Disclaimer: Pet Fly and Paramount own the copyright to The Sentinel and its characters. This piece of fan fiction was written solely for the love of the characters and to share freely with other fans. No profit is being made from the posting of this story.

Acknowledgments: I wish to give a special thanks to Terri and Lisa, my alpha readers, who have gotten me out of more than one case of writer's block, and to Lyn, Annie, Mary, and Kimberly FDR for their invaluable beta skills.

Rating: NC-17 / FRAO

Warnings: Mpreg, m/m, homophobia

Summary: Blair's final pregnancy brings more surprises and angst to the Sandburg-Ellison household.

Notes: Goodnight Moon is written by Margaret Wise Brown

Sequel to: "Another Nine Months".

Previously published by DE Press.

Comments welcome and appreciated!

Blair leaned across the dining room table, his palms flat against the glassy surface. "We've discussed this before, Jim. We both agreed we wanted a large family."

"That was before you had so much trouble with your first two pregnancies," Jim shot back. "I can't risk losing you. I can't raise our children by myself!"

"You won't have to," Blair argued. "Dr. Casey will monitor the pregnancy like a hawk, like she always has. If there are any problems, we'll deal with them; and if we have to, we can adopt. I'd just like to have more children that are really ours, genetically, if we can." An idea formed in his mind and he grinned mischievously. "Unless you'd like to be the one to get pregnant this time?"

"Oh, no." Jim shook his head. "You're not going to knock me up. I'm the primary wage earner here. How could I do my job as a police detective if I got pregnant?"

"Then the answer is simple," said Blair. "I'll call the Caitlin Infertility Clinic and talk with Dr. Casey tomorrow. I'll make an appointment and we can both go in and discuss it."

~oO0Oo~

"Jim, Blair! How nice to see you," Dr. Lynne Casey greeted the couple less than a week later. "How long has it been? Four years?"

"Nearly five," Blair said, shaking the doctor's hand and settling in the chair next to Jim's.

"How are Laurene and Jeremy?"

"Laurene will be starting school in a couple of months," Jim said. "First grade."

"My goodness! You'll have to bring them in for a visit," Lynne said, smiling at the couple. "Jeremy must be just about ready for kindergarten?"

"Next year," Blair replied. "His age was borderline, so we're holding him back a year to gain some maturity. Since he was born prematurely, he still has a little growing up to do."

"Perfectly understandable," the doctor agreed. "So, now then.... You're here to talk about another pregnancy?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Blair. "I'm here for my third go-around."

Dr. Casey pursed her lips and looked at the couple. "It might be better if Jim were the mother this time," she said. "Both of your pregnancies were rather stressful, Blair, and you aren't getting any younger."

"Jim's ten years older than me!" Blair protested. "Besides, he'd rather adopt --"

"I work in a high risk profession," Jim reminded the doctor. "I can't afford to take time off for a pregnancy, and I can't put our unborn child in danger."

"I see. Well, I'll have to give Blair a physical first, but if everything checks out, I don't see why we can't go one more round." She turned and stared Blair down. "But this is your last time, young man. Three pregnancies is the limit for any male. I've never had a patient who has had more than two. Most stop at one."

"I can't say that I blame them," said Blair. "The prejudice against male pregnancy is still quite strong; I should know." He shook his head, remembering his abduction and torture at the hands of a homophobic zealot during his last pregnancy. "Fortunately, on the Rainier campus, it's generally tolerated. All I need to do is warn my department head, and I'll be free and clear to go."

"So, you're on board with this too, Jim?" Dr. Casey was an excellent psychologist as well as a fertility physician specializing in male pregnancy. She had noted the tenseness in the older man's jaw.

"Blair and I have discussed the matter," Jim said. "And I lost the debate."

Dr. Casey shook her head. "Look, if you're not both fully onboard with this, I won't go any further. Blair is going to need a positive support base if he's going to go through this again. What are your concerns, Jim?"

"I almost lost him during his last pregnancy," Jim explained. "I-I can't raise our two kids without him. I was raised by a single parent, and I wouldn't wish that on any kid."

"I was raised by a single parent, too," Blair reminded his partner. "And I turned out all right. There's not going to be a problem, Jim."

"Can you promise me there won't be?"

Blair turned to look at Dr. Casey pleadingly.

"We can never make those kinds of promises with certainty," Lynne said. "But if Blair's health is good, there's no reason why we can't expect a perfectly normal pregnancy. I will, of course, be monitoring him very closely. Male pregnancies get much more attention than the more routine female gestations. If that's your only concern, I wouldn't let it worry me too much, if I were you."

"What do you say, Jim? Do we go through with it?" Blair looked up at his partner, blue eyes pleading for agreement.

Jim leaned down and pressed a kiss against Blair's forehead. "You're beautiful when you're pregnant," he said softly. "Let's do it."

Lynne smiled at the couple. "All right. Well, first, let's get Blair into the exam room for his check up. If everything looks good, we'll get started on the hormone treatment. Room 1A to your left, Blair," the doctor instructed. "Strip and put on the gown, opening in the back, and give me a shout when you're ready."

"Come on, Jim," Blair said, when his partner seemed unsure whether to follow him to the exam room.

"You sure you want me in there?"

"Of course, you big lug!" Blair chuckled. "You're not going to see anything you haven't seen before. Besides, I can use the moral support while I'm getting poked and prodded."

Jim followed Blair into the room and took a seat next to the exam table. Blair took off his clothes and slipped into the short, cloth gown provided for him. After folding his clothes and leaving them on the corner of the desk, he climbed up on the table.

"Why don't you give Lynne a shout, Jim?"

Jim opened the door a crack. "We're ready!"

A minute later, Lynne Casey hustled in, followed by a male nurse. "Great! Let's get started." She began by doing the basic exam: heart and lung sounds, eyes, ears, and throat. Then she pulled the gown off Blair's shoulders, exposing his chest. She felt around the nipples, pinching one into a tight peak.

"You've been through all this before," she began, "but just as a reminder, since it's been a while... you will develop breasts during the hormone treatments and throughout your pregnancy. Your nipples will become tender early on, so be sure to tell Jim if you find touching them uncomfortable."

"I've only experienced a slight swelling in both of my previous pregnancies," Blair said, nodding to the doctor. "No one even noticed, except Jim, of course."

"Do you plan to nurse again?"

Blair gave Jim a quick glance before nodding. "Yes, I'd like to do that. It's an incredible experience, and better for the baby, too."

"Then we'll discuss nipple care a little closer to the birth. I have some concerns about the burn scars, but they shouldn't stop you from nursing if you want. It simply might make the process a little more difficult." Dr. Casey turned her full attention to Blair's belly, particularly the area between his pubic region and his navel. "There's plenty of scarring here from the previous C-sections," she said. "But it shouldn't get in the way of another. I've dealt with worse. You heal quite nicely." She pulled the gown down, covering Blair. "You can sit up now."

"So, are we good to go?" Jim asked, looking up at Blair instead of the doctor.

"Absolutely. Blair, you can get dressed, while I go get your supplies. I'll meet you out at my desk."

As the door closed behind the doctor and nurse, Blair hopped down from the table and retrieved his clothes. "How about that, Jim? We're going to be pregnant again soon."

"Yippee."

Blair looked up from fastening his belt buckle to frown at Jim. "You don't sound very enthusiastic."

"I'm just worried about you, that's all," said Jim. "This is dangerous."

"Millions of women are doing it every day," Blair countered with a grin. "If they can do it, why can't I?"

"Because God didn't give you a uterus, dammit," Jim swore softly. "Men weren't meant to get knocked up. Besides..." Jim placed a hand over Blair's abdomen and rubbed it in gentle circles. "I can still see the scars from your last pregnancy."

"Most of those scars were from the madman who abducted me, not from the pregnancy itself," Blair argued. "It's safe, trust me," he pleaded. "Just this one last time."

Jim gathered Blair into his arms and planted a kiss on his lips. Gentle at first, the kiss turned passionate, until Blair broke away, panting and breathless.

"I love you, Chief."

"Love you too, Jim," said Blair. "Now, come on. The doctor is waiting."

Out in Dr. Casey's office, Lynne was indeed waiting, a small plastic bag full of supplies on her desk.

"So, Jim. You have a job in this process, too," Lynne said. "You remember how it goes: For the next thirty days, it will be your responsibility to give Blair his hormone injections." She took a syringe and vial from the bag on her desk and inserted the needle through the stopper in the bottle, drawing out the fluid. "I want you to give ten cc's of the hormone twice a day, at roughly twelve hour intervals," she instructed. "Blair, could you loosen your belt, please?" The doctor waited until her patient had complied, then tugged down the waistband of both Blair's jeans and his boxers, exposing a pale butt cheek. "First, you need to the clean the area with a little rubbing alcohol," she said, swabbing the skin. "The best way to do this is with a quick jab." Blair winced as the needle went in, but didn't make a sound. "When you're done, rub the area for a minute. It helps distribute the hormone. I know you've heard this all before, but I want to be sure you both understand what's at stake here." She rubbed the injection site briefly before telling Blair he could pull up his pants. "Everything clear?"

"Perfectly," said Jim, sitting down in front of the doctor's desk. "Anything else we need to know?"

"I want to see Blair again in thirty days to evaluate the hormone treatment. If everything goes as I suspect it will, we'll schedule the implantation for shortly after that." Lynne looked down at the file on her desk. "I see that you have just two frozen embryos left." She looked up at the two men seated across from her. "Since they've been frozen for over six years, and since this is your last pregnancy, it would be my recommendation to implant both together. That would increase your odds of one embryo surviving."

"What are the chances both would survive and we'd end up with twins?" Jim asked, giving Blair a worried glance.

"In male pregnancies using frozen embryos, the odds are against that happening," the doctor said. "Less than ten percent. Your other option would be to have one embryo implanted, and if it doesn't take, come in to have the second one done."

"I don't want to go through the implantation surgery twice," Blair said, glancing over at Jim. "It's painful and the recovery time takes me away from our children."

"I don't want to risk twins," Jim said, reaching over to squeeze Blair's hand.

"The odds are against it," Blair said, his eyes pleading with Jim to understand. "And if we beat the odds, we'll get two for the price of one."

"It's your body that's going to go through this," Jim said, acquiescing to his mate. "Just don't come whining to me about giving you back rubs when you have a beach ball for a stomach."

"I guess that means it's settled," Blair said with a grin, turning to Dr. Casey. "We'll see you again in thirty days."

"Take care, both of you," Lynne said, rising to shake their hands. She handed the bag of hormone treatments to Jim. "And don't forget to give Blair another shot in about twelve hours."

"I won't let him forget," Blair said with a chuckle as they walked out of the posh office.

~oO0Oo~

That evening after dinner, Jim pushed the bathroom door closed with a foot while checking the hypodermic syringe in his hand. Turning to Blair, he grinned.

"All right, cupcake, drop your drawers and bend over."

Blair grimaced, wrinkling his nose at his partner. "You're enjoying this way too much! There's no need for me to drop my pants just so that you can stick a needle in my tush. Just lower the elastic and give me the poke."

"But I like the view," Jim argued. "Besides, if I'm going to have to do this to you twice a day for the next month, I might as well get something out of it too. Drop 'em, partner!"

Reluctantly, Blair pulled down his boxers and bent over to receive the hormone injection. He let out a slight gasp as the needle entered the fleshy mound of his butt cheek, but his attention was soon diverted by the bathroom door, which swung open slowly to reveal their four-year-old son standing silhouetted in the doorway wearing his pajamas.

"Look, Daddy! Danglies!" Jeremy said, pointing with a grin at Blair's genitals.

"Just like yours, junior," Blair said, grinning back as he pulled up his underwear. "Do you need to use the toilet?" The youngster shook his head.

Drawn by the commotion in the bathroom, Laurene poked her head through the door as well. "Poppa, why do you have to give Daddy a shot?" she asked, looking at the syringe still in Jim's hand, and Blair rubbing the sore spot on his butt.

"I'll let your daddy explain that one," Jim said, disposing of the needle in a sealed receptacle that was high out of the reach of both children.

"We're trying to make a new brother or sister for you," Blair said. "Since daddies can't usually get pregnant, we have to prepare my body first. I need special injections of hormones to make my body ready to carry a baby."

"Like when you had me and Jeremy?" The little girl's eyes sparkled with interest.

"Just like that," Blair agreed, grinning. "I have to have these shots for a month, and then the doctor will implant the embryos."

"What's an embryo?" Laurene was eternally curious, and her parents were kept busy answering her constant questions.

"It's like a baby seed," Blair explained. "Cells from both your daddies were combined with cells from a lady who wanted to help people like us have babies. Once they started to grow, they were frozen and kept for when we wanted another baby. "

"And now the doctor is going to plant the baby seed in your belly?"

Blair chuckled, stooping over to pick up his daughter. "Yeah, something like that. Now, it's getting to be your bedtime --" His eye caught the movement as Jeremy darted out from behind the door and across the hall toward their bedroom. "And it's past yours, young man. I thought we put you to bed already."

"You did, Daddy," Laurene said. "But Jeremy got up when he heard you in the bathroom."

"Okay, Champ. Back to bed with you!" Blair handed their daughter over to Jim's care and followed Jeremy out of the bathroom, into the bedroom that he shared with his sister. Tucking the youngster into the bottom bunk, he kissed the child's forehead. "Sleep now. Questions in the morning, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy." Jeremy snuggled down under his blankets until only the top of his head showed from beneath the covers.

"Sleep tight." Blair ruffled the exposed curls with affection.

Coming out of the bedroom, Blair made a beeline for the couch where Jim sat with Laurene in his lap.

"You know, Jim, with a new baby almost on the way, we're going to have to think about getting a bigger place. The loft is getting crowded as it is, now that the kids are growing."

"Could I have a bedroom of my own?" Laurene asked, beaming with excitement. "And a backyard, with a swing?"

Blair looked over at Jim. "What do you think, Jim? We don't have room for a nursery here. I love this place, but it's just getting too small for a family."

"I suppose you want to go house hunting this weekend?" Jim said with an air of finality. He had known this was coming, but he'd put off mentioning it himself. He had a special fondness for the loft and hated the idea of selling it.

"I think we should seriously consider getting moved before the baby is born," said Blair. "We don't have to start looking this weekend, but the sooner we get started, the better."

~oO0Oo~

Blair spent all his free time over the next several days researching homes for sale on the Internet. He looked at the size, number of rooms, yard space, location, school district, and commute times as well as price. Finally, he thought he had found the perfect house.

"Look at this one, Jim. It's just what we were talking about: four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, on a two-lot parcel, so it has a large yard. And it's located within walking distance of MLK Elementary School. What do you think?" Blair cocked his head to look up from his computer screen at his partner.

"Don't you think you're rushing this just a little bit?" Jim asked, sounding reluctant to agree that the house looked perfect.

Blair adjusted his argument, trying to be as persuasive as possible. "It would be great if we could get moved in before school starts. That way Laurene won't have to switch school mid-year. Since this is her first year, that would be really tough -- making new friends and everything...."

"There's no way we could cut a deal for a house and get financing in time to be moved in before school starts," Jim said. "Don't forget, we'd have to sell the loft first."

"It shouldn't be hard finding a buyer," said Blair. "This is prime downtown property, and we've made a lot of improvements to the place."

"I happen to like the improvements," said Jim a bit peevishly. "I'm not so sure I want to move."

Blair swiveled in his seat so that he was facing Jim. "Look, Jim, I know you love this place. So do I. It has memories. Lots of them. But we're a family now, and we're outgrowing the space. Laurene and Jeremy have to share a bedroom that's so small, their bunk beds barely fit. And what are we going to do when a new baby arrives?"

Jim deflated with a sigh of resignation. "You're right. When do you think we can get an appointment to see the place?"

"Tomorrow afternoon at two o'clock," said Blair, beaming. "I contacted the realtor and set up the time."

~oO0Oo~

Laurene came running around the house from the backyard, Jeremy close on her heels.

"It's perfect! The backyard is huuuuuge!" Laurene spread her arms wide. "And there's already a swing set and slide! Can we move here? Pul-eeze?"

Jim chuckled and ruffled her strawberry blonde hair. "We have to take a look inside the house, first, Pumpkin," he explained. "Moving is a big decision that requires everyone to agree."

"I can show you the house now," Miss Carpenter said, smiling. She led the way up the steps to the wide front porch and put the key in the lock. "The husband of the family that lived here got a job in Salt Lake City that required them to move immediately. So, if you're interested, the house is ready for occupation as soon as all the papers are signed."

They walked inside to find a roomy home. Blair paced out the living room, grinning. "This is larger than the loft's great room, and it has a fireplace, too!"

Jim nodded, digesting the possibilities. "That wall over there would be perfect for a big screen plasma TV," he mused.

"And there is plenty of room for entertaining," the realtor added. "There's even a game room toward the back of the house. Perfect for a pool or ping-pong table, if you have one."

"Where are the bedrooms? I want to pick out my room!" Laurene tugged on Blair's shirttail.

