritas but Justin quickly shakes his head and says, “If you want to drink, then go out to the bar a few miles down the road or do it after Brian goes to bed. He’s under the assumption that if he can’t have fun, no one can.”

And god, doesn’t that sound like his best friend?

They honor the request and don’t drink because they are here for Brian in the first place. They play a few games in the dining room before breaking off to do their own thing. Most of the gang goes to bed but Michael drags Ben out to the beach so they can walk in the sand and just enjoy the scenery.

“They seem really happy,” Ben comments as the waves splash up against their feet, “I was worried at first. Worried that Brian’s condition would take a toll on him. But I think he’s taking it well and seems excited over being a full-time dad.”

“I think so too,” Michael agrees, “Although I think he wants them out. I’m sure he’s terrified of giving birth but I think he realizes that will mean he won’t be pregnant anymore and he can officially meet the twins.”

“And just three months from now, our kids will be ready to come out and meet the world and we’ll be facing the terrifying fear of being full-time parents.”

Michael turns to stand in front of Ben and puts his hands on his cheeks, “It’ll be worth it though.”

As Michael brings Ben in for a kiss, he realizes how true that statement is. All of this, every single thing that has happened to them, has led them here to this moment. It’s all been worth it.

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When they get back, they find Brian sitting on the couch, looking down at his belly, concentrating, and trying to balance a big bowl of ice cream on it.

“Brian?” Michael calls out, amused.

Brian looks up, quickly picks the bowl of ice cream up, and glares over being caught.

“What are you doing up?” he asks, deciding to give his friend a break.

“I was hungry,” Brian admits, putting his spoon into the bowl for a bite.

“Want some company?”

Brian nods and Ben softly says, “I’ll leave the two of you alone” before heading up to their bedroom.

Michael goes over to sit next to the pregnant man and Brian offers him a bite of ice cream. Michael just shrugs, opens his mouth, and lets Brian put the spoon in.

“How are you really handling everything?” Michael asks him after Brian finishes the ice cream and puts the bowl on the end table.

Brian sighs before huffing out a laugh, “I’m freaking the fuck out. What do you think?”

“You’re going to do great, Brian,” Michael tells him, “You and Justin...I’ve never seen the two of you so happy. You’ll be just fine.”

“I’m nervous about raising them but excited for it. Pushing them out is what’s freaking me out. I’m not allowed to use any drugs or get a C-Section. None of it. It’s such bullshit,” Brian sighs, “Don’t tell Justin and don’t freak out but the contractions are already starting. They are really mild and really far apart but they’re there. They should be here in the next couple of days.”

“Shit,” Michael mutters, concerned, “It doesn’t hurt?”

“It’s uncomfortable but I can handle it for right now. I’m lot looking forward to them getting any worse though.The doctor and my fucking doula are in the guest house though so they can be over within minutes if it gets worse.”

Michael nods, relieved that help is on hand for the inevitable moment where it comes time for Brian to push. They sit there in silence for a couple of minutes, just enjoying each other’s company. Then Brian says something unexpected.

“They’re kicking,” he mumbles, looking down at his stomach fondly, “Do you want to feel?”

Michael looks over to his friend, shocked that he would ask but Brian just shrugs.

“You’re one of the only ones who hasn’t. Even Mel asked.”

Michael nods and reaches a hesitant hand over to touch Brian’s belly. Sure enough, he feels movement under Brian’s skin and, maybe it’s because he and Ben are expecting kids of their own, but it brings tears to Michael’s eyes to feel such a miracle. And this pregnancy above all others is definitely a miracle.

“It makes you feel more than you expect, doesn’t it?” Brian sniffles, a little teary eyed as well.

Michael smiles and leans over to kiss Brian’s cheek.

“I’m proud of you,” he tells him truthfully, “You’re going to knock parenting out of the park.”

Brian turns to press his forehead against Michael’s and smiles.

“You’re such a loser, Mikey,” Brian smirks before turning away to look at his belly again.

Michael can only laugh in response and help his friend back up to bed an hour later.

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It’s seven o’clock in the morning on a Monday when they get woken up by Jennifer Taylor.

“The...passage or whatever has completely extended and he’s three-fourths of the way dilated,” she tells them, foregoing any good morning greetings.

Michael sits up and sees the woman looks absolutely exhausted before taking in her words.