"Rooms!" Jeremy echoed.

"The bedrooms are all upstairs," the realtor told them.

Blair chuckled. "Not just yet, kiddos. Let's look around down here, first. Man, this is quite a kitchen!" He walked around the spacious area, admiring the new appliances. "And look, Jim, they even have a center island, just like at home!"

"The island makes a perfect breakfast area," Miss Carpenter said. "But there's also a formal dining room for when the family wants to gather around the table for meals."

Jim stuck his head into a small room off the kitchen. "There's a half bath here," he said, opening the door fully.

"What's a half bath?" Jeremy asked, poking his head between Jim's legs to get a better view into the room.

"It's a bathroom with just a toilet and a sink," Jim explained. "No bathtub or shower."

"There are two full bathrooms upstairs," Miss Carpenter informed them. "One is directly off the master bedroom and includes a Jacuzzi tub and walk-in shower. The other is off the hall, between two of the bedrooms."

"I guess it's time to take a look upstairs," Blair said, heading for the staircase. "We'd need to dust off the baby gates for the stairs, but we'd have to do that anyway, even at the loft."

"Oh, are you two planning to adopt another child?" Miss Carpenter asked politely.

"We're not adopting," Blair told her with a wide grin. "I'm getting pregnant... again."

"Oh, um..." The realtor flushed with embarrassment, not quite knowing what to say. "Congratulations."

"Thanks, but the implantation won't happen for at least a month. We were hoping to find a house and get moved before school starts -- and before I get too big to shove furniture around." Blair bounded up the stairs, followed closely by his daughter and son. Jim took up the rear, finding his enthusiasm for the move growing as he watched his mate cavort through the rooms with their children.

"This looks perfect for you, Pumpkin!" Blair said, opening the door to a large bedroom overlooking the backyard.

"I want this room!" Laurene cried, agreeing with Blair. "It's perfect!"

"Where's my room?" Jeremy wanted to know. "Do I get a room?"

"Of course you do, Sport!" Jim said, sweeping their four-year-old son into his arms. "How about this one?" He opened the door opposite the room occupied by Blair and Laurene. The room was nearly the same size, but looked out over the front yard and the tree-lined street.

"Neat! My room!" Jeremy struggled to be put down and ran into the room, claiming his space.

"Perhaps you'd like to see the master bedroom?" Miss Carpenter suggested, heading down to the end of the hall.

The room was more of a suite, with a pair of walk-in closets and a huge bathroom adjoining the bedroom. Across the hall was a more modest room, the smallest of the four, yet still roomy.

"This would make the perfect nursery," Blair said, grinning. "What do you think, Jim?"

"I hate to rush into a big decision like this," Jim said. "I'd prefer to think about it for a little while, maybe look at some other homes."

"This place is priced to sell quickly," Miss Carpenter told him. "If you wanted to make an offer, I'm sure we could work something out with the sellers. They're very anxious to close the deal."

"Jiiiim..."

"I'll want to call an inspector first," Jim said adamantly. "I want to make sure that the house is structurally sound and isn't just a pretty facade."

"Of course," Miss Carpenter agreed. "An inspection is always required before a sale is finalized."

"We're going to have to buy a whole lot more furniture, too," Jim said. "We're going to need both of our jobs for the next few years to pay the mortgage and upkeep on a place like this."

"I don't plan to stop working just because I'm getting pregnant," Blair assured his nervous mate. "I'll need some maternity leave for a while after the birth, but I plan on going back to work as soon as I can."

"We have to sell the loft."

"I'd be happy to list it for you," Miss Carpenter said. "Where is it located?"

"On Prospect Avenue, downtown," Jim replied. "It's a third floor loft apartment."

"I shouldn't have any trouble at all getting some good offers for you," the realtor told Jim.

"The decision is yours, Jim. You know how we feel about the place," said Blair.

"Poppa, please!" Laurene begged. "They have a swing out back, and there's enough room for a trampoline!"

"Trampoline! Trampoline!" Jeremy shouted, jumping up and down in front of his father.

Jim's frown gave way to a smile and then a chuckle. "Looks like I'm outnumbered."

"You'll love the place!" Blair assured him. "We'll make it work, Jim. You'll see."

"All right. All right. Where do I sign?"

"If you want to follow me, we can go back to my office and start the paperwork," Miss Carpenter said, smiling broadly.

~oO0Oo~

"Ow!" Blair sat on the exam table at the Caitlin Infertility Clinic while Dr. Casey checked him over.

"Breasts a little tender?" She smiled. "You can't say I didn't warn you."

"He's hardly let me touch him the past two weeks," Jim complained.

"Well, you can hardly blame him," Lynne said. "His butt looks like a battle zone from all the injections, he's bloated, and his nipples hurt. Any discomfort with your penis or testicles?" she asked her patient.

Blair shook his head. "Not really. Maybe just a slight tenderness. Nothing serious."

"All right, then," Lynne said with a smile. "You can get dressed now. I'll meet you out at my desk."

"How did it go? Am I ready for implantation?" Blair asked.

"Everything looks good," Lynne said with a grin. "We'll discuss the details out at my desk."

Blair dressed quickly, and the couple met with the doctor back in her office.

"Well, Blair, as I said, everything is looking good. Your hormone levels are high enough to support the pregnancy, as I'm sure you've been able to tell by the way your body has been feeling. If you like, we can make the appointment for the implantation surgery."

"Yes, please. The sooner we can get this started, the better," Blair said eagerly.

"How about the day after Labor Day?" Lynne suggested.

"Laurene starts school then," Blair said. "Can we get in any sooner?"

"I'm afraid the clinic's calendar is fairly well booked up for the rest of August," the doctor explained. "We could wait until mid-September, if that would suit you better. You'll have to continue with the hormone injections, though. Once the pregnancy is established, your body should make enough hormones on its own to support the fetus, but until then you need to supplement artificially."

"We just bought a house," Jim said. "The final paperwork is going through, and we'll be moving in just before school starts. It would be better if we left the implantation until after we're settled."

"That's wonderful! I'm sure the two of you need more space, since your family is growing." Lynne smiled at the couple. "After the surgery, Blair will be in the hospital for about two weeks. We have to keep you on supervised bed rest to make sure that the implantation has taken properly. Then, when you get home, I'll want you on bed rest for ten weeks. That means you'll stay in bed except for bathroom breaks and an occasional short shower. I know it's hard, but we want to make sure that the pregnancy is well established before we let you go running around exerting yourself."

"But Jim is going to need help with the new house," Blair complained. "And Laurene and Jeremy can be a real handful for both of us. I wouldn't want to leave all the work to Jim."

"Blair, sweetie, you've been through this before," the doctor said. "You know how important the initial bed rest is. You need to be fully committed to this pregnancy, or there's no point in putting you through the surgery."

"I'm committed," Blair interjected eagerly.

"He needs to be committed," Jim quipped. "We're taking on an awful lot with a new house and Laurene just starting school."

"We'll manage," said Blair. "I'll do the best I can."

"You'll stay in bed," Dr. Casey said with finality. "And Jim is just going to have to deal with that, as will your children."

"Yes, ma'am," Blair agreed meekly.

"So, how does September 15th sound? That will give you a chance to get Laurene settled in her new school. Will you be all moved in by then?"

"We're moving in over the Labor Day weekend," said Jim. "But we might not be settled and have all the boxes unpacked yet."

"You have two children who I'm sure will be eager to help," Lynne said with a grin.

"The fifteenth sounds good," said Blair.

"In that case, I'll get you enough hormone treatments to last until then," said Lynne, going to her cupboards to get the necessary vials and syringes. She came back with the supply and handed the bag to Jim. "See you again in September, Blair."

~oO0Oo~

"Man, after that explosion in my warehouse and moving in with you at the loft, I'd hoped I would never have to move again!" Blair complained as they muscled the couch up the porch stairs and into their new living room.

"It was your bright idea to buy the house," Jim reminded him with a grin.

"Oof!" Blair panted, setting the couch on the floor. "We really needed the space." He dusted his hands off on his jeans, then sprawled on the cushions, taking a load off his feet.

"Hey, where do you want the bunk beds?" Henri called as he and Joel carried the frames into the house.

"Upstairs, the first two bedrooms to either side of the hall," Jim told them. "We're breaking the set in two, so that the kids can have separate bedrooms."

"You'd better get your ass up and start working," Simon growled as he and Rafe came in with a mattress. "No sitting down on the job."

"He's right, Jim," Blair said, getting up with a weary sigh. "We've got to get everything moved in and set up today, if possible."

"We'll never finish the unpacking today," Jim pointed out.

"No, but we need our beds all set up, and some furniture in the house so that we can at least live here," Blair pointed out. "And we can't let our friends do all the work."

"True, but you need to take it easy," Jim insisted, noting the red, perspiring face of his partner. "Those hormones take a lot out of you, and you're this close," he said, spreading his thumb and forefinger about a quarter of an inch apart, "from being pregnant."

"Which I'm not. Yet," Blair said, getting up.

"Then why don't you go check on the kids; see how they're doing?"

Blair shook his head. "Megan's got that under control. We have more furniture to move."

"Jim's right, Sandburg," Simon said, coming back downstairs. "You look like something the cat hacked up. Take a break."

"Great. Thanks, Simon." Blair grimaced at the colorful description of his appearance.

Jim pressed Blair back down on the couch. "I'm serious, Chief. You look like shit right now. Take a break. Why don't you lie down and close your eyes for a few minutes?"

With a sigh, Blair let himself go and relaxed. "Sorry, Jim. This is all my fault, and I'm being no help at all."

Brushing an errant strand of hair from Blair's forehead, Jim leaned down to press a kiss against the furrowed brow. "We both decided on this house and moving," he reminded Blair. "And you've been a big help. Now you need to rest."

The work continued on into the evening. The last of the trips to move furniture and boxes ended at 7 PM. "How about I call out for some pizza?" Jim suggested. "I don't know where all the plates and silverware are yet, but we can eat off the floor if we have to."

"Sounds great!" Henri agreed. "How about I go down to the market for a couple of six packs of beer?"

"Bring some sodas, too," Blair said. "The kids like orange or root beer."

"Got'cha! I'll be back in five," Henri said, hurrying out the door to his car.

"Daddy! Poppa! We're hungry!" Laurene called, running in the back door, followed by her ever-present shadow.

"We're hungry!" Jeremy echoed.

"Well, Poppa's ordering pizza for dinner. How does that sound?" Jim said, ruffling Jeremy's curls as he looked down on the set of beaming faces.

"I want pepperoni!" Laurene said.

"Cheese!" Jeremy piped up.

Within an hour, everyone was settled on the furniture and floor, enjoying their impromptu feast. After two slices of pizza and a can of orange soda, Jeremy let out a huge yawn.

"Looks like it's time for someone to go to bed," Jim said, gathering Jeremy up from the floor and hoisting the youngster onto his shoulders. "How do you like the idea of sleeping in your own room tonight?"

"Yeah!" Jeremy cried gleefully.

Blair followed the pair upstairs and quickly threw the sheets on the bed and found Jeremy's pillow and favorite stuffed animals. The couple tucked their son into his bed and kissed him good-night.

"You can go downstairs and entertain the guests," Blair said. "I'll stay up here a few more minutes and read Jeremy a bedtime story. I think it might be easier for him to go to sleep here, if one of us stays with him the first time."

"Sounds like a plan. Good-night, Sport!"

"'Night, Poppa!" Jeremy waved as Jim left the room, closing the door behind him.

Blair got out their son's favorite bedtime book, Goodnight Moon, and began to read. "In the Great Green Room, there was a telephone and a red balloon... and a picture of the cow jumping over the moon." Jeremy yawned again and rubbed his eyes.

"Good-night, room. Good-night, moon," Jeremy muttered, getting slightly ahead of the story.

"And there were three little bears, sitting on chairs, and two little kittens, and a pair of mittens...."

Downstairs, the guest movers were beginning to say their own good-byes.

"Thanks for everything," Jim said, shaking hands and slapping shoulders of his colleagues as they headed for the door. "We really appreciate the help. We never could have gotten everything moved in so quickly without you."

"You take care," Megan said, kissing Jim's cheek, "and make sure that Sandy doesn't overdo. When is the implantation surgery again?"

"September 15th," Jim said.

"Goodness! That's just two weeks away!" Megan shook her head and clucked her tongue. "You must be very excited."

"Petrified is a little more like it," Jim admitted.

"You'll do fine, mate. Don't worry," Megan said, patting Jim's back. "Sandy knows what he's doing. It's not like this is his first time."

"No, but each pregnancy is different. Dr. Casey wants to implant two embryos this time," Jim said.

"Ohhh... twins, eh?" Megan winked.

"God, we hope not!" Jim said fervently. "The odds are ninety percent against both embryos surviving. We're just doing this to make it easier on Blair. This way, we have a good chance of one implanting and growing to full term without him having to go through the possibility of more than one implant surgery."

"Makes sense to me," said Megan. "Well, good luck! Be sure to keep us apprised of everything."

"You bet! See you on Tuesday."

"Good-night, Jimbo!" Megan flounced out of the house as Jim gazed after her, a bemused grin on his face.

"If you need anything else, just call," Simon said. The last of the movers to leave, Jim's boss wrapped a comforting arm around his detective's shoulders. "I know you're worried sick about Blair and his upcoming pregnancy, so if you ever need a willing ear, just call."

"Thanks, Simon. Sometimes I just can't vent everything to Blair. He's so excited about this and he gets so frustrated when I let him know I'm worried." Jim sighed.

"He needs all the positive support you can give him right now," Simon agreed. "If you need to talk out any of your negative feelings, it's better that you talk to me. Don't let him know how worried you are."

"He can sense it, though," Jim said. "He knows I'm worried. I can see it in the tension in his face."

"You sure you're on board with this?" Simon asked. "One hundred percent?"

"About 99.9%," Jim said with a weak grin. "I'll be fine. Blair's right, we did agree on this. I knew this day was coming. Better now, than when he's older and would have a harder time with the pregnancy."

"You're under a lot of stress right now," Simon agreed. "Laurene starts school on Tuesday?"

"Yup. She's sure excited about it. We had to go out and get all her school supplies and new clothes last week. She's really pumped up." Jim grinned, feeling like the proud father that he was.

"I can almost remember when Daryl started first grade..." Simon mused. "That was so long ago."

"How's he doing at the Academy?" Jim asked.

"Top of his class!" It was Simon's turn to puff out his chest and boast. "He's going to be a fine officer."

"I'm really glad you decided to let him attend the Academy," Jim said. "He really wanted to follow in your footsteps. You should be proud."

"I am. I was just hoping he'd get his college degree, too," Simon said a bit wistfully.

"That could still happen," said Jim. "Don't count him out quite yet."

"I won't. Well, I'd better get going. You need a little family time in your new home. See you on Tuesday."

"Good-night, Simon." Jim closed the door and turned to find Blair standing at the top of the stairs looking down at him. "Is Jeremy asleep?"

"Finally." Blair came down the stairs and threw his arms around Jim's neck, planting a big, wet kiss on his partner's mouth. "One down, one to go."

"Daddy's kissing Pops again!" Laurene's sing-song voice intruded on the private moment.

"Yeah, so what's it to you, kid?" Blair growled playfully. "I happen to love your Poppa, and he needs to be shown that every once in a while."

"I want to kiss Poppa, too!" Laurene jumped up and down next to the couple until they parted and Jim picked her up, planting a wet one on her cheek.

"Don't you think it's about time you went to bed, too, Pumpkin?" Jim asked.

"It's waaaay too early!" Laurene protested.

"Oh, yeah? Do you know what time it is?"

Laurene looked around, but not a clock was to be found. Not that she could reliably tell time yet, anyway. "What time is it?"

"It's time for me to put your Daddy to bed for the night, so I think you should probably go too," Jim said.

"Daddy, is it really time for you to go to bed?" Laurene asked, surprised.

"I am pretty tired," Blair admitted.

"You look tired," their daughter pronounced sagely. "If you'll tuck me in, I'll read myself a bedtime story."

"You sure, sweetheart? Poppa could read you a story," Blair suggested.

"That's okay. Poppa needs to take care of you." Laurene reached up with both arms and got a hug and kiss from both her parents. "I'll put on my nightgown and brush my teeth, then you can meet me in my bedroom."

"All right. Get along, then," Blair said, following their daughter up the stairs. He headed down the hall to their new master bedroom and stripped down to his T-shirt and boxer shorts. Pulling on a robe, he went into the bathroom to brush his teeth.

Since their bathroom had double sinks, Jim joined him in getting ready for bed. "Laurene really amazes me sometimes with how grown up she seems."

"Wise beyond her years," Blair agreed, talking around his toothbrush. He spit and rinsed, then looked at Jim. "I should meditate and see if I can find out what her spirit animal is. And, you know, she's going to need a Guide."

"She has you," Jim said.

"But she's growing up," Blair argued. "She's starting school the day after tomorrow. What if something happens?"