“Has he been up all night?” Michael asks, getting out of bed.

Jennifer nods, “Justin, his doula Sage, Doctor Baron, and I have been up with him. He’s very tired and in a lot of pain but he should be ready to push in the next couple of hours. He didn’t want to cause everyone to get no sleep so we waited until it was closer to showtime.”

“Can I see him?” Michael asks, “I just want to wish him and Justin good luck.”

“Yes, of course. Follow me.”

“I’ll put some coffee on,” Ben tells him before going down to the kitchen.

Jennifer leads him to a room he hasn’t been in before and he’s surprised when he looks around. He has to wonder if Brian ordered for some renovations or if it was just already available when they got the villa but there’s no doubt that it’s a birthing room. He sees a medical bed on one side of the room and a crib close to it, but finds Brian in a large tub sitting in front of Justin and leaning into him, taking deep breaths as he tries to get through the pain. A woman in her mid fifties with long thick brown hair braided down her back smooths Brian’s hair away from his forehead.

“That’s very good, Brian. Now another deep breath and let it out,” the doula says softly.

Brian tries but a nasty contraction must hit him at that point because he grits out a scream and breathes erratically.

“This is such bullshit!” Brian seethes before he pinches Justin, “This is your fault. That fucking condom felt weird, I knew it fucking did! You are never fucking me again!”

Michael leans over to whisper to Jennifer, “How long has he been pissed at Justin?”

“For the last hour and a half. I think Justin finds it amusing though.”

One look at Justin stifling a laugh only to immediately become concerned again when another contraction hits tells him that Jennifer’s right.

“Hey, Brian,” Michael says soothingly as he comes a little closer, “I just wanted to wish you both good luck. Justin, just send someone out if either of you need anything.”

“Thanks, Michael,” Justin says gratefully.

“Why would you wish him luck?” Brian glares, “Do you see him in pain?”

Justin just shakes his head when he must see that he wants to defend the blonde so Michael just nods and says, “I hope it goes by quickly, Brian. I can’t wait to meet them.”

“They better come soon. I need someone to check down there again. Get Baron in here to fucking check to see if I can push the fuckers out yet.”

Jennifer rushes out and comes back with the doctor in a few minutes. Brian lifts his hips up a little and she checks his dilation process before nodding.

“You dilated quickly. It’s almost time. You want to deliver on the bed or in the water?”

“I’m not moving again. They won’t drown, will they?”

“No, Brian. They won’t drown,” Justin tells him as he get out of the tub to sit next to his partner.

Brian bites his lips as his eyes get wide before choking out, “I’m not ready. I can’t do this.”

“Yes, you can, Mr. Kinney. It’ll all be okay.”

“Let’s give them some privacy,” Jennifer whispers to him as she ushers him out of the room.

Michael takes one last glance to see Brian shaking his head and muttering, “I can’t I can’t I can’t” before Jennifer shuts the door.

He feels worried for his friend but he knows the man is in good hands as he follows Jennifer out to the living room.

“How is everything?” his mother immediately asks as she barges downstairs, dragging Carl along.

“He’s about to start pushing,” Jennifer informs them, “The twins should be here soon.”

And that’s when they wait. Quietly and patiently, wincing when Brian’s screams and cursing echos through the house. It scares the kids a little. Gus keeps sending worrying glances to his mothers and JR runs over to Ben to be cuddled, whimpering, “Is Uncle Brian gonna be okay?”

“He’ll be fine, baby,” his husband tells her, holding her close, “He’ll be feeling great in no time.”

It doesn’t take very long at all. An hour later, Justin comes rushing out, tears streaming down his grinning face, to tell them, “They’re here! They are both here and they are so beautiful!”

The whole room breathes a sigh of relief and begin laughing and hugging each other, excited and emotional over the new additions to their family.

“Gus?” Justin says, holding out his hand, “You dad wants you to meet them first. Want to come with me?”

Gus smiles and takes Justin’s hand to go meet his new siblings. The whole room is buzzing with excitement, everyone anxiously waiting their turn to meet the twins too.

Half an hour later, Justin pokes his head out and calls for his mother. Michael has a feeling they’ll be waiting for a while since Jennifer jumps up and rushes over to her son, hugging the daylights out of him before dragging him to see the babies.

“Did you find out their names, Gus?” Debbie asks, leaning in to get the scoop.

Gus nods, “Yeah, but Dad made me promise not to tell anyone. You have to wait your turn to find out.”

Debbie sighs and sits back and Michael has to hold back a laugh. As impatient as he can be, his mother is even worse.

After an hour, Jennifer finally comes out, looking as though the best moment of her life has occurred.

“I’m a grandma,” she whispers tearfully, “I have the most beautiful grandchildren.”

“That was a given,” Debbie laughs as she gets up to hug her friend, “Those boys are gorgeous. Their babies have to be gorgeous too.”

“Alright, we can have a couple more people before Brian takes a nap,” Justin tells them authoritatively.

“But we haven’t all gotten to see them yet!” Debbie exclaims, “Maybe if you let us go in three at a time.”

“Brian only wants it one at a time. His instincts are kicking in so he’s being very protective right now. It’s hard enough to even get him to let someone hold a baby. Crowding him will probably cause him to kick everyone out.”

“...Brian has Mama Bear Syndrome?” Mel asks disbelievingly.

Justin nods, “Looks that way. I think it may come with who he is when it comes to the incarnation stuff. It’s clouding his judgment and he’s solely focusing on them. Respect his wishes. You all will get a chance to see them.”

“I just want to see them and Brian so badly,” Debbie sighs.

“Don’t worry,” Justin smiles, “You’ll get your chance right after Michael.”

Michael stands up and grins when Justin nods towards him before following him down the long hallway. Justin gently opens the door to reveal Brian holding both babies, one in each arm, quietly whispering to them and smiling.

“Brian?” Justin says as he returns to his partner’s side, “Michael’s here.”

Brian looks at Michael and has so much pride in his eyes over his newborns. He’s never seen Brian’s eyes brighter as he holds those babies with so much love and affection. Michael makes his way over to Brian’s bed so that he can get a better look at them.

“They’re beautiful,” Michael sighs, looking down at his new niece and nephew. Their facial features look similar but they do have their differences. The little boy seems to take more after Justin, fine blonde hair on top of his scalp, while the little girl seems to take more after Brian, thicker brown hair covering her own with a bow headband to top it all off. It’s too early to tell which parent they will really take after overall but regardless, Brian and Justin made some gorgeous children.

“Can I hold one of them?” Michael asks him hesitantly.

It takes Brian a few seconds to answer but he does end up nodding and lets Justin pick up their son to give to Michael.

“This is Dylan Eros Taylor-Kinney. He was born at 8:25 am. He’s 5 pounds,12 ounces, and 19 inches long.”

“Hey, Dylan,” Michael coos as the baby gurgles, “You’re a talker, huh?”

Michael talks nonsense with the baby as he sits with him before turning to Brian to ask, “How bad was it?”

Brian shrugs distractedly and looks adoringly down at his daughter, “Not bad at all.”

Michael looks to Justin and raises an eyebrow but all Justin does is shake his head in amusement and run his fingers through Brian’s hair.

Brian allows him to hold his daughter after a few minutes but only if he gives Dylan back because he doesn’t want anyone dropping either of him. Michael tries to remind Brian that he is having triplets soon so he needs to practice but Brian glares at the thought of his children being practice babies and Michael learns yet again to just keep his mouth shut.

“This is Freya Maeve Taylor-Kinney,” Justin proudly introduces, “She was born at 8:14 am. She’s 5 pounds, and 7 ounces, and 18 and half inches long.”

Michael takes the little angel, looks down at her, only to be promptly spit up on.

“Yeah, Brian just fed them before you came in,” Justin tells him as he dabs a shirt with a cloth for him.

Trying to get over the idea that Brian’s breast milk is on his shirt, he coos over baby Freya and finds that she’s not quite as talkative as her brother but more studious. The way she is looking at him makes him think of the way Brian is when he wants to make someone extremely uncomfortable. But that’s silly. She’s just a baby. It’s probably just a coincidence.

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As the days pass, they all do get a chance to see the babies time and time again but Brian still keeps that protective streak to him. Monitoring their time and the babies’ schedules, it was impossible to get Brian to relax just a little bit when someone else besides Justin was holding his children. But Michael knew Brian was impressing the gang with the way he immersed himself in full-time parenting. He no longer seemed concerned over the flab or the stretch marks left behind and focused on Freya, Dylan, and Gus. Between him and Justin, they seemed to mostly have it covered. It was like Brian was a new man, not concerned over his body and realizing that it was worth it because he got his children out of the deal.