"Look, Darwin. I had my Sentinel abilities as a child, too, but I didn't have any problems with them. I didn't have any problems in Peru, either."

"But you weren't really using your senses as a child, and in Peru, you had Incacha to guide you."

"What makes you think Laurene is going to consciously use her senses any more than I did at her age?" Jim asked.

"I don't know. Maybe it's nothing," Blair said. "Or maybe it's 'Guide's intuition', I don't know."

"I'm ready for bed now," Laurene said, showing up at their bathroom door. "Tuck me in?"

Jim and Blair both followed their daughter back down the hall. She climbed into her bed and grabbed her favorite teddy bear. "Mr. Noodles and I are ready to sleep now," she stated seriously.

"Well, then, I guess it's time to kiss you both good-night," said Blair, bending down to peck Laurene's puckered lips, then giving Mr. Noodles a kiss on top of his furry head. He pulled the blankets up to Laurene's chin and tucked them around her. "There you go, all safe and sound."

"'Night, Daddy. 'Night, Poppa."

"Good-night, Pumpkin." Jim leaned down to kiss Laurene on the forehead. "Sleep tight."

They walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind them, and headed back to their own room.

"Now it's time for me to tuck you into bed," Jim said with a lascivious grin. He held up the covers and let Blair climb onto the bed. He then scooted next to his mate and ran a hand up under Blair's shirt. Blair let out a little gasp and his whole body shuddered. Jim pushed the shirt up under Blair's chin and licked the nipple nearest to his mouth. When Blair moaned, Jim teased the nub with his teeth, then settled in to suck and lick until Blair was humping against him in a desperate attempt to find release. Jim reached between their bodies to find Blair's cock, hot and hard in his hand. Blair thrust his hips, fucking Jim's fist until he came with a muffled cry of completion. Jim gathered the limp body into his arms, cuddling his lover close and hoping for some help with his own erection. But a loud snore racked the smaller body and Jim knew that all hope for reciprocal sex was finished for the night. He settled in next to Blair, drinking in the musky scent of his Guide, until he finally drifted off to sleep.

~oO0Oo~

Blair hustled around the kitchen making breakfast. Laurene sat at the center island on a tall bar stool, eating her Fruit Loops.

"Can't I interest you in some eggs and bacon?" Blair asked. "How about a toaster waffle?"

"I'm good, Daddy," Laurene said, slurping down a big gulp of milk. "You're just nervous because today's my first day of school."

"Aren't you a little nervous?

"I'm going to meet new friends." Laurene's legs swung scissor-fashion beneath the stool. "And we'll get to do art, and read, and do arithmetic. School's gonna be fun!"

"Yeah, school's gonna be fun," Jim mimicked, striding into the kitchen and ruffling Laurene's hair. "You, of all people, should know that." He sidled up behind Blair and reached around to nab a slice of bacon out of the pan.

"Stop that!" Blair slapped at Jim's hand. "You're going to burn yourself. Pour some coffee and go sit down. Breakfast is almost ready."

"Your mom is a little cranky this morning, isn't he?" Jim said, settling on a stool next to their daughter.

Laurene giggled. "Daddy doesn't like it when you call him that," she reminded her poppa.

Blair turned around and frowned at his tormentors. "I'm right here in the room," he said. "I may not have your vaunted Sentinel abilities, but I'm not deaf."

Laurene giggled again as Jim tried to placate his annoyed mate. "You're taking this way too seriously," he explained, accepting the plate of eggs and bacon that Blair set in front of him. "It's just first grade. What's the big deal?"

Blair lifted Jeremy onto one of the high stools and put some bacon and toast on his plate. The youngster started in immediately, wolfing down his breakfast. "It's her first day at the new school," Blair said. "She has the right to be a little nervous."

"I think Laurene is right. You're the one that's nervous." Jim took a sip of his coffee and turned his attention to Blair. "Are you worried about what they'll think of us? A gay couple, raising two kids?"

Blair shrugged. "That shouldn't be a problem, so long as we keep it low key," he said. "We can't be the only gay parents at that school."

"Then what's bothering you?"

Blair rubbed his abdomen and sighed. "I guess I'm a little worried at what their reaction will be after I get pregnant and start showing."

"You know what? If they don't like it, that's their problem, not ours. We have the right to have a family -- any way we please." Jim reached over to rub Blair's shoulder. "Besides, that's months off yet. Let's just enjoy ourselves now, while we can. Are you going in to work today?" he asked, changing the subject.

"I'm going to walk Jeremy to his preschool, then take Laurene to school and meet her teacher. I'll go in late," said Blair.

"Aren't you going to have to look at cutting back your hours?" Jim asked.

"Eventually. I've already talked to the department head about some leave time for the implantation. I don't want to stretch my luck too much." Blair finished his toast and began to gather up the plates. "You'd better get going, too, or you'll be late."

"Are you coming by the department today?" Jim asked, wiping his mouth on his napkin, and then helping Blair clear the dishes.

"Are you on a case?"

"Not unless Simon has something new for me," Jim said. "I'm mostly going to be doing the paperwork."

Blair chuckled. "Then you're on your own, big guy. I've got enough obligations today, and I'm already feeling a little tired."

"The hormones getting you down?" Jim asked, gathering Blair into his arms. Blair nodded and rested his head briefly on Jim's shoulder. "I know it's hard," he said, stroking the silken curls, "but all three of us are behind you in this. We'll do everything we can to help, won't we?" Jim looked up at the children, who were watching with rapt curiosity.

"Daddy, don't be sad," Jeremy said, sliding down off his stool and coming over to wrap small arms around Blair's legs.

"You don't have to walk me to school," Laurene said bravely. "It's just four blocks, and I know the way."

"That's okay, sweetheart," Blair said, disengaging from Jim's embrace to drop down into a crouch, facing his children. "I want to walk you to school." He turned to Jeremy, ruffling the mop of curls, so much like his own. "And you, too, champ. Are you excited about starting preschool?"

Jeremy nodded a bit nervously. "Uh-huh."

"Good. Now," Blair said, standing and gesturing to the kids to move, "hurry up and finish getting dressed. Don't forget to brush your teeth!" he called out as they turned to run up the stairs.

"Call me if you need help," Jim said, leaning in to press a kiss against Blair's lips. "Simon is on notice about your impending pregnancy. If you want me home, he'll give me the time off."

"I'll be fine," Blair assured his partner. "You'd better get going."

"See you at 5:00," Jim called as he hurried out the back door to the garage.

~oO0Oo~

The preschool Jeremy was attending was a privately run facility in a bright building that was attractive and accommodating to very young children. There was a large and well-equipped playground in the fenced-in backyard. As they approached the front steps, Jeremy began resisting.

"I don't want to go to school." Jeremy tugged his arm out of Blair's grasp and refused to go inside.

"I thought you wanted to be all grown up, like your sister," Blair said.

"I wanna stay home with you!" Jeremy cried, changing his mind at the thought of being left in a strange building with strange people and unknown rules.

Laurene, not much taller than her little brother, knelt in front of Jeremy and took his hands. "It's going to be okay," she assured him. "You're going to meet lots of really nice kids in there, and I'll bet your teacher is nice too!"

Jeremy sniffled, rubbing his nose against his sleeve. "I'm scared." His voice was tiny and trembled with uncertainty.

"Me too," Laurene admitted. "A little. But it's going to be fun! C'mon!" She stood up and, clasping one of Jeremy's hands, began leading him up the stairs. Blair took his son's other hand and they walked into the building together.

"Just look!" Blair said, pointing out colorful paintings and torn-paper collages that decorated the walls of the bright room. "You like to do art and projects!" Jeremy nodded, although he still didn't look convinced.

"Good morning!" a cheery voice greeted them.

Blair looked up from his son's face to meet Jeremy's preschool teacher.

"My name is Darlene Kitsch, but everyone here calls me Dar," the young woman introduced herself.

"I'm Blair Sandburg, and this is Jeremy," Blair said, returning the introduction.

"I'm Laurene. I'm starting first grade!" Laurene piped up.

"I'm very pleased to meet you all," Darlene said, smiling. "Why don't you come in and meet some of the other children?" She led Jeremy into the center of the room and introduced him to her helper, Kathy. After making sure the boy was engaged with a new toy, Darlene turned back to Blair. "They're all a little nervous at first, but he'll be fine," she assured him.

"I figured as much," Blair said with a grin. "I work over at Rainier University." He pulled out a business card and handed it to the teacher. "If you need to get a hold of me, my office and cell numbers are there. You have my home phone?"

"Yes, of course, Mr. Sandburg," Darlene said, nodding.

"Blair," he corrected with a smile.

"Blair," Darlene repeated. "It was very nice meeting you. Why don't you go say good-bye to Jeremy? I promise you, he'll be fine."

Blair left Laurene with Darlene while he went over to the table where Jeremy was already involved with another boy playing with a set of wooden cars. He sank to his knees to be down on Jeremy's level and fingered the red car his son was playing with. "Looks like you found yourself a friend," he said, grinning at the other boy. "It's time for Daddy to go now. I'll come by to pick you up this afternoon. You be good and do everything Dar tells you to do, okay?" Jeremy nodded that he had heard, but kept playing with the car and his new friend. Blair placed a kiss on his son's cheek, and Jeremy turned to plant a wet one on his father's lips.

"Bye, Daddy!" Jeremy said, now beaming with excitement, his original trepidation forgotten.

"Bye, Sport!" Blair stood up and walked over to Darlene. "I guess that settles that," he said with a grin.

"Don't worry, Blair, he'll be fine," Darlene said, pocketing the business card. "I'll file this with his papers, just in case. You go, and have a good day!"

Taking Laurene's hand, Blair walked to the front door, shooting a quick glance over his shoulder at Jeremy, who now had three other boys surrounding him. Smiling with satisfaction, he headed out the door and down the sidewalk toward Laurene's school.

"He's going to have fun there, isn't he," Laurene said, more a statement of fact than a question.

Blair nodded. "I'm sure he is."

~oO0Oo~

Blair guided Laurene through the large doors of MLK Elementary School and into the crowded hallway. They looked for Room 5, finally finding it near the end of the hall. Above the door was a placard reading, "Miss Timmons, Grade 1."

"This looks like the place," Blair said, letting Laurene walk in ahead of him.

Only a handful of students were already there, and the teacher, a young woman not yet out of her twenties, came to greet them. "Hello. My name is Miss Timmons. And you are...?" She looked from Laurene to Blair.

"I'm Laurene, and this is my daddy," the girl piped up, grinning broadly.

"Hi. Blair Sandburg. Nice to meet you," Blair greeted the teacher.

"Very nice to meet you," Miss Timmons said with a grin. "It's not too many fathers who bring their children in on the first day."

"I have two daddies!" Laurene said proudly. "Blair is my birth parent."

"Oh. Um..." Miss Timmons looked flustered, but was soon distracted by more children piling into the room.

"We have a unique situation," Blair explained, picking a business card out of his wallet. "I'd like to set up a meeting with you to explain things, when you have a few spare moments. Please, give me a call."

"I will," Miss Timmons said, glancing at the card. RAINIER UNIVERSITY Blair Sandburg, Ph.D., Professor of Anthropology, Tel 205 555-0173 "Dr. Sandburg."

"Oh, please, just call me Blair." Crouching down to Laurene's height, Blair kissed his daughter on the forehead. "Have a fun day at school, and try not to give Miss Timmons a hard time."

"I won't, Daddy," Laurene promised, running off to explore the classroom.

"You're going to have your hands full," Blair said with a grin, watching as the classroom quickly began to fill up.

"You said it!" Miss Timmons said with a laugh. "It was very nice meeting you, Blair."

"Nice meeting you, too," Blair said, excusing himself to make his way over to his already distracted daughter. "Have a good day," he told Laurene, crouching down to give her a good-bye kiss.

"Love you, Daddy," Laurene said, giving Blair a kiss before running off.

With a chuckle and a shrug of his shoulders, Blair made his way past Miss Timmons and out of the school. A few minutes later, he was in his car driving to Rainier to begin his own day at school.

~oO0Oo~

Dinner that evening was a raucous affair. Blair put the finishing touches on the salad, while Jim stirred the spaghetti into his "secret" sauce and began ladling out the portions onto plates. Blair handed the big salad bowl to Laurene, while letting Jeremy carry the serving tongs to the table. Turning to the oven, he pulled out the lightly toasted garlic bread and slipped it onto a serving plate.

Both children were talking at once, each trying to tell their daddies about the excitement of their first day at school. Jeremy was having the most trouble holding it all in, and once they were settled around the table and had given their thanks, Jim indicated that, as the youngest, he should go first.

"I played with a red car," Jeremy said breathlessly.

Blair nodded, smiling. "That you did. And you made some new friends?"

"Billy and Tommy and Charles and Tammi."

"Tammi?" Jim asked, raising an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound like a boy's name."

Jeremy giggled. "Silly Poppa! Tammi's a girl!" He stopped to fill his mouth with spaghetti, and then, half-chewed, he started in again.

"Whoa, there Sport!" Blair said, grinning. "Finish chewing and swallowing; we can wait."

Chewing furiously, Jeremy swallowed and washed down the food with a gulp of water. "We played games," he continued. "And Dar read us a story. And we had a nap."

"Sounds like you had a busy day," Jim agreed. "Looking forward to tomorrow?" Jeremy nodded his head with enthusiasm as he made headway with the garlic toast in his hand.

"And how about you, Pumpkin?" Blair asked, turning to Laurene. "You've been very patient waiting for your brother. How was your day?"

"Fun," Laurene said, grinning. "We played a bunch of get-to-know-you games. I'm sitting at a table with three other girls: Cindy, Amy, and Pam. And there's a guinea pig in the room, too! Miss Timmons has him in a big cage, but we can take him out during breaks if we ask. His name is Butterscotch because he's a pretty golden tan color," she explained. "And Miss Timmons says we're going to learn our letters and how to write them, and how to read," she continued. "But I already know how to read, so Miss Timmons said she'd give me something more challenging to read."

Blair reached over to ruffle the strawberry-blonde curls on Laurene's head. "You always were a smarty-pants." Turning serious, he asked, "Did you have any problems today? Any trouble with your senses?"

Laurene put down her fork and looked at her daddy. "Not too much," she replied. "The room was a little noisy sometimes and it hurt my ears."

"What did you do about it? Did you talk to Miss Timmons?" Jim asked.

Laurene shook her head. "I just went over to my desk and did this." She hung her head and plastered her hands over her ears.

Blair reached over and gently pulled one hand away from her ear. "Remember what we talked about with the remote control?" Laurene looked up and nodded slightly. "Picture the TV and the remote control," Blair went on. "And then imagine yourself pushing the button that lowers the volume. You can see the volume control on the TV screen go down and down until the sound level is comfortable. Just remember not to turn it down all the way." He smiled. "You still want to be able to hear your teacher and the other kids talking."

"It's easier when you're with me," Laurene admitted.

"I know, sweetheart," Blair commiserated, "but you'll be able to control it. It just takes some practice. And, if it gets to be too much, just tell Miss Timmons you need to go somewhere quiet for a little while."

"I don't want the other kids to think I'm weird," Laurene said, frowning.

"You're not weird," Blair told her firmly. "You're special. Very special. Just like your Poppa."

"Poppa, did you have trouble in school too?" Laurene asked, turning to Jim.

Jim's mouth pressed together in a tight line as he remembered his childhood and he shook his head. "Not too much," he admitted. "But my dad didn't want a freak for a son, so I tried to pretend I didn't have special senses. And when I did use them, nobody believed me anyway."

"I don't want to be a freak either," Laurene said, somewhat alarmed. "Maybe I shouldn't go back to school!"

"No, no..." Blair soothed. "Poppa didn't mean it like that. You're not a freak, and neither is he. Your Grandpa Ellison didn't want to admit that your Poppa was special, but he understands now. We all know just how special you both are and all the good you can do someday with your heightened senses. For now though," he continued softly, "you need to be careful. We're not asking you to not use your senses or pretend you don't have them, but it might be better to try to deal with them just between us for now, and not tell anyone else. Okay?"

Laurene nodded. "Okay."

Talk turned to business at the police station and the university, with the kids adding extra highlights of their day as random memories forced their way through to their conscious minds. The evening was spent watching a Disney movie before the kids were put to bed and Jim and Blair were finally left with blessed quiet in the peace of their own bedroom.

Blair reached into the medicine cabinet of the master bathroom and pulled out a fresh syringe and a vial of estrogen, sighing as Jim walked up behind him and began rubbing his shoulders. "I guess we might as well get this over with," he said, handing the supplies to Jim.

"It won't be much longer," Jim said softly, pulling ten cc's of the clear liquid into the syringe. He watched as Blair pulled down his boxers, no longer entranced by the sight of the naked butt presented to him. Over sixty tiny needle scars marred the perfect skin. They both wanted this; both wanted a larger family, but every time Jim had to give Blair the injection, he winced, knowing the discomfort the treatment was causing his partner.