Of course, it probably didn’t hurt Brian’s self-esteem when his body magically became good as new three days after the twins were born.

They had all been in shock as Brian came down the steps with a smug look on his face, shirtless and showing off his toned torso. Silence overswept the group as they took in the sight of their friend, wondering what the fuck happened.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Mel growls, glaring at the man.

“Good morning to you too, Smelly Melly. Notice something different?” Brian smirks turning around.

“How...How did-” Lindsay sputters.

“Dionysus may be the god of fertility but he’s also quite vain, isn’t he?” Marilyn comments as she walks in the room, “Looks like he didn’t change one thing though. Brian, your pecs are leaking.”

Brian looks down and wipes at his chest as every single woman in the room glares at the man, vibrating with envy and rage while Justin looks at his partner and licks his lips.

Michael can’t deny that he’s impressed. He’s also happy because this means Brian has no qualms about coming back to Pittsburgh.

So after their trip comes to an end and Brian and Justin get the twins papers sorted god knows how, they all bid adieu to Hawaii bittersweetly. Brian and Justin seem especially conflicted about going but they seem to want to get settled into Britin so the twins can see their new home. He hopes they sleep through most of the flight and just wake up for feedings. Brian pumped for plenty of bottles before they left so they should be good there. He just wants the little ones to be as comfortable as possible.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Ben asks, leaning in, looking out the window as the fly away from the beautiful islands.

Michael smiles as he looks down before turning to see his family surrounding him, almost all of them here for his best friend. It’s comforting knowing he will have that kind of support too.

“Yeah,” he answers, looking back at his husband, “It’s the most beautiful thing in the world.

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A couple months later

“They need fed every two hours,” Brian says for the umpteenth time as he tries to leave Michael and Ben’s house, “Dylan gets fussy if he doesn’t have his blanket and Freya likes her stuffed horse by her while she sleeps. If you sense that there’s anything off-”

“We’ll call you,” Michael and Ben finish in unison, ready for Brian and Justin to leave already. At least Justin isn’t unreasonable. He fusses over the kids and protects them with his life, but Brian is obsessed practically. It’s so weird.

“Come on, Brian,” Justin says, gently pulling at his partner’s hand, “They’ll be fine. They love their Uncle Michael and Uncle Ben. You sure they won’t bother Angelica too much?”

“She’s out upstairs like a light,” Ben informs them, “She had trouble sleeping last night so I think it finally caught up with her.”

“See, Brian?” Justin coaxes, “There’s no reason not to take a break from them.”

Brian nods uncertainly before forcing himself to go out the door.

“We’ll see you in a few hours!” Ben calls out as he comforts a fussy Freya.

Brian turns at the sound of his daughter but Justin waves and keeps a firm grip on the man’s wrist until they get to the car.

“He’ll get over the helicopter parent thing eventually, right?” Michael asks as they take the babies to the mat on the floor to sit down with them, “It’s so unlike him.”

“He seems to be getting better. Remember that time a month ago when we were supposed to watch the twins? He didn’t even make it to the car before turning around and coming back.”

“I guess he needs to take small steps,” Michael agrees, “I guess I expected him to be like Betty, letting her chicks run all around the yard.”

“She did ask you to put up a fence though,” Ben adds, “So she and Apollonia are a little bit protective. You ordered the pond cover, right?”

“Yeah, it should be here next week.”

“Good. I don’t want to risk JR falling in or the triplets once they get old enough.”

Michael smiles at Ben’s protective and loving spirit, “It was a good idea to add it as precaution. And a good compromise. Thanks again for letting Apollonia and Betty set up their home base here. They really appreciate it.”

Ben shrugs, “I know they’re your friends. That’s weird to say but you’ve personified them so much that I can’t shrug off the way you describe their personalities.”

“They’re great. Really wacky and strange but great.”

Ben bites back a grin, “Sounds like somebody I know.”

They play coo over the twins and entertain them until they start to get tired. If they put them down now, they’ll sleep for maybe two hours until Brian and Justin get back. However, if they wait, then Brian and Justin may be able to sleep through the night.

Before they get the chance to contemplate it, they hear a knock on the door only to find Brian and an exasperated Justin on the other side.

“Thanks for watching my brats, Mikey,” Brian says nonchalantly as he goes over to pick up his son, “I suppose I’ll take them back now. Say, bye bye, Dylan.”

Dylan lets out a fussy gurgle as Michael goes over to Justin.

“I thought you two were going on a date?” Michael mutters as they watch Brian gather the twins’ things.

Justin rolls his eyes, “Would you believe that this is actually a record for him? We had our appetizer before he asked for the check. Just last week we only made it to the third stoplight when we left them at Debbie’s before he turned around.”

Michael shakes his head before making sure Brian and Justin have Dylan’s blanket and Freya’s stuffed horse before he goes and sees them out the door.

“Well, that was uneventful,” Michael proclaims as he goes back over to Ben.

“We’ll have a big enough event in two weeks.” Ben reminds him as he puts his arms around his husband’s waist.

“Very true,” Michael agrees, tilting his head up to kiss Ben lightly on the lips.

Two weeks. Only two weeks.

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Two weeks his ass. Angelica’s contractions start four days before her scheduled cesarian. With the amount of cries and groans coming out of the young woman, Michael has never felt more guilty in his life.

“Fuck, it hurts!” Angelica cries as she gets wheeled through the ER.

“It’s going to be okay,” Michael tells her even though he’s shaking a little, “Everything is going to be fine.”

Thank god he isn’t the only one with her for long. Ten minutes after they give her a room, Ben comes rushing in looking disoriented and panicked.

“I didn’t miss anything, did I?” Ben asks, looking around.

“Does it look like you missed anything?” Angelica growls as she squeezes Michael’s hand.

Ben shakes his head as he goes to sit on the other side of her.

“I left the groceries in the car,” Ben admits, “I was afraid that I would miss something if I took them back to the house. Hunter is having his friend drop him off so maybe he can take the car back.”

“I want him here in the waiting room with JR. I’ll text Ma and see if she can have Carl take them over so it’s not a complete waste,” Michael tells him as he pulls out his phone, “They’ll be wanting to come over as well and maybe Carl can use his patrol car to get through traffic.”

“So he can get our groceries back in record time?” Ben smirks.

Michael rolls his eyes as he sends out the request along with a mass text informing the gang that they are in the hospital with Angelica and that she’s going to be prepped for surgery in about an hour. As predicted, his phone blows up with excited texts saying they are on their way and he’s has to say he’s surprised when Brian tells him he and Justin are getting Jennifer to watch the twins so that they can be there.

The hour moves by slowly but once the doctor comes in to put Angelica under, Michael feels like he doesn’t know where the time went. After they put on their scrubs and their masks,they follow the doctor to the delivery room and pass the gang on the way. He accepts the strong hugs from his mother and Brian, takes a few deep breaths to calm himself, and accepts Ben’s hand before going to watch the birth of their children.

And god, it’s so gross. He’s surprised he doesn’t faint when he watches the doctor cut into Angelica’s womb to tug their children out. But once the first one, their oldest son, lets out a cry, all he feels is love flow through his body.

“It’s a boy!” the nurse says, tilting the baby to look at his fathers. While Michael feels a little cheated over not getting to cut the cord due to it being a cesarean birth of potentially vulnerable triplets, all he feels is pride over his first born.

Ben goes over to take a picture of him on the birth scale, weighing in at 5 pounds 2 ounces, and 18 inches long, before quickly returning as the nurses tend to him.

Their second son is born then. It takes him a second longer to cry but as soon as he does, he is much louder than his brother. Michael takes the camera this time and gets a picture of his beautiful boy, 5 pounds, 1 ounce, and 18 inches long.

Michael feels a little nervous for their third child, their little girl. He has to keep telling himself that everything is going to be okay. That she will be healthy and safe in time.

But it’s so hard when she comes out looking blue and smaller than her brothers. It makes him wonder if Marilyn was wrong for once. What if she isn’t okay what if she doesn’t make it.

He feels Ben grip tightly onto his hand and he tries to calm himself down for his husband. She’s strong. She’s their strong little girl and she’s going to make it through. He keeps that in mind as the doctors rush to help her and get her passages cleared out. It takes a minute but she ends up letting out a cry. Michael has never felt so relieved in his life. Ben wipes a hand over his face and whispers, “God, that was terrifying.”