With no hesitation, Jim plunged the needle home and injected the hormone, then rubbed gently at the injection site for a few seconds before taking Blair into his arms and kissing him. "Love you," he whispered.

They crawled into bed, stripping so that they could lie together, skin to skin. Jim let a hand drift down Blair's chest to caress a swollen nipple. Blair let out a gasp -- half pain, half pleasure -- that turned into a drawn-out moan as Jim's lips covered the rosy areola and began to suckle lightly. When Blair began to hump against him, Jim let his hand drift southward to caress the flaccid penis, stroking and encouraging the organ to fill. After a few minutes, Blair pulled away from his lover, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"I-I can't tonight," he said. "Sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about," Jim countered. "I know what those injections do to your libido. It's not your fault. You're tired; maybe we should try to sleep."

"No. Wait," Blair said, shifting his position slightly and reaching a hand toward Jim's cock. "Why don't you let me try and pleasure you tonight?"

"You don't have to do that..." Jim began to protest, only to be quieted by a finger pressed against his lips.

"It's the least I can do. Please, let me."

With a nod, Jim acquiesced, and Blair turned his attentions to thoroughly debauching his mate. Finally, sated and exhausted, both men found sleep in each other's arms.

~oO0Oo~

"Why you have a suitcase?" Jeremy asked as the morning of September 15th finally rolled around.

"Because Daddy has to go away for a few days, Sport," Jim explained. "He's going to visit with the doctor."

"Is she going to put the baby seed in Daddy's tummy?" Laurene asked.

"Yes, Pumpkin."

"Can we go too?"

"Not right now," Jim explained. "Uncle Simon is going to come and stay with you for the day. After that, Poppa will come back home to take care of you. You can go see Daddy in a couple of days. Okay?"

"Where's Daddy now?" Laurene asked.

"He's still in bed," Jim said. "He's not feeling very well this morning. He got an extra big shot today, and the doctor gave him some special medicine to take to help him relax."

"Can we go say good-bye?"

"All right, but try not to disturb him too much. Your daddy needs to rest right now."

Both kids ran back upstairs and down the hall to the master bedroom. Bursting through the door, they skidded to a halt next to the bed. Laurene reached out to gently shake her sleeping father. "Bye, Daddy. I love you."

"Love you," Jeremy echoed.

"Love you, too," Blair said, his voice thick with the medications he'd been given. "Be good for your Poppa while I'm gone."

"We'll be good, Daddy. I promise. I'll watch Jeremy and make sure he doesn't get into any trouble."

"I won't get into trouble!" the four-year-old protested, trying to climb onto the bed to kiss Blair good-bye.

"You have to stay off the bed!" Laurene scolded. "We're not supposed to disturb Daddy!"

"That's okay, Pumpkin," Blair said, hugging Jeremy and giving him a kiss to the cheek before releasing him. The boy slipped back to the floor and crossed his arms defiantly while Laurene got her hug and kiss.

"It's time for me to take Daddy to the hospital now," Jim said, coming through the door. "Uncle Simon just arrived and he brought a surprise with him."

"A surprise? What did you bring, Uncle Simon?" Laurene rushed pell-mell down the stairs, followed by Jeremy. She skidded to a stop in front of the tall black police captain and wrapped her arms around his legs.

"He brought me," Daryl said, grinning at the youngsters. "He thought he might need some backup for this assignment."

"Daryl!" Two small bodies launched themselves at the young man in complete glee.

While the children were occupied, Jim slipped past them with Blair in tow and got his partner situated comfortably in the truck. They waved good-bye just before driving off.

"Well, this is it," Jim said, reaching over to squeeze Blair's hand.

"I'll be glad when this part is over, and I can get back to normal activity again," Blair groused. "Right now, I feel as if I've been run over by a Mack truck, and I haven't even been implanted yet."

"It's the medications," Jim explained. "For some reason, Lynne thought you needed to be pre-medicated."

"I need to be really relaxed and calm," Blair explained. "The procedure itself is simple enough, but there can't be any stress if I'm going to hold on to the embryos until they're properly implanted and growing... at least one of them."

"Are you nervous?"

"Hell, yes! Or, rather, I would be, if I weren't so doped up. Right now, I really don't give a whoop."

~oO0Oo~

Jim stood in the observation room overlooking the operating theater, and watched as Dr. Lynne Casey implanted the two embryos into Blair's abdomen, just under the peritoneum. He couldn't see much of Blair, since he was draped and surrounded by the surgical team. But he could see the bare patch of skin, and watched the blood well up as the doctor made the tiny incision. A tube was inserted into the opening in Blair's abdomen, and the embryos washed into his body in a stream of nutrient fluids. It only took two sutures to close the gap. The doctor looked up and gave Jim a thumb's up signal.

A few minutes later, Dr. Casey joined Jim in the observation room.

"They'll take Blair into recovery now," she said. "He'll be there about thirty minutes for monitoring, and then we'll move him to his room in the maternity ward. Would you like to sit with him?"

Jim nodded. "He's okay?"

"The implantation surgery is minor and it went very well," Lynne said. "Blair is just fine. What we need to worry about now is whether or not the embryos will attach and grow. This is essentially an ectopic pregnancy, so I'll be monitoring Blair very closely over the course of the next nine months. You've been through this before; you know the drill."

"We haven't done this for a few years," Jim reminded the doctor. "Will Blair's age have an effect on the outcome of the implantation?"

Dr. Casey shook her head as she watched Blair being wheeled out of the operating room and into recovery. "He's still young. The age of the frozen embryos is more a factor than Blair's age. We'll be taking appropriate safety measures this time around to ensure the best outcome."

"Safety measures?" Jim's voice was guarded. He could feel himself slipping toward what Blair called his 'Blessed Protector mode'.

"Bed rest for the first few weeks," Lynne explained. "And frequent check-ups. I'll go into more detail later."

As they talked, they exited the observation room and made their way into the surgical recovery ward. Dr. Casey led Jim over to a curtained-off bed and pulled up a chair so that he could sit beside Blair.

Blair lay flat on his back. The foot end of the bed was raised at an angle so that his feet were several inches above the level of his heart. His skin was ashen, and he looked drawn and tired. Exhaustion had finally overtaken him, and he had fallen asleep.

"That's just the effect of the anesthesia," Lynne said, assuring the Sentinel. "He'll get more color in a few hours."

"He looks so tired," Jim said, picking up one of Blair's hands and cradling it in his two larger ones.

"Well, as you know, this is going to be a great strain on his body," said Lynne. "Pregnancy is a time of great hormonal shifts, and it creates a lot of stress. Women are built for it; men aren't. Blair is going to need a lot of support in the coming months."

"But he's going to be okay?" Jim asked.

Lynne smiled and patted Jim's shoulder. "He's pregnant, Jim. Not dying. He's going to be just fine."

The doctor left, and Jim continued to sit with Blair, rubbing the hand he held and whispering soft encouragements until the blue eyes blinked open and tried to focus on his face. "Welcome back, Sleeping Beauty."

"Is it over?"

Jim nodded. "Yup. Doc Casey knocked you up and now you're in recovery. How do you feel?"

"A little sore." Blair reached with his free hand to rub at his stomach, but Jim intercepted it and gave the hand a squeeze.

"No rubbing or touching for now, sweetheart," he admonished. "We don't want to do anything that might keep those embryos from properly implanting."

"This is our last chance," Blair said, fighting to stay awake. "No more embryos."

"We can make more embryos, Hon, but I don't think we'll need to. You're a great mother. You'll give birth to a healthy son or daughter." Jim leaned in to press a kiss against Blair's cheek. He felt dampness there, and reached up to wipe away a tear. "Hey, no need to cry. Lynne said everything went according to the book."

"Tha's good," Blair slurred, slipping away from Jim as the anesthesia claimed him in sleep once more.

Nurses bustled in and out, checking on Blair's progress. Finally, the orderlies came to move the bed up to the maternity wing. Jim followed along behind, not willing to let Blair out of his sight. Once they were settled in the new room, Jim brought out his cell phone.

"You'll have to step outside to use that," a nurse informed him. "We can't allow cell phones in the hospital."

"But I thought.... We're in the maternity ward."

"Sorry. I'll have the room phone hooked up for you right away, if you need to make a call."

"Thanks, I'd appreciate that." Jim watched the nurse turn to go and waited impatiently until he finally got a dial tone on the bedside phone. "Hi, Simon, it's Jim. Blair just got out of surgery an hour ago. He's up in his room now."

"How's he doing?"

"Still pretty groggy," said Jim. "But the surgery went well. Doc Casey believes we'll get a full-term pregnancy."

"The kids are getting really excited. They'd like to talk to you."

"Put 'em on, Simon." Jim waited until the piping of his daughter's voice came on the line. "Hi, Pumpkin!"

"Poppa! How's Daddy? Is he okay? Can I talk to him?" Laurene's questions came in rapid fire succession.

"Your Daddy is fine. He's resting right now and can't talk on the phone," Jim explained.

"Can we come see him?"

"Not just yet, sweetie. Maybe in a few days, okay?" He smiled as he heard some arguing in the background.

"No, Jeremy! I'm talking to Poppa! Give me the phone!" Pretty soon, Laurene's voice was back, speaking directly to Jim. "Jeremy wants to say hi, too," she explained. "Tell Daddy I love him."

"I will, Pumpkin." A moment later, Jeremy's excited voice shrilled across the phone lines.

"Poppa! When are you coming home?"

"Not for a while yet, Sport," said Jim. "Your Daddy needs me here for a few more hours. I'll be home tonight for dinner, though."

"What'cha going to bring me?"

Jim laughed aloud, and then tried to muffle his amusement when his outburst caused Blair to stir restlessly. "I don't know," he replied honestly. "I'm at the hospital right now, and there isn't much here to bring home."

"Bring me a Wonder Burger!" Jeremy chirped, bringing another chuckle of mirth from Jim.

"You got it, Champ! Wonder Burgers it is. Could you please put Uncle Simon back on the phone?"

A gentle touch on his arm brought Jim's attention immediately to his mate. "I haven't even been gone a whole day yet," Blair murmured, "and already it's Wonder Burgers?"

"You weren't supposed to hear that," Jim said with a chuckle. "Are you sure you're not part Sentinel?"

"Jim?" Simon's voice came over the phone, interrupting the light banter.

"Yeah, Simon. I just wanted to tell you that I'll be home for dinner tonight. I'm picking up Wonder Burgers. Want to stay?" Jim grinned at Blair's grimace over his choice of a dinner meal.

"Might as well. Tell Blair to take care. We'll all be coming to visit as soon as they'll let us."

"I'll tell him, Simon," Jim promised, saying his good-byes and hanging up the phone.

Light blue eyes watched Jim from beneath heavy lids. "How're the kids?"

"Simon's got everything under control," Jim assured Blair. "They'll come to visit in a few days, after you've had a chance to recover from the surgery."

Blair's hand drifted to his abdomen again, this time alighting gently over the incision as his eyes misted over. "We're pregnant," he sighed. "I can't believe it's finally happening. Really happening!"

Jim leaned down to press a kiss against the full, slightly parted lips. "It's really happening. I watched the surgery myself. Lynne says everything went fine. You just need to rest here until she's certain you have a viable pregnancy, and then you can come home."

"I wish I could go home now," Blair sighed. "I know I have to stay here, but it's hard not being able to get out of bed... not being able to see the kids."

"Believe me, you should enjoy this while you can," Jim said with a soft chuckle. "When you get home, you'll have to deal with a pregnancy and two rambunctious sprites climbing all over you. I'll bring the kids by as soon as I get the okay from Lynne. They're anxious to see you, too. I don't think they quite believe me when I tell them that you're okay."

"I'm looking forward to it." A yawn escaped and Blair let his eyes drift closed with a sigh. "Jus' can't seem to stay 'wake," he slurred, frowning.

"Don't try. Get your rest," Jim instructed, settling in a chair next to the bed to watch Blair sleep.

~oO0Oo~

Lynne Casey opened the door to Blair's room around 4:00 in the afternoon. Jim looked up from a magazine he'd been reading to smile at the doctor.

"How is Blair doing?" Dr. Casey asked.

"In and out," Jim answered, laying the magazine on the nightstand. "He wakes up for a few minutes, but seems mostly out of it, then drifts off to sleep again."

"That's because I put a mild sedative in his IV drip," the doctor explained. "Blair is going to need a lot of rest and forced inactivity for the next few weeks. It's best that he stays flat on his back with his feet raised for now. The sedative helps him sleep. That's the best thing for him right now." She walked over to the bed and folded back the blanket. Reaching into a pocket of her lab coat, she pulled out a filled syringe and took the protective cap off the needle. Lifting the hem of Blair's gown, she jabbed the needle home in the exposed flesh of his buttock. After rubbing the area for a few seconds, she pulled the blanket back over her patient.

"He's going to be fine, isn't he?" Jim asked, uneasy over something he couldn't quite define.

"Of course," Lynne said. "What makes you ask that?"

Jim shook his head. "I don't know. It's just..." he hesitated before continuing. "It's just that last night we were... making love, and he... he couldn't... get it up. I tried..." Jim waved his hand in the air before letting it drop into his lap, his voice falling silent.

"Ah," Lynne nodded. "You've been through this before, Jim. Have you forgotten already?" The doctor grinned, softening her reply. "Just try imagining yourself with your body being literally flooded with estrogen. I think you'd have a hard time having an erection, too. This pregnancy is a little different," she explained. "I've upped Blair's dosage of estrogen in the hope that it will help at least one of the implants to take hold. His body is having a bit of a problem adjusting, but it's nothing serious. Men were never meant to go through gestation and childbirth. Your bodies just aren't built for it. Blair is one of the rare individuals willing to take the risks involved with bringing a child into the world in the most natural way possible for a gay couple. He's going to need a lot of support from you and the rest of the family. His lack of performance in bed may begin to weigh on his self-esteem, and it will be up to you to convince him he's still sexy and desirable."

"He is," Jim exclaimed with feeling. "I don't know what it is about his pregnancies, but once he starts to show, it makes me so... horny."

Lynne let out a chuckle. "That's what he's going to need to hear from you. Now, I'm going to have to wake him up." She leaned over the bed and gently shook one shoulder. "Blair? Blair, honey, can you wake up for me? Blair?"

Blue eyes fluttered open and slowly focused on the doctor. "Hey, Lynne."

"How are you feeling?"

"Sleepy," Blair admitted, stifling a yawn.

"How about otherwise?" Lynne persisted.

"Okay," Blair said, lightly rubbing a hand over his belly. "I'm pregnant."

"Yes, you are." Lynne's grin grew ear-to-ear. "Congratulations."

"When can I go home?"

Lynne patted Blair's shoulder reassuringly. "Not for a while yet, sweetheart. You need to lie still and get lots of rest so that those little ones inside you get a chance to attach and grow."

"Uh-huh," Blair agreed, his eyes beginning to drift shut again. "Jim here?" he muttered, before falling silent.

"I'm still here," Jim said, edging in between the doctor and Blair. "But it's about time for me to go home. I promised the kids I'd bring them dinner."

"Wonder Burgers," Blair murmured, managing a slight grimace despite the sedation. "Are you bringing them to see me tomorrow?"

Dr. Casey shook her head at Jim. "I don't think that would be such a good idea right now. Maybe in three or four days."

"I'm sure that they're missing Blair already," Jim protested. "I promised them they could come see their daddy."

"Wait a moment," Lynne said, heading for the door. "There's a Polaroid camera out at the nurse's station. I'll be right back." She ducked out the door and was soon back with the compact camera. "Blair, honey, open your eyes and smile for the camera."

Blair opened his eyes, smiled, and lifted a hand to wave. Lynne snapped the picture and handed the self-developing film to Jim. "You can give that to Laurene and Jeremy, so that they can see for themselves that their daddy is all right. Tell them they can come visit on Saturday."

Jim nodded. "Thanks, Lynne."

"You might want to bring a photo or two of the kids here for Blair, too," she reminded Jim. "I know how attached he is to them."

"Good idea," Jim agreed. He leaned down to press a kiss against Blair's lips. He got a weak response and smiled, brushing the hair back off the wide forehead. "Get some rest, and try not to give Lynne a hard time, okay?" He watched as Blair smiled and nodded, his eyes closed once more. "I'll be back tomorrow morning after I drop the kids off at school, and in the afternoon on my way home from work."

"Who's watching them?" Blair muttered.

"Simon's there now, remember?" Jim said. "And tomorrow, my dad promised to come over to pick them up from school and watch them until I get home. He'll take good care of them."

"They love their Grandpa," Blair agreed sleepily. "G'night, Jim."

"Good-night, Chief," Jim said, leaning down for one more quick kiss. "See you tomorrow."

"T'morrow," Blair agreed.

Jim tucked the Polaroid into his pocket and walked out of the room with Dr. Casey.

"He's going to be just fine," Lynne repeated as they walked down the hall toward the elevator. "You don't need to worry about anything."