“She’s okay. She’s okay now,” Michael tells him, trying to convince himself as well, “Let’s go see our kids.”

Ben nods and they get a picture of her on the scale, weighing in at only 4 pounds, 8 ounces, and 17 inches long, Michael can’t help but feel as if she is their little miracle.

The Obstetrician sews up Angelica’s incision before wheeling her off to recovery. Their daughter is sent to the NICU, which Michael prepared himself for, but it’s still hard to deal with. However, the doctor does say she seems to be doing well and it’s mainly for her lower birth weight and trouble breathing at birth. If she progresses fine, she should be out in a little over a week. Their sons go to the regular nursery, which Michael is grateful for but he wishes that they could all be together.

They go out to make the announcement to the family and the questions immediately start up.

“How long will she be in there?”

“What are their names?”

“Is she okay now?”

“The boys had no problems?”

“Our oldest son’s name is Sawyer Vic Novotny-Bruckner,” Michael announces, trying not to get emotional at his mother’s teary eyes at Sawyer’s middle name, “Our youngest son is named Stephen Lucas Novotny-Bruckner and our youngest daughter’s name is Sophia Debra Novotny-Bruckner.”

“O-Oh,” Debbie chokes out, “Oh, Michael…”

His mother rushes over to enclose him in her death grip.

“Oh, sweetheart, thank you. You do not know how much this means to me.”

“It was actually Ben’s idea,” he tells her softly.

Debbie lets go and stares at Ben with wide eyes.

“You really are the perfect man,” she murmurs, “My son is so lucky to have you.”

Debbie launches herself at her son-in-law and Ben circles his arms around her.

“Love you too, Ma,” he says, “Love you too.”

While more visitors can go see the boys, they can only take one visitor at a time to see Sophia so it ends up being Ben who takes Debbie to see her while Michael takes the rest of the group down to see the boys. The nurse assists him as he lets his friends hold them, all of them already falling in love.

“Oh, they are going to be so handsome!” Emmett sighs as he looks down at Stephen, “Just look at them. I can see both Ben and you in them.”

“He is biologically their uncle,” Michael smiles, “It’s one of the main reasons we named our daughter Sophia. Not only is it Ben’s sister’s middle name but it’s Angelica’s too. We couldn’t ignore a sign like that.”

“I thought you did it for cutesy same letter reasons,” Brian remarks as he holds Sawyer.

“What are you talking about?” Michael asks, confused.

Brian stares at him like he’s an idiot, “Sawyer. Stephen. Sophia. Michael, are you fucking kidding me?”

Okay, he honestly hadn’t noticed but Ben hadn’t pointed it out either! They had both thought they were great names.

“Well, it’s too late to change them now,” is all Michael says as he gently takes Sawyer away from him, “The birth certificates are already signed.”

Brian just rolls his eyes and hands him back his baby. They spend a few more minutes with the boys before Ben comes back with his mother.

“Who wants to go see Sophia?” Michael asks.

He expects JR to jump up and down, excited over meeting her sister, but she’s too busy cooing over the boys that Michael doesn’t even think she hears him. It’s probably for the best, at least for today. Sophia has had a rough one and JR can get over-excited sometimes.

“I’ll go,” Brian offers as he comes to stand by Michael’s side.

Michael nods and walks Brian to the NICU. When they arrive in the room and he sees his daughter in the tank that should be a crib, it’s pretty hard. It seems so trivial because most of the babies in here are much worse off than she is. She’s just in here as a precaution. But it still breaks his heart to see that she’s smaller than her brothers and having more trouble than they are. Brian must feel the angst coming off of him in waves because his friend puts his hands on his shoulder and starts to massage them.

“She’s beautiful,” he tells him as he tries to calm him down, “She’s really beautiful, Mikey. You just watch. She’s going to be the strongest kid that ever lived.”

“I k-know,” Michael says as he starts to break just a little bit, “But it was so scar-”

“I know,” Brian tells him, “But she’s doing better. She’s bouncing back. She’s going to be okay. We just have to wait.”

Michael takes a few deep breaths and nods before putting a hand on top of Brian’s.

That’s all they have to do. Love her and wait. She certainly has enough people willing to do that.