"I know. Thanks." The elevator car arrived just as Jim was reaching to push the button. He entered the car and lifted a hand in farewell to the doctor. The last thing he saw of her was her smile.

~oO0Oo~

"Poppa! Poppa!" Twin voices sing-songed as Jim walked in the front door. He set a large white paper bag on the entry table and crouched down to greet his excited children.

"How's Daddy?" Laurene asked. "Did the doctor plant the baby seeds? Are we going to have a little brother or sister?"

"Yup," Jim said, grinning. "I've got something here, but you and Jeremy have to share," he warned.

"What is it? What is it?" Jeremy asked, squirming in closer to be the first to see.

"It's a picture of your daddy. Dr. Lynne took this just before I left to come home. See?"

"He looks happy," Laurene said, noting the smile.

"Of course he is," Jim replied. "He's pregnant, and that makes your daddy very happy."

"Does it make you happy, Poppa?" Laurene wanted to know.

Jim hesitated for a split second, surprised by the question. "Of course, Pumpkin! We both wanted more children, 'cause you two are just so much fun!"

"You wanted more of us," Jeremy chirped.

"There can never be another you," Jim said, playfully poking at Jeremy's nose with his index finger. "But, yeah, we wanted a big family."

"Hey, Uncle Jim!" Daryl walked up and wrapped his long arms around his adopted relative.

"Hey, Daryl," Jim greeted him. He turned to his son. "Jeremy," he said, pointing to the big bag of Wonder burgers, "why don't you take the food over to the table? Laurene, you can help set up the places." Both of the kids ran off, happy to have a chore to keep them busy. Turning back to Daryl, Jim smiled and pounded the young man on the back. "How are you liking the Academy?"

"It's great!" Daryl said, all smiles. "I'm so glad that Blair talked Dad into letting me put off college so that I could attend this session."

"Key words, Sport," Jim admonished. "'Put off'. That doesn't mean you're off the hook for college."

"Oh, I know," Daryl agreed. "I want to go to college. I plan to study law enforcement. Maybe get a degree in forensics."

"Hot topic right now," Jim agreed. They had been walking toward the table as they talked. Simon had helped to distribute the food and they all sat down for dinner.

"Blair would be having fits if he knew about the Wonder Burgers," Simon said with a wicked grin as he took a large bite of his Triple-threat Burger Supreme.

"He knows," Jim said with a knowing wink at his friend. "But he's too doped up on sedatives to care right now."

"How's he doing?" Simon asked.

"Great!" Jim picked up a fry and waved it for emphasis. "The surgery was a snap. He only has two stitches. But he has to stay flat on his back with his feet raised at least until the weekend. Dr. Lynne said it was better if he didn't have many visitors until at least Saturday. I'm going to take the kids that afternoon."

"Maybe I'll wait until Sunday, then," Simon said. "Don't want to overload him if he needs the rest."

"By that time, he'll be going stir crazy," Jim predicted. "You know Blair. Even when he isn't high on caffeine, he's still a whirling dervish. It kills him to have to be so still. But he knows the stakes, so he'll behave himself."

Simon chuckled. The sound was echoed, more softly, from Daryl. "Yeah, once he wakes up, he'll be getting on everyone's nerves until they let him get up and walk around," Simon commented.

"The sad thing is, even when he's released from the hospital, he'll be on forced bed rest for the first ten weeks," Jim said, shaking his head. "It's going to get ugly around here."

"I wouldn't want to be in your shoes," Simon agreed.

After dinner, Simon and Daryl said their good-byes, leaving Jim with the task of settling the children down in preparation for going to bed. He allowed them a half hour of cartoons from a favorite DVD, and then shooed them upstairs for their baths and bedtime routine. By the time he fell into the large king-sized bed, he was exhausted. Still, sleep eluded him, as he lay alone. Jim didn't like not having Blair beside him. He consciously reigned in senses that wanted to range out, searching for his Guide and lover. With a sigh, he resigned himself to being alone. He closed his eyes and tried to find elusive rest.

A half hour or so later, the bed dipped as both Laurene and Jeremy crawled on to curl up with their father. Not questioning his children's needs, but welcoming their presence, Jim finally found the release of sleep.

~oO0Oo~

"We're in a hospital now," Jim reminded the kids as they made their way up the elevator the following Saturday. "We have to keep our voices down, and no jumping on the bed." After a short walk down the hall of the maternity ward, Jim pushed open the door to Blair's room and let Laurene and Jeremy inside.

"Daddy!" the kids chorused, running over to the bed.

"It's about time you showed up!" Blair said. "I've been waiting."

"You look good," Jim commented, surprised at the color in Blair's cheeks and eyes. His partner was alert and seemed to be in a good mood.

"Lynne took me off the sedatives last night," Blair explained. "I guess she figured that she'd kept me in limbo long enough."

"Well, you haven't been the best company lately," Jim agreed. "How are you feeling?"

"Great! I'm ready to blow this joint and go home, but Lynne says I have to stay at least another week to ten days." His mouth turned down in a pout. "Sometimes, I think she just likes to torture me."

"Daddy! Daddy! Look, I brought you a picture!" Laurene handed a piece of paper with a drawing on it to Blair. "It's you, pregnant!"

Blair looked at the stick figure with the long, curling brown hair and the protruding stomach and smiled. "Sure is, Pumpkin. Thank you!"

"Can I see where they put in the baby seeds?" Laurene asked.

"Me too!" Jeremy piped up.

"Have Poppa push that chair over here and you can stand on that," Blair suggested as he folded the blanket down to his groin and pulled the gown up, exposing only the pale patch of his abdomen where the incision had been made. "See? Just two little stitches."

"Does it hurt?" Jeremy wanted to know.

"Not anymore," Blair said. "You can touch it, if you want." Both children reached out curious hands to feel the healing scar.

"There are really babies in there?" Laurene asked. "Your tummy is still so flat!"

"Yup. There are really babies in there -- two of them, so far," said Blair. "Right now, they're so tiny, you'd need a microscope to see them. It takes them nine months to grow big enough to be born. My tummy is going to stay flat for a while yet."

"Do you miss us?" Jeremy wanted to know.

"Are you kidding?" Blair responded, schooling the shocked look on his face. "Of course I miss you. Both of you. And your Poppa." He smiled up at Jim. "It gets lonesome here with nothing to do."

"I could read you a story," Laurene said, pulling one of her favorite storybooks from her book bag.

"I'd love that," Blair responded. "But I can't hold you on my lap right now. You'll have to sit in the chair and read to me."

"Can I sit on your lap, Laur?" Jeremy asked, as his older sister settled into the big chair next to Blair's bed.

"I think there's room for both of you," Jim said, lifting the four-year-old and setting him next to Laurene in the chair.

Laurene opened her book and began to read. When she finished, Jeremy begged, "Read another one! Please?"

"I think that's enough for now," Jim said, noting that Blair's eyelids had begun to droop again. "I think your Daddy needs some rest. He'll be coming home soon. You'll see him again then."

"Love you, Daddy!" Laurene exclaimed, standing on the chair so that she could lean over and kiss Blair.

"Love you, too, Pumpkin," Blair said, ruffling her hair as he grinned. "You, too, Sport." Jeremy stood on the chair and leaned in for his good-bye kiss as well. "You guys behave for Poppa. I don't want to hear that you're giving him or your Grandpa a hard time. Okay?"

"Okay, Daddy!" the children chorused. "We'll be good," Jeremy added.

"When are you coming home?" Laurene asked.

"The doctor says I have to stay at least another week," Blair explained. "You can count the days down on your calendars. Poppa can help you."

"A week," Jeremy moaned. "That's a long time."

"It'll go by really fast," Blair assured his son. "Just you wait and see. With school and all your activities, I'll be home before you know it."

"Oh," Jim said, as they turned to leave. "I almost forgot. I brought some things to keep you occupied." He picked up Blair's old backpack that he had dropped on the floor near the door when they'd come in. He emptied it onto the little table that Blair could pull across his bed.

"Lynne said it would be okay to bring this stuff for you. There are some essays here that need grading. Your T.A. said they had something to do with compare-and-contrast the Maya and Aztec empires?" He piled the blue books onto one corner of the table. "The rest are new and recent anthropology and archaeology journals that I thought you might like to read, and this --" He put a puzzle book and pencil on top of the pile. "Thought you might like to kill a little time doing some sudoku."

Blair looked at the piles on the table and smiled. "Thanks. That ought to be enough to get me through until next week. If not, I'll be sure to let you know."

"Just don't think you have to get everything done today," Jim cautioned. "Pace yourself."

"Don't worry," said Blair, stifling a yawn. "I think I need to start out with an afternoon nap."

"Good choice," Jim agreed. "Simon said he might come by to visit tomorrow."

Blair nodded and grinned. "Great. Thanks."

Jim leaned down to kiss Blair's forehead. "Take it easy."

"Like I have a choice," Blair groused, keeping his voice low as he smiled and waved to the kids. "Good-bye! See you really soon!"

"Bye, Daddy!" came the chorus again.

As the door closed behind his family, Blair let himself drift off to sleep.

~oO0Oo~

Time dragged by for the usually hyper young man. Even with the papers to grade and the magazines to read, even with visits from Simon and Jim, Blair found himself counting the hours and minutes of the days. Finally, his two weeks of enforced inactivity were coming to an end.

Dr. Casey entered Blair's room and opened the blinds to let in some of the rare autumn sunshine, before making her way over to the bed. "I'll bet you're glad to be going home," she said with a grin.

"Not a minute too soon!" Blair declared with feeling.

Lynne chuckled. "And I'll bet you're relieved to be rid of these IVs now, too." Blair nodded his agreement as she pulled out the needle and put some pressure on the puncture before bandaging his arm. Cranking down the foot of the bed until it was level and raising the head end to a 45-degree angle, Lynne smiled at her patient. "Just stay put a while longer. I wouldn't want you to get a head rush trying to get up too quickly," she explained.

"Jim should be here soon," Blair said, glancing at the clock. "I'd like to be dressed and ready to go."

"That can wait," Lynne cautioned. "I have some instructions that I want you both to hear, and then Jim can help you put on your clothes. Don't be in such a rush to leave us."

"Don't get me wrong," Blair said. "I really appreciate all you've done for us, but even if I have to stay on bed rest at home, it's got to be better than here!"

"Marginally," Lynne agreed. "But you'll still have a lot of restrictions, and knowing you, it won't be easy."

"What won't be easy?" Jim asked, pushing the door open and striding into the room. "Hey, look at you, Chief! You've got your head-end up for a change!"

Blair chuckled. "Yeah, it feels really different after two weeks flat on my back!"

"So, let's get you dressed and blow this joint!"

"I'll step out and let you help Blair get dressed," Dr. Casey said. "But before you check out, I have some instructions that I need to go over with the both of you. Open the door and give the nurses' station a shout when you're ready for me."

Jim was already over at the small closet as Lynne walked out the door. He carried over the clothing and laid it on the chair before taking Blair's hands and helping him to sit up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed.

"Steady there," Jim said, as Blair swayed slightly. "It's been a long time since you were vertical."

"I'm okay," Blair said after a few seconds. "Help me get this stuff on."

Jim slipped Blair's feet through the leg openings of both his boxers and his jeans before helping his partner to stand on shaky legs and pull up the clothing. Lowering Blair into the chair, Jim pulled the T-shirt over his head as Blair threaded his arms through the sleeves. Then, Jim knelt to put on Blair's socks and shoes.

"There you go," Jim said at last. "How does it feel?"

"Good! Really good!" Blair exclaimed, grinning. The grin was quickly wiped from his face as bile rose in his throat and he turned a little green. Jim quickly grabbed an emesis bowl from the nightstand and shoved it under Blair's chin, just before he threw up.

As Blair continued to cough and spit, Jim moistened a paper towel and brought it over for Blair to wipe his mouth.

"Thanks, Jim." Blair looked up at his partner. "Could you get me a drink of water?"

Jim nodded and went into the bathroom to fetch a cup. Once Blair had a sip, he got some of his color back. "Well, I guess that answers that question."

"What question is that?" Jim asked, puzzled.

"I'm really, truly pregnant," Blair answered with a wide grin.

"Oh, joy," Jim sighed, as he went to open the door and alert the nurses' station. "Morning sickness has begun."

Lynne Casey arrived a few minutes later, grinning at the couple. She was pushing an empty wheelchair, which she parked next to the chair where Blair was seated.

"All right, you two. Looks like it's time for those last minute reminders." Lynne began ticking off the instructions on her fingers. "Bed rest for the next ten weeks," she began. "That means I want you in bed 24/7 until the end of your first trimester. The first four weeks, you'll be allowed up for a shower once a week and for bathroom breaks. Luxuries like shaving or brushing your teeth will also need to be done from bed."

Blair grimaced. "Do you have any idea how inconvenient that is?"

The doctor nodded, but continued on. "If you want to make absolutely certain that this pregnancy takes, and that you don't lose both the embryos, you'll do it." It was Blair's turn to nod in understanding. "After four weeks, you can get up to use the bathroom, and I'll allow you a 10-minute shower every other day. You can spend time with the kids, so long as they aren't crawling over your belly. You can be propped up with pillows for a half hour two to three times a day. And once a week, I'll allow you up for a maximum of one hour for family time. However, you should limit the activities to things you can do while sitting -- watching TV, reading, playing board or video games... things like that. All right?" She looked back and forth between the two men. "I'll expect to see you for regular check-ups every two weeks during this time. After the first trimester has passed, if I like what I see, I'll release you for engaging in limited activities. I don't want you back at work or doing anything strenuous until I say so."

"And how long might that be?" Blair asked, mentally cringing at the forced inactivity.

"Hopefully, by your mid second trimester," Dr. Casey answered. "It depends on how well you're feeling and how the babies are doing. Meantime, limited means limited. Walking the kids to school, short driving trips, light housework; no heavy lifting, no extended time on your feet. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," Blair replied, grinning. "Now can I blow this joint? I've had enough of pink floral wallpaper to last a lifetime."

Lynne chuckled. "Well, the maternity wards weren't set up with male pregnancies in mind," she reminded him. "I brought your ride," she said, indicating the wheelchair. "If you have any questions at any time, just give me a call. Of course, the same goes if you experience any problems."

"Can you give him something for the nausea?" Jim asked, remembering the prior pregnancies and how much the morning sickness took out of his partner.

"I'd rather not, at this point," Lynne said. "Let's see how it goes, and if the nausea is still a major issue at his four-week check-up, I'll consider it then."

"Thanks, Lynne," Blair said sincerely, pushing up out of the chair to transfer himself to the wheelchair. Jim was immediately at his side, helping him up and making sure he was settled in the wheelchair.

"Straight home and into bed," Lynne called out to them as Jim began to push Blair out into the hall.

~oO0Oo~

"What's that?" Blair asked as they pulled up in front of the house. A large wooden ramp stretched from the sidewalk to the porch of their home.

"Just what it looks like, Chief," Jim said, getting out of the truck and coming around to the passenger side to help his partner down. "It's a wheelchair ramp."

"But we don't own a wheelchair," Blair argued, frowning.

The front door opened and William Ellison emerged, pushing a wheelchair filled with two squirming, excited children.

"We do now." Jim's grin spread ear-to-ear as he watched his family approach.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Laurene and Jeremy hopped out of the still moving chair and ran to meet their father, wrapping small arms around his legs in greeting.

"Welcome home, Blair," William greeted, pushing the chair up to where Blair waited next to the truck. "I'll bet it feels good to be home."

"I suppose," Blair said doubtfully, easing himself reluctantly into the chair. "I thought I might get a little exercise before I was forced back into bed, though."

"Complaining already," Jim said with a good-natured chuckle. "Lynne said for you to take it easy and I'm going to make sure that you do. Now, stop moaning and enjoy the ride."

The children skipped alongside as Jim took over pushing the wheelchair up the ramp and into their home. He parked it at the base of the stairs and set the brakes. Blair pushed himself to his feet and grabbed the handrail, but before he could take the first step, he felt an arm at his shoulders and one at his knees, sweeping him off his feet.

"Jim! Put me down!" he protested, sputtering at the indignity of being carried. "I'm not one of the kids. I'm too heavy for you to be carrying!"

"Why do you think I work out at the gym?" Jim answered, putting a foot on the first stair. "It's so I can sweep you off your feet like a fair damsel."

"I'm not a damsel, dammit!" Blair hissed softly so that only Jim would hear him swear.

"No, but you are in a delicate condition right now," Jim argued. "This would be easier if you'd put your arms around my neck."

Blair sighed and twined his arms around Jim's neck, resting his head on one shoulder. When they reached the bedroom, Jim put him down gently on the bed.

"Let's get those clothes off and get you comfortable," Jim said, bending to take off Blair's shoes and socks. Blair sat passively as Jim stripped him naked, then handed him a mint-green nightshirt with "Baby On Board" printed on the front.

"Cute, Jim. Really cute," Blair muttered as his partner fluffed a pillow and pulled the blanket up to about mid-chest as he settled onto his back. "What now?"

"Well," Jim said, handing him a remote control, "you could try out your new toy." He nodded in the direction of the opposite wall, where a plasma screen TV hung at an angle from near the ceiling. "I thought you could watch your favorite cable documentaries."

"Oh, Jim! Where did you get the money for that?" Blair moaned. "We're going to need the money for medical expenses and the baby!"

"Dad wanted to help out," Jim explained. "He bought the wheelchair and had the ramp installed, too. He's going to have one of those chair lifts put on the staircase so that I won't have to keep carrying you up and down."

"That's too much!" Blair protested. "He needs to think about his retirement. He can't be spending so much money on us!"

"Blair, Dad's got more money than he knows what to do with. This makes him happy. We've given him his first grandchildren and he wants to spoil them and do things for you." Jim patted Blair's shoulder and smiled. "Just grin and say thank you."

William Ellison appeared at the bedroom door with two children in his wake. "May I come in?"

Blair waved him over to the bed and smiled. "Thanks for the TV. It's going to come in really handy over the next couple of months."

"Jim told me how you have to stay in bed, on your back," William explained. "There's not a whole lot you can comfortably do from that position."

"I really appreciate it," Blair said, finding sincerity coming quite naturally.

"Daddy!" Laurene had crawled onto the far side of the bed, followed by her little brother, and was making her way across the wide mattress to Blair.

"Off the bed!" Jim commanded gently. "Daddy needs to rest. Come over to this side, and you can talk to him," he suggested.

The children circled the bed and came to stand next to Jim. "Are you sleepy, Daddy?" Laurene asked.

"No, not a bit," Blair answered truthfully. "But I have to stay in bed for the next couple of months."

"Won't you get bored?" his daughter queried.

Blair arched an eyebrow at Jim, who shrugged. "Yeah, I'm sure I will," he answered. "But having you two around will help."

"What about when we're in school?" Laurene continued her interrogation.

"I can read, or watch TV, or... sleep," Blair suggested. "I don't know, Pumpkin. This is pretty new to me too."

"I can bring my Hot Wheels and we can play cars on the bed," Jeremy suggested.

Blair reached out to tousle his son's dark hair. "That we could," he agreed. "But right now, I think I need a little time to adjust to being home and bedridden. If you don't mind, could I have a little time alone?"

"Sure thing, son," William agreed, hustling the children back out into the hall. "Holler if you need anything."

Once they were alone, Jim leaned down to press a kiss against Blair's forehead. "I'm going downstairs to get your supplies and bring them back up here," he said.

"Jim?" Blair's soft voice stopped his partner's retreat. "Have you found a caretaker for me yet? I'm going to need a babysitter for a while, since you can't afford to take two months' leave."

"Simon has given me two weeks off," Jim explained. "We'll interview some in-home nurses and find somebody we both like."

"She'll have to take care of the kids, too," Blair said. "And cook; maybe pick up the house a bit."

"We'll look into it," Jim promised. "Meanwhile, don't worry. It's all going to work out."

As Jim left, Blair let his hand drift to his stomach. "You're barely more than a few cell divisions big," he said to his unborn children, "and already you're putting me through hell. You'd better thrive in there and make this all worth it." He clicked the power on the remote and started surfing through the channels of his new TV.

Jim returned five minutes later. "Uh, Jim?" Blair hesitated as his partner put the supplies in the bathroom medicine cabinet. "Could you, ah, bring me some reading materials too? Like those journals you brought to the hospital, or some of the books from my office?"

"Sure thing," Jim said. "I'll drive over to the university after lunch and see what I can get that will be entertaining for you."

"Thanks, Jim." Blair watched as his partner walked toward the door of their bedroom. "Love you."

"Love you, too, sweetheart." Jim gently closed the door behind him, leaving Blair alone to contemplate his new prison for the next few weeks.

~oO0Oo~

The sound of hammers and drills a few days later woke Blair from an unintentional nap. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and craned his neck to see out the small crack in the door that was his only view to the hallway outside.

"Jim? Hey, Jim!" Knowing the Sentinel would hear him over the noise, Blair made no effort to strain his voice. When his partner's head appeared in the doorway, he frowned and pointed toward the noise. "What the hell is going on out there?"

"Sorry," Jim said, coming into the room and closing the door. "The workers have come to install the chair lift. It should only take a few hours."

"A few hours? And what am I supposed to do in the meantime?" Blair asked, frustrated at his inability to escape the clamor.

"Read?" Jim suggested.

"I ran out of stuff to read yesterday," Blair said, throwing a journal onto the floor. "How the hell does Lynne expect me to stay in bed for ten fucking weeks? It's been five days here at home and I'm stir crazy already!"

Jim came to sit on the edge of the bed, his soothing touch calming Blair's shattered nerves. "You know what this is for," he said softly. "You agreed to it, remember?"

"Can I have my shower now?" Blair asked plaintively. "It's been nearly a week. Lynne said I could have a shower once a week."

Jim stood and pulled back the blankets. "I suppose that's not too far out of line," he said. "But I'm taking it with you. And it's going to have to be short."

"Yeah, I know," Blair replied, struggling to keep the grin off his face as Jim helped to pull him into a sitting position.

"You stay put," Jim said, heading for the master bathroom. "I'll get the water started and then come back for you."

Blair listened as the water began to hiss in the large shower stall and watched with appreciation as Jim emerged, naked, from the bathroom to get him. "You know, I could have walked in there by myself. I'm not an invalid."

Pulling the nightshirt off over Blair's head, Jim tossed it on the floor with the other dirty laundry before wrapping an arm around Blair's waist and helping him to his feet. "Don't be too sure about that," he teased as Blair swayed slightly. "You've been off your feet for nearly three weeks, including your hospital stay."

They tottered carefully into the bathroom, Jim never relinquishing his hold on his Guide and lover. Stepping into the shower, Blair sighed with contented relief as the warm water sluiced through his hair and down his body. Soapy hands began to caress his sides and hips, coming up to cup and hold the small breasts that had already begun to form, thanks to the extra dosage of estrogen the doctor had given him. He sighed as Jim's thumbs played over the nipples, sending tendrils of desire to his groin. His cock ached and his testicles throbbed with need, but despite his desire, no erection was forthcoming. As Jim's fingers drifted down his abdomen to caress his genitals, Blair could feel the hardness of Jim's cock against his ass. He moaned, both from desire and disappointment, knowing that intercourse was denied them during the initial trimester.

Jim moved on to Blair's hair, taking a minimal amount of shampoo and scrubbing through the greasy tendrils, rinsing thoroughly but quickly.

All too soon, the water was turned off, and Blair found himself standing in the bathroom with a towel wrapped around him. Jim made fast work of getting Blair dry, rolling his hair up into a towel turban.

Blair took the opportunity to use the toilet before Jim steered him back out into the bedroom, grabbing a clean nightshirt from the dresser drawer. He removed the towel from Blair's head, pulling the shirt over the wet mop of curls and letting Blair struggle into the sleeves. After that, Jim continued to squeeze the water from Blair's hair until it was barely damp. Covering the pillow with a dry towel, he helped Blair back into bed.

"Feel better now?"

"Could I sit up until my hair is dry?" Blair struggled up onto his elbows to look at Jim. "If I lie here flat on my back with this," he tossed his head, making the curls bounce, "I'll end up with something resembling a bad Afro."

Jim chuckled and gathered more pillows to stack behind Blair's shoulders. "I suppose, but just for an hour or so. I'll go see if I can find you some more books or journals that you haven't memorized yet."

"Thanks." Blair smiled up at Jim. "But you know what I'd like better?" He waggled his eyebrows and patted the mattress beside him.

"Oh no, Casanova. You heard what Doctor Casey said about that."

"She didn't say that I couldn't pleasure you," Blair pointed out. "She didn't say we couldn't kiss, caress, or hold each other."

Jim, who was still gloriously naked, grinned and circled the bed to crawl on from the other side. "Dad's here," he said as he straddled Blair, peeling the nightshirt off once more to reveal the small mounds that grew up from the hairy chest. "He's supervising the installation of the lift, so we shouldn't be disturbed."

"Good," Blair said, pulling Jim's head down until their lips met. Mouths opened and tongues danced, each man savoring the other, as they hadn't been able to do for the past few weeks.

Jim's hand found the mound of one small breast, his thumb brushing over the nipple, making it rise and harden under his touch. Blair moaned and arched up beneath him, pressing into the touch. Jim pushed him back down gently, then moved so that his mouth enveloped the hard nub. He began to suckle, rolling the nipple around in his mouth, taking a large portion of the small breast between his lips.

Blair groaned, wriggling his hips as electric sensations shot uselessly to his groin. Jim moved down Blair's body, laving his abdomen with his tongue, playing with the minute scar that was their only proof that Blair was pregnant. Finally, he took the limp penis into his mouth, sucking gently, teasing the sensitive glans with his teeth as one hand cupped Blair's testicles, rolling them carefully between long fingers.

Slowly, Jim moved back up the precious body, repeating his ministrations of love as he went, until he once more connected with the full lips of his lover. Wrapping an arm around Blair's shoulder, Jim pulled them both onto their sides, guiding Blair's hand to where his erect cock throbbed between his legs. Blair's fingers curled around the shaft and his eyes glittered with mischief.

"How about we try the '69' position, Jim? That would allow me full access, while still staying on my back the way Lynne wants."

Jim nodded at the logic of the suggestion. "Just give me a minute here." He shifted his body, once more straddling his lover, but this time with his cock hanging tantalizingly over Blair's mouth. Blair took him in, his tongue swirling over the ridges and veins of the hard organ. Testicles also came within easy reach, and Blair stopped his work on Jim's cock to give attention to the dangling orbs. He sucked in first one, then the other, rolling the testicles around in his mouth until Jim cried out for him to stop.

"God, Blair! We have to keep this quiet," Jim insisted. "My dad's out there, and so are half a dozen installation guys."

"I'm not the one making the noise," Blair pointed out, taking a break from his teasing of Jim's genitals.

Jim snorted and lowered his cock back into Blair's mouth to shut him up. Blair cooperated by creating a suction that pulled on Jim's small reserve of control, drawing him quickly to the brink of completion. With a strangled cry, Jim's orgasm overtook him, his cock pumping semen into Blair's mouth.

With a haggard sigh, Jim carefully rolled to his side onto the mattress to avoid crushing his partner beneath the weight of his sated body. Reorienting so that they were face-to-face, he cupped Blair's jaw in his palm and placed a gentle kiss on the parted lips. They lay there for a few moments before Blair noticed....

"It's quiet."

Jim cocked his head and listened. "They've stopped for a lunch break," he announced, rolling off the mattress and heading into the bathroom. "That means Dad will be checking up on us soon to see what we want."

"Great." Blair reached for his discarded nightshirt and slipped it back on, while Jim did a quick wipe job with a wet cloth before pulling on his clothes.

A knock at the door heralded the arrival of William Ellison. "You boys need something to eat? It's nearly twelve-thirty."

Jim went to the door, cracking it open. "Yeah, we're getting a little hungry," he admitted. "How about I come downstairs with you and we fix some sandwiches?" He gave a backward glance toward Blair, who was smiling and waving, as he slipped out into the hallway, closing the door behind him.

~oO0Oo~

Jim's two weeks of leave were quickly drawing to a close, and they were no nearer to finding a caregiver for Blair than they were the day he'd come home from the hospital. Desperate, Jim had combed through the classified and personal ads, looking for someone who could both take care of the house and kids, and keep a bedridden Blair happy. The women who had come to the interviews never passed muster with the picky Sentinel, leaving Blair to sigh in frustration.

"You're going back to work in three days," Blair complained. "And I'm stuck here in bed for another eight weeks. We have to do something! You're going to have to lower your standards a little, Jim. You keep scaring off potential caregivers."

"None of them were good enough for you and the kids," Jim stated emphatically. "If I have to, I'll take more time off work."

"We can't afford that, and you know it," Blair pointed out. "I'm on unpaid leave for the duration of my pregnancy, or until Lynne releases me to do some light work at the university. Your income is all we have right now."

"Leave it to me. I'll figure it out," Jim said, turning toward the bedroom door. "It's time you got a little rest."

Blair watched as Jim left, closing the door behind him. "A little rest," he murmured. "That's all I get these days: a little rest, and a little more."

Downstairs, Jim set out breakfast for the kids. "Hurry up, you two. We're running late already."

"Coming, Poppa!" Laurene skipped in from the living room, where she'd been watching cartoons, bringing Jeremy along with her. They settled themselves on the high stools of the kitchen bar and set about digging into their cereal.

Jim gathered their coats and backpacks, making sure they had lunches packed and everything they needed for another day at school. He was setting the items near the front door when William Ellison arrived.

"We're in a bit of a hurry, Pops," Jim said, letting his father into the house.

"No problem," William said, smiling as he made his way toward the kitchen to greet his grandchildren. "I'd be happy to stay here with Blair until you get back."

"Thanks," Jim said, pouring William a glass of orange juice. "I'd really appreciate that."

"Have you had any luck finding someone to watch Blair and the kids?"

Jim shook his head. "No, and time's running out. Blair's right when he says I can't afford any more time off right now, but I haven't found anyone I really trust to be there for him."

"Why haven't you asked me?" William queried. "Sally and I would be happy to watch after Blair and take care of the children."

"Oh, we couldn't," Jim protested. "Both of you are retired. You're not getting any younger, Pops," he pointed out. "Blair is very demanding. He calls me upstairs every fifteen minutes or so. And then there are the kids. They're so full of energy; I doubt you'd be able to keep up with them."

"They're in school for the bulk of the day," William pointed out. "And now that we have the chair lift installed on the stairs, getting up and down won't be a problem. Besides, I'm not that old yet. I still have some spring left in my step."

"But Sally..."

"Sally was the one who suggested it to me," William countered. "She hasn't had children to look after since you and Steven left home. Her eyes light up at the thought of having someone to take care of again. Blair is family, and family takes care of its own."

"I'd have to talk it over with Blair," Jim hesitated.

"Go on, talk to him!" William said, making shooing gestures with his hands. "I'll walk the children to school this morning."

"Yay! Grandpa!" Jeremy slipped down from his stool to wrap small arms around William's legs. Jim looked on skeptically.

"If you're sure."

"Of course I'm sure. How soon do we have to leave?"

"Five minutes," Jim replied, turning his attention on the children. "If you need a bathroom trip, take it now," he ordered, "then get on your coats and be ready to leave. Don't give your grandpa a hard time, you hear me?"

"We'll be good, Poppa," Laurene promised, running to get her coat and backpack. "Hurry up, Jeremy! Grandpa is taking us to school today!"

Jeremy made a quick detour to the downstairs bathroom, then hurried to the door and put on his coat. "Bye, Poppa!"

"Bye, Squirt! Bye, Pumpkin!" Jim waved as his two children ran out the front door ahead of William.

"Go talk to your young man," William said as he closed the door behind him.

~oO0Oo~

Upstairs once more, Blair watched the Sentinel pace beneath the overhead plasma TV. "What is it, Jim? Something bothering you?"

Jim shook his head. "No, not bothering so much," he started. "Dad suggested that he and Sally could take care of you and the kids."

Blair's eyes lit up. "What did you tell him?"

"That they were getting a little too old for so much running around," Jim said, blushing slightly.

"Aw, Jim.... You should be ashamed! Bill and Sally would be perfect! They love the kids already, Sally's a great housekeeper and cook, and they're family! You gotta trust family."

"I'm just afraid that having you here upstairs, with everything else downstairs, might be a bit too much for them."

"They're perfectly healthy and fit," Blair argued. "And there's the chair lift now. Besides, I'm not that big of a bother."

"Oh?" Jim asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "Then why is it that I'm called up here every fifteen minutes to tend to some little trivial thing?"

"Because I'm lonesome and I enjoy your company," Blair said candidly. "I wouldn't bother Bill or Sally that much. Honestly. Look, Jim... this is Friday. You go back to work on Monday. We don't have anyone to watch me, the kids, or the house. Why don't you let them give it a try and we'll see how it goes. If you're still uncomfortable with the idea, it will at least give us more time to find someone to hire full-time."

"I suppose," Jim agreed. "There's no one I would trust more with you and the kids than Sally and Dad."

"See? There you go!" Blair said, smiling triumphantly and folding his arms across his chest. "Problem solved!"

"We'll see," Jim murmured, not totally convinced.

Blair glanced at the bedside clock. "It's 9:15 and I have an appointment with Lynne at ten," he said, tossing back the blankets. "Are you going to help, or do I have to do this by myself?" He swung his legs over the side of the bed and pushed up to a sitting position.

"Stay put!" Jim ordered, fetching fresh underwear and some clothes.

The nightshirt Blair had been wearing flew over Jim's head to land just outside the bathroom door. He sat, gloriously naked, waiting for Jim to bring him his clothes.

"You're not just a little excited about this, are you?" Jim asked, chuckling as he handed Blair a shirt that was quickly donned.

"Are you kidding?" Blair asked as he stepped into his boxers, then his jeans, sitting back on the bed so that Jim could do his socks and shoes for him. "I've been locked up in this room for two weeks! I'm ready for a little change of scenery."

"Maybe so, but you're taking it easy," Jim admonished. He helped Blair to stand on wobbly legs, and the pair made their way slowly out of the bedroom and to the flight of stairs. Blair settled himself on the lift and, pressing a button, rode the chair down the stairs as Jim walked beside him.

Taking the last few stairs ahead of Blair, Jim fetched the wheelchair and brought it to the base of the stairs.

"Oh, come on, Jim! It's just a short walk out to the front. I can see the truck from here!" Blair complained as Jim helped him get seated.

"You're not supposed to be on your feet, Chief," Jim reminded him. "Until Dr. Casey says otherwise, you play like you're an invalid."

"A few more weeks of this, and I will be!" Blair complained.

~oO0Oo~

Blair sat on the exam table with his legs over the side, swinging them in time with the tune playing in his head. Jim sat quietly in a chair next to the exam table, waiting for Dr. Casey to arrive.

Lynne bustled in, smiling at her patient. "It's good to see you, Blair! How are you feeling?"

"Besides going stir crazy in bed twenty-four hours a day?" he replied with a touch of humorous sarcasm. "Okay, I guess."

"Well, we'll just see about that," Lynne said, taking her stethoscope and checking Blair's heart and lungs. "All right. So far, so good." She came to stand at Blair's side, wrapping her arms around Blair's right arm and helping him down from the table. "We're just going to step over here and get your weight," she explained, leading him to the scales. A minute later and she nodded approvingly. "You've put on two pounds. That's to be expected. Good! At least that means you're getting enough to eat."

"When he can keep it down," Jim commented.

"Are you having much trouble with nausea and vomiting?" Lynne asked.

Blair nodded, looking miserable. "Almost every meal. All day long."

"Well, you seem to be getting enough nourishment, despite the emesis," the doctor commented.

"That's because I don't get any exercise," Blair complained. "All I do all day is read, watch TV, or sleep."

"I know this is tough on you," Lynne commiserated. "But you have a particularly delicate pregnancy this time. I just want to make sure that everything is set and going properly before I turn you loose on the world. How about urination? Constipation?"

"I pee like an elephant," Blair said, wrinkling his nose. "I don't think either of the other pregnancies had me peeing quite this much."

"Again, that's normal in early pregnancy, especially with the possibility of carrying twins," said Lynne. "Have your bowel movements been normal?"

"Sometimes. Sometimes I'm a bit constipated," Blair admitted. "Is there a good chance I might actually be carrying twins?" he asked. "I thought you said the probability of that was low."

"Low, given the age of the frozen embryos and the fact that this is a male pregnancy," Dr. Casey hedged, "but not impossible. You knew that going into this pregnancy. Carrying twins would also account for the acute nausea and the increased frequency of urination. If you need something to soften your stools, I can give you something mild that should help without affecting the fetuses."

"Thanks. I'd appreciate that," said Blair.

"All right, now," Lynne said. "I want you to lie back so that I can give you a good once-over." After Blair had settled on his back, the doctor pulled the gown down from his neck, exposing the tender new mounds of his small breasts. She carefully palpated the mounds and checked the nipples. Blair drew in a hiss at the touch. "A little sensitive, are we?" Blair nodded, biting his lip as the doctor continued her exam. "That's normal, too. You have a massive amount of estrogen in your system right now. But the tenderness should subside by your second trimester. Something to look forward to."

Dr. Casey pulled the gown back up to Blair's shoulders, then lifted the hem. She inspected the insertion site, probing with a delicate touch. "I can feel the formation of the embryonic sac. It feels a bit like an egg at the moment. That's good. You seem to be developing normally."

"See, Champ?" Jim said, squeezing one of Blair's hands. "I told you it would all be worth it. You're doing great."

Lynne continued her exam by checking Blair's genitalia. "Have you felt any arousal since you've been home?" she asked, pulling the gown back down.

Blair shrugged. "Some. Jim still touches me, even though we can't have sex. I feel the tingle of arousal sometimes," he admitted, "but it's never gone so far that I've had an erection. I don't think I could have an orgasm now if I wanted to."

"Just as well," Lynne said, smiling gently. "That kind of stimulus might endanger the fetuses at this stage." She helped Blair to sit back up, steadying him when the change in position created a head rush of dizziness. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just a little dizzy," said Blair. "It's fading; I'm fine."

Lynne nodded. "All right, then. I'm going to take a little blood to run some standard tests, and I'm going to need a urine sample." She handed Blair a urinal. "You can do that while I go get what I need to draw the blood."

After Dr. Casey had left, Blair looked mournfully at the urinal.

"Would you like me to step out?" Jim asked, willing to give his partner some privacy if he needed it.

"Nah, that's okay," said Blair. He positioned the urinal beneath his gown and produced his sample. Jim took the bottle and placed it on the doctor's desk. Moments later, there was a light knock at the door.

"Are you decent?" Lynne's voice filtered through the door.

"Come on in," Blair said.

The doctor came in and quickly set up to draw the blood sample. Blair winced slightly as the needle dug into his skin, but sat quietly as Lynne drew out three vials before removing the needle from his arm.

"There. That does it," she said, holding the blood vials up for Jim and Blair to see. "If you don't hear from me, just assume that everything was normal. I'll call if there are any irregularities. So... any questions?"

"I've got another eight weeks of bed rest," Blair stated flatly. "Any chance I could have a break now and then?"

"You're doing well enough that I'll release you to a half hour downstairs with the family each evening, so long as you remain sitting," the doctor said. "And you can have a 10-minute shower daily. Other than that... rest, rest, rest. I'll see you in another two weeks and we'll reassess then." She made some notes in Blair's file and then turned to smile at the couple. "I'll leave now so that you can get dressed. I'll see you in two weeks; same day, same time."

"I'll make sure he gets here," Jim promised. After the doctor had left, Jim helped Blair dress and took him home.

~oO0Oo~

"Daddy! Daddy!" Laurene and Jeremy chorused their excitement that night after dinner when Jim helped Blair downstairs to the couch in the living room. Blair settled himself, and then made room for the children to nestle beside him. He snuggled and hugged each in turn.

"It sure feels good to get to come down here and be part of the family again!" Blair said.

"Can we see your tummy?" Laurene asked, tugging up Blair's shirt.

"You'll need a little more than that, Pumpkin," Blair said, unzipping his jeans so that the kids could see the incision site.

Laurene put a hand on Blair's belly. "There's a baby in there?"

"Maybe two," her daddy responded. "Press a little harder. Dr. Casey said it feels like there's an egg in my tummy."

His daughter's sensitive Sentinel fingers probed his abdomen, her eyes lighting up as she felt the round hardness just below the thin layer of muscle. "I still can't believe you're pregn'nt," she said grinning.

"It's still a little hard for me to believe too," Blair admitted. "But Doctor Lynne says everything is going according to schedule."

"How much longer until you can come downstairs all the time?" Jeremy asked. "It gets lonesome with you gone all the time."

"Why don't you get me your calendar?" Blair suggested, giving little Jeremy a push up to help him off the couch. The youngster ran up to his room and was back down again in minutes, handing his calendar to his father. Blair flipped the pages, finding the month of October and pointing to the thirteenth. "That's today," Blair said. "Now we have to count eight more weeks..." They counted the weeks, turning the calendar pages as they did so. Blair pointed to the square marking December 8th. "Somewhere around here is when I should be allowed back downstairs again," he said. "At least I'm out before Christmas!"

"But we'll have to spend Thanksgiving in our bedroom," Jim teased. "I can see us all camping out around the bed, like Indians circling the wagon train."

The children giggled and Jeremy jumped up, holding two fingers up in a "V" behind his head like a feathered head dress and "woo-wooing" with his hand over his mouth like an Indian war dance.

"Native Americans," Blair the anthropologist corrected with a smile, reaching out to snag Jeremy and pull him in for a hug.

The kitchen timer jangled and Jim stood up. "Time to take your daddy back upstairs to bed," he announced.

"Ah, come on, Jim. It was a short half hour, and I'm feeling just fine," Blair argued, wanting to spend more time downstairs with his family.

"If you want to spend more time with the kids, they can come upstairs and you can read them their bedtime story," Jim said, bringing the wheelchair over and helping Blair off the couch. "But for now, up you go."

Laurene and Jeremy followed as their daddy was taken back upstairs to bed. Laurene ran to get her favorite book: "Goodnight Moon." They settled on the bed while Blair, with the flourish of a great storyteller, read the quiet rhyming story to the two enthralled youngsters.

Afterward, Jim hustled the children into their bedrooms to get ready for bed, then went back to help Blair out of his day clothes and into his nightshirt.

"It's been quite a day, I'll bet you're tired," Jim said, settling Blair comfortably.

Despite his earlier protests, Blair had to stifle a yawn. "Yeah, it's been busier than most," he admitted. "Are you going to come to bed with me; give me a little company?" He patted the mattress with a mischievous grin.

"Just as soon as I get the munchkins settled for the night," Jim replied. He leaned down to kiss Blair and then went across the hall to deal with the two children. When he returned to their bedroom, Blair was already sound asleep.

~oO0Oo~

"Jiiiim? Hey, Jim!" Blair glanced at the bedside clock, which read 2:55 PM. He angrily shook the remote control in his hand, tapping the battery case before pointing it at the TV once more. "Jiiiiim!"

"Mr. Jim has gone back to work," Sally said, puffing slightly from her run up the stairs. "What is the matter?"

Blair blushed and turned to the elderly oriental woman. "I'm sorry, Sally. I've just gotten so used to calling for Jim.... The batteries in the remote seem to have died, and 'Days of Our Lives' starts in five minutes!"

Sally took the remote and headed for the stairs. "I will be back in minute," she promised.

True to her word, Sally was back before three o'clock. With a sense of relief, Blair turned on the TV, switching channels until he settled on his favorite afternoon soap opera.

"Thanks, Sally. You're a lifesaver!" Blair said with a grin, throwing the housekeeper a kiss. Blushing, Sally nodded and backed out of the room, closing the door behind her.

~oO0Oo~

Time moved slowly for the confined man. Hours turned to days, turned to weeks. Blair's only breaks consisted of his nightly family time, brief showers, and trips to visit the doctor. Good news finally came to him in mid November.

"I'm not quite ready to release you from bed rest yet," Lynne explained, "but I think it's only fair that you should be able to join the family downstairs for Thanksgiving dinner." A small cheer went up from both Blair and Jim at that pronouncement. "I highly suggest eating lightly," the doctor said firmly. "You're still experiencing a lot of nausea, and stuffing yourself won't help. Keep the portions small, and take only your favorites. Don't feel like you have to taste everything at the table."

"Besides, there'll be leftovers for all that," Jim chimed in. "Sally always goes overboard when she cooks the Thanksgiving meal."

"See? That takes care of that little problem," said Lynne, grinning at her patient. "Your pregnancy is developing quite well. I think that at your next visit, your twelve-week check-up, that we should be able to hear the heartbeat using the Doppler ultrasound."

"Will we be able to tell if we're having twins?" Blair wondered.

"If we can hear the heartbeat, we should be able to tell," the doctor said with a grin. "But I can't make promises. The position of the fetuses can make a difference, especially this early in a pregnancy." She gestured to the clothes folded on the end of the exam table. "That's it. Go on home and enjoy your Thanksgiving, gentlemen!"

"Happy Thanksgiving, Lynne," Blair said, squeezing the doctor's hand in appreciation. "See you in about two weeks."

~oO0Oo~

The large dining room table nearly groaned under the weight of all the different dishes Sally had cooked up for their Thanksgiving feast. Steven had been invited to join the rest of the family. The only missing member was Naomi, who was off in the wilds of Tibet learning some new meditation technique.

Blair took his seat at the end of the table, sitting next to Jim. At the head sat William Ellison, patriarch of the family, the roast turkey sitting in front of him, waiting to be carved. The children sat along one side, squirming in their seats, anxious to get the food on their plates. Steven sat across from the children, and there was a place for Sally at his side.

William stood, folded his hands and bowed his head. "Dear Lord, we give thanks for the bounty you have placed before us, for our family and loved ones, for those who could not be with us today. We ask your blessing on the hands that prepared this fabulous meal, and on our mother-to-be, who is approaching the end of his first trimester. Watch over and bless him, that this time next year our family will be increased in size. Thank you for all that you do, for the peace of our country and the wisdom of its leaders. In Jesus name we pray. Amen."

"Amen," echoed around the table just moments before hands began reaching for the large serving bowls, passing the food around the table. William carved the turkey and soon sent a platter of juicy meat circling the eager hands.

Blair took very small portions of the turkey, some dressing, a spoonful of cranberry, and a black olive. Steven looked at the meager portions and picked up the bowl of mashed potatoes, handing them in Blair's direction. Blair shook his head, covering his mouth with his napkin.

Jim turned to his partner with a concerned look. "Are you feeling all right, Blair?"

"Not so good," Blair managed to choke out. "I think I'd better go lie down on the couch before I spoil everyone's meal."

"Daddy!" Jeremy started to push back his chair as Blair got up, but William's hand on his shoulder kept him in his seat.

"Eat now, son," William instructed. "Your daddy will be back. He's just not feeling very well right now."

"It's morning sickness," Laurene explained to her little brother.

"But it's not morning!" Jeremy chirped, confused by the term.

Laurene schooled her features until she looked quite grown up, despite being only six years old. "That's just what they call it. Daddy has it all day long. He just needs to get away from the smells for a little bit."

"Is he a Sentinel, too?" Jeremy wondered.

"No, Sport," Jim answered his son. "But since his pregnancy, some of your daddy's senses are a little more hyperactive than normal. It's not unusual when you're carrying a baby in your tummy."

"Oh." Jeremy nodded and turned his attention back to the mound of mashed potatoes and gravy that took up over half the space on his plate.

Jim ate just enough to satisfy his hunger, then excused himself to go sit in the living room with Blair.

"If this is too much for you, I can take you back upstairs," he suggested. "Maybe if I brought you your plate up there, you'd be able to eat." The tangy smell of salt accosted his nostrils and Jim saw the tear that tracked down Blair's cheek.

Blair choked back a sob as he shook his head. "I don't want to go upstairs! I want to be down here with our family. Lynne gave me permission to be up and around today, and I don't want to spoil it by going back to bed."

Jim wrapped an arm around the shaking shoulders, pulling Blair's head to his chest. "But you're not feeling well," he said softly. "You're not enjoying yourself down here, either. Maybe what you need is a little rest. You could come down later." Jim felt the dampness soak his shirt as Blair's tears turned to earnest crying.

"I-I'm sorry," Blair choked on his tears. "I'm being such a wuss today. I don't know what's wrong with me."

Jim tipped Blair's chin up so that he could look into the clouded blue eyes. "You're not being a wuss," he said softly. "You're high on hormones and they're making you sick. You want to spend time with the family, but you know you should go back upstairs. There's nothing wrong with you that a little nap won't cure."

"Can't I nap right here?" Blair pleaded. "I want to stay downstairs."

William appeared over Jim's shoulder. "You're going back upstairs to bed, young man," he ordered gently. "We'll see you again in an hour, after you've had a chance to rest up. I'll have Sally keep your plate warm, and Jim can bring it up to you after you've had a nap. Then, if you're feeling up to it, you can come back downstairs and join the family in a game of Scrabble."

"The kids like Chutes and Ladders," Blair said lamely, allowing himself to be carried to the chair lift and taken back upstairs to bed.

Jim quickly stripped Blair of his street clothes and tucked him into bed. Kissing his partner's forehead, he smiled down at him tenderly. "I'll come back and check on you in an hour, okay? If you're feeling better, I'll bring up the food."

"Thanks, Jim," Blair replied softly, tears still threatening to fall as he sniffed them back and wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. "I hope I didn't spoil things for the rest of the family."

"Of course you didn't!" Jim said firmly. "We're just concerned about you, that's all. You'll feel better in a little bit, and then you can come back down, all right?"

Blair nodded, suddenly feeling very tired as his eyes began to droop shut.

"Sweet dreams, Chief." Jim watched from the bedroom door, listening for the evening out of Blair's breathing, for the slowing of his heartbeat that meant his partner was sleeping peacefully. Then he closed the door and went back downstairs.

"How is he?" Steven asked when Jim came back to sit at the table.

"Sleeping," Jim said, allowing a small grin to crinkle the corners of his mouth. "Poor kid... the pregnancy has been hard on him, but he's a fighter. He'll be back down here in an hour or two. Just wait and see."

~oO0Oo~

Blair finished the small portion of his Thanksgiving meal, handing the plate back to Jim.

"How do you feel?" Jim asked, running a quick sensory sweep of his partner.

"Not too bad... a little queasy, maybe," Blair said hesitantly. "If I lie here for five minutes, I'll be fine."

"Do you think you're ready to come back downstairs?"

"Hell, yes!" Blair's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. "There's no way I'm missing my day with the family. I've seen more than enough of these four walls the past six weeks!"

With a chuckle of agreement, Jim helped ease Blair out of bed and back downstairs to spend time with their family.

~oO0Oo~

Two weeks later, it was time for Blair's first trimester checkup. Emerging from the shower, he rubbed his hand over the slight bulge in his abdomen. "I wonder if we'll be able to hear the heartbeat this time?"

Wrapping his arms around his partner from behind, Jim cradled his precious bundle. "It's a little early still, isn't it?"

Blair placed Jim's hand over his baby bump and covered it with one of his own. "Yes, a little, but with the new equipment they have these days, it's not outside the realm of possibility."

"Well, let's see, shall we?" Jim asked, guiding Blair over to the bed. He pressed Blair into a sitting position on the mattress and then knelt between his legs, pressing his ear to the slight swell. He shifted once or twice, then froze in place. Nervously, Blair reached out to touch Jim's shoulder, grounding him.

"Are you all right?" he whispered.

"Shhh..." Jim replied, concentrating on the soft whooshing sound. After a minute, he looked up, capturing Blair's eyes. "I think there are two heartbeats."

Blair shook his head, astonished and fearful. "There can't be!" he exclaimed. "Dr. Casey said that only one would survive."

"She said that only one probably would survive," Jim corrected. "She implanted two viable embryos."

"You must have heard the baby's heartbeat and mine, then," Blair insisted.

"Yours is a strong, steady beat," Jim explained. "What I heard was a soft whoosh-whoosh sound. But there were two, slightly out of synch with each other."

Blair swallowed the lump that was rising in his throat and tried to control the fear that threatened to overwhelm him. "No. It can't be. I-I wanted a simple pregnancy this time. One without complications. A twin pregnancy... oh, God...."

Jim wrapped his arms around his shivering mate, holding him until Blair began to calm down. "We'd better get some clothes on you before you freeze," he said gently, reaching for a shirt to pull over Blair's head. "Pops is coming soon, and he'll watch the kids while we're gone. Try not to worry about the pregnancy. Everything is going to be fine."

"Easy for you to say," Blair murmured as he pulled on his clothes and headed downstairs for breakfast.

~oO0Oo~

Dr. Lynne Casey put away her stethoscope and smiled. "You're doing remarkably well. I'm more than comfortable with taking you off bed rest. But you'll have to confine your activities to light workouts, nothing strenuous."

"I promise," Blair said with relief. "I was getting a bit tired of looking at the same four walls every day."

"I can imagine," Lynne chuckled. "You're good to go for short walks, light housework, and playing with the kids, so long as you avoid rough-and-tumble."

"What about the heartbeat?" Blair asked. "Can you hear it now?"

"Not with my stethoscope yet," Dr. Casey admitted, "but it might be possible with the Doppler." She turned to pull the portable ultrasound device around to the side of the exam table. "Want to give it a try?"

Blair nodded. "Jim listened this morning, and he swears he heard two heartbeats!" He looked slightly worried as he lay back down and bared his abdomen.

Dr. Casey smeared the probe with cool lubricating gel before pressing the instrument onto Blair's abdomen and slowly moving it around. A short while later, a quiet whoosh-whoosh filled the room. Lynne smiled. "There it is!"

"Can you hear more than one?" Blair asked, looking between the monitor and his doctor.

Lynne cocked her head and moved the Doppler slowly around the area of the heartbeat. A slight overlapping whoosh could be heard. She pressed her lips together and shifted the Doppler again.

"Well?"

The doctor turned her attention to her patient as she wiped the worst of the gel from Blair's stomach and pulled down his gown. "It's hard to tell at this point. Often, the heartbeat can be heard in different locations. That doesn't necessarily mean there are two babies."

"But I heard two distinct heartbeats," Jim told her.

"Well, your Sentinel senses might be better than my equipment, but I honestly can't confirm that right now. The second sound we heard could have simply been an echo. You're twelve weeks now; by eighteen weeks, we should know for sure. That's just another month and a half."

"What if it's twins?" Blair asked.

"What if it is?" Lynne countered. "Would you be unhappy having two more children?"

"No! Oh, no, it's not that!" Blair protested. "I-I was just hoping for an uncomplicated pregnancy for a change."

"If it's twins," the doctor said kindly, "you may experience more of the uncomfortable aspects of pregnancy, such as prolonged morning sickness, indigestion or edema. We'll also have to watch you closely for hypertension and anemia. But other than that, and making sure you take things easy, there's no reason a twin pregnancy should be any harder on you than a single."

"There you go, Chief," Jim said gently, resting a hand on Blair's shoulder. "Nothing to worry about."

"I hope you're right," Blair mumbled, sitting up.

"Unless you have any questions or problems in the meantime, I won't need to see you again until after the first of the New Year," Dr. Casey told her patient. "Just remember to keep the activity below the marathon training level. After all, I still consider you a high risk case, even if I don't expect any real problems."

"Thanks, Lynne. I'll be sure to keep an eye on him for you," Jim responded with a twinkle in his eyes. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas to the two of you as well. Just remember," she turned her gaze back to Blair, "that you have a full two weeks to prepare for the holiday. Use them. It doesn't all have to be done this afternoon."

"Yes, ma'am," Blair responded with a grin. He hopped off the exam table and retrieved his clothes. A few minutes later, they were on their way back home.

"Jim! Stop the car!" Blair shouted excitedly as they drove down Pacific Avenue toward home.

Jim swerved in his lane, nearly colliding with another vehicle as he made a sharp right turn onto the next side street and pulled over to the curb. "What's the matter? Are you all right?" His hands were all over his Guide, senses checking for anything out of the ordinary.

"I'm fine!" Blair said, batting the hands away. "Could you drive back a block, please?"

Flustered, Jim turned the truck around and drove back down the street in the direction from which they'd come. "There!" Blair said, pointing to an antique shop. Jim turned into the parking lot, pulling up in front of the door.

Blair hopped out and went to the front display window, lovingly eyeing an antique chaise lounge, upholstered in a rich burgundy and gold tapestry fabric. "This is perfect!" He sighed with contentment, looking at the piece of furniture.

"Perfect for what?" Jim asked, frowning at what appeared to be a useless couch without a back.

Blair made for the front door of the shop, eagerly going inside for a closer look. He ran his hand over the upholstery and smiled. "Perfect for lounging, of course! This would sure beat lying in bed when I have to rest. I could watch TV and feel like a king."

"More like a queen," Jim mumbled.

Blair reached out to slap Jim's arm. "Cut that out! Really, Jim, I've been dreaming of finding something just like this. All those weeks of bed rest would have been much easier to take if I'd had something like this to lie on for a little variety."

Jim lifted the price tag and grimaced. "They want six hundred for it!" He shook his head. "Sorry, Chief, but we'll have to look elsewhere. That's a little rich for our pocketbook right now."

"Yeah, I suppose," Blair said, his face falling into a frown of disappointment. "Maybe we can find something new at a cheaper price."

"Yeah, maybe," Jim agreed. "Look, why don't you go back out to the car and let me talk to the owner of the place. Maybe I can talk him down to something reasonable."

Blair's face lit up with hope. "You'd do that for me?"

"Hell, I almost creamed the truck getting here for you, so why not?" Jim replied, shooing Blair out the door. "Wait in the truck."

"Wait in the truck. Wait in the truck," Blair mimicked on his way out. "It's always, wait in the truck."

Jim chuckled at his partner's complaining and went to find the owner of the shop. They walked over to the lounge and began to dicker over the price.

"I'm afraid I can't go lower than five-fifty," the shop owner said. "This is a genuine Victorian chaise, made of solid walnut and newly upholstered with an expensive Chenille Jacquard fabric."

"I'll give you four-fifty," Jim bartered, hoping to bring the price down a bit more.

The shop owner sighed, thinking over the offer. "Five hundred. That's the best I can do."

"Sold!" Jim said, whipping out his wallet and credit card. "Can we leave it in the window display for now? It's a Christmas present for my partner," he nodded toward the truck, "and I don't want him to know I bought it."

"Of course! I'll put a 'sold' notice on it and hold it until you want to come pick it up."

The transaction finished, Jim headed back out to the truck.

"Well?" Blair asked. "You were in there a long time."

Jim sighed. "The shop owner was stubborn. He wouldn't come down and there's just no way we can afford that lounge. I'll tell you what," he continued as Blair's face fell in disappointment, "after Christmas we'll go out looking for something more affordable. I promise."

"All right," Blair said with a sigh. As Jim pulled out of the antique store's parking lot, he gave the lounge one last, long and loving look.

~oO0Oo~

Christmas had always been a big affair in the Sandburg-Ellison household once the children had arrived. Jim took the kids out to pick out the tree, while Blair stayed home untangling the lights and sorting through the various glass balls and ornaments.

As Christmas Eve arrived, the children ran around excitedly. This was their first Christmas in the new house, and their first time with a real fireplace and mantel. Blair had spent the day with the kids baking cookies, and Laurene carefully set a plate of them, along with a glass of milk, on a chair next to the fireplace for Santa. At six-and-a-half, she already knew that "Santa" was her two daddies, but she couldn't resist playing up the tradition for the sake of her little brother.

Jeremy came into the living room with a plate of his own sporting eight carrots. "For the reindeer!" he explained, setting the plate next to Santa's cookies and milk. "They need something special too."

"Right you are, Sport!" Jim said, ruffling the dark curls on his son's head. "Now, off to bed, the both of you. Santa won't be coming until after you're both sound asleep."

"Yes, Poppa!" the children answered in chorus as they ran up the stairs to their bedrooms.

"All that's left is getting the presents out of their hiding place," Jim said with a sigh. "Why don't you go on up to bed, too? You've had a busy day and, one of us, at least, ought to get a good night's sleep."

"Okay," Blair reluctantly agreed. "But hurry up, would ya? That bed can get awfully cold and lonely."

"I'll be up as soon as possible," Jim promised, watching as Blair rode his lift chair up the steep flight of stairs to the second floor. He waited, listening as Blair checked in on the children before heading to their own bedroom. Once he heard the door to the bedroom open and close, he went about fetching in the gifts.

~oO0Oo~

"Thanks, Simon. I couldn't have done it without you."

After the gifts had been stowed beneath the tree, Jim had called Simon to let him know the coast was clear. The Major Crimes Captain had been all too happy to help Jim out with moving the chaise lounge from its hiding place in Simon's garage to the living room of the Sandburg-Ellison home.

"You'll be here tomorrow afternoon?" Jim inquired. "Dinner will be served around two o'clock."

"I'll be here!" Simon acknowledged, tipping an imaginary hat in a farewell salute to Jim as he made to depart for the evening.

Jim climbed the stairs to the bedroom, already exhausted and knowing the day would start early tomorrow. Blair was curled on his side, facing Jim's side of the bed, but from the deep, even breaths, Jim could tell his partner was already sound asleep. Taking care not to disturb Blair, Jim slipped into bed beside him. He placed a soft kiss on the wide forehead, smiling as he whispered, "Good-night, Chief. Sweet dreams."

The next morning was chaos. Jeremy woke his parents by landing a flying leap onto their bed.

"Get up! Get up!" Jeremy cried. "It's Christmas!"

"Oof!" Jim exclaimed, grabbing the exuberant youngster. "Careful where you land! Your daddy is in a delicate condition right now."

"Not that delicate," Blair replied, throwing back the covers and gathering Jeremy into a hug. "How are you this morning, Sport?"

"Good! I wanna go downstairs!"

"Where's your sister?" Jim asked, peering out the door and stretching his hearing. It didn't take long to find her.

A shrill voice from downstairs cried, "Santa came! He ate the cookies and milk!"

Jeremy was downstairs moments later, crowing that, "The reindeer ate the carrots, too!"

As Jim and Blair made their way slowly down the stairs, the children launched themselves at the tree, burrowing through the presents, shaking boxes and checking tags for their names.

Blair wrapped his robe a bit more tightly around him and ran a hand through sleep-tousled hair. "You can each pick one to open now," he announced. "Then we're going to have a civilized breakfast before we tear into the rest of them." The kids looked slightly disappointed, but were soon distracted by the large gifts placed in their laps.

After breakfast, the house looked like a confetti factory had blown up. Pieces of colorful paper and ribbons were strewn everywhere, and the children were happily playing in the middle of it all with their new toys. One gift remained, tucked behind the tree. Blair plucked it out of hiding and handed it to Jim.

"Hope you like it," he said quietly, grinning because, inside, he knew the answer.

Jim ripped off the wrapping with the abandon of one of the children. What he uncovered took his breath away. His hand stroked over the finely crafted handle of the custom fly fishing rod.

"You needed something better than you had," Blair explained into the awed silence. "I had it specially ordered for you from a little place in Vermont that makes custom rods."

"This must have cost you a small fortune!" Jim breathed, noting the high-end reel that was nestled in the box next to the rod.

Blair shrugged. "I'm working now and making a good salary. You needed something special this year."

"Can't wait to try it out!" Jim put the two pieces of the rod together and made some practice casts to see how it felt. "This is incredible!"

"You're worth it." Blair wrapped himself around Jim and planted a kiss squarely on his partner's mouth.

When they finally broke free of the embrace, Jim carefully laid the rod aside. "I've got something for you, too." He took Blair's hand and led him across the room to where the antique chaise lounge stood, tucked away in a corner.

"Oh my God, Jim! You got it!" Blair's face lit up like a child's and he threw himself down on the lounge, stretching out and resting his head on the upholstered arm. "How do I look?"

"Like a pampered queen," Jim teased. At Blair's annoyed look, he quickly changed the subject. "Simon said he'll help me get it upstairs to the bedroom after dinner today."

"Oh, geez! I have to get started! The morning's wasting away already and dinner won't fix itself!" Blair got up and bustled into the kitchen, getting several handfuls of potatoes out of the bin. He began scrubbing, prior to peeling. "Could you get the water on to boil?" he asked Jim.

Jim took Blair's place at the sink, gently pushing his lover away from the work. "Go upstairs, take your shower, and get dressed. After that, you can take over and I'll get cleaned up. Go on," he insisted when Blair hesitated. "The kids will be occupied the rest of the day. I'll keep an eye on them," he promised.

Reluctantly, Blair headed for the stairs. As he was riding the lift up, he gazed lovingly at the chaise in the living room. It was a good Christmas, he mused.

~oO0Oo~

"I just want to say thank you, again," Simon commented, pushing his chair away from the table and dabbing at his lips with a napkin. "Since I had Daryl for Thanksgiving, Joan insisted on having him over for Christmas. Can't say that I blame her, but that's left me alone. I appreciate being included in your family's celebration."

"Simon, you are family," Blair insisted. "It wouldn't be the same without you here. If Daryl had been with you, he would have been invited as well."

Simon patted his full stomach and sighed appreciatively. "Well, I guess this means it's time for me to pay for my supper. Are you ready to move that furniture upstairs, Jim?"

"Just let me help Blair clear the table," Jim said, standing and gathering some plates.

"The kids can help," Blair said, shooing Jim away from the kitchen sink. "If there's still work to do when you get back downstairs, you can help."

"You should be resting."

Blair frowned, drawing his eyebrows down and giving Jim a stern look. "Lynne released me for light work, and I'm going back to Rainier at the start of the term," he said. "I'm perfectly capable of clearing a table and putting away a few leftovers."

"Leave him be," Simon said to Jim, steering the overprotective Sentinel out of the room. "He's a big boy now."

"And getting bigger by the day," Jim mumbled, following Simon into the living room.

It was a struggle getting the heavy piece of furniture up the stairs, but they eventually succeeded, getting it into the bedroom and positioned where Blair had said he'd like to have it placed. Returning to the kitchen, the two men helped with the final clean-up, insisting that Blair sit on the couch and entertain the kids while they finished the work.

~oO0Oo~

The evening was relaxing. The lights on the tree and a few candles scattered around the room were the only illumination. Jim, Blair, and Simon finished the last crumbs of their dessert, delayed from dinner, since everyone had been too full at the time.

"Thanks again for a lovely day," Simon said, gathering his coat and heading for the door. "See you back at work on January second."

"See you, Simon," Jim agreed, nodding. "We enjoyed having you over. Thanks for the help with Blair's lounge."

"No problem. Good-night." Simon headed down the front porch stairs as Jim closed the door.

"Good-night."

Jim turned to Blair and gathered him in his arms. "Merry Christmas."

"Mm-hmmm..." was all Blair managed as his voice was muffled by the kiss.

"You go on upstairs," Jim insisted when the tender moment ended. "I'll put the kids to bed."

"Good luck with that," Blair said with a chuckle, noting that the two youngsters were still busy with their Christmas booty.

"Leave it to me," Jim said, shooing Blair toward the stairs.

It was a full forty-five minutes later before Jim was finally able to walk into their bedroom, exhausted from the day's events. What he saw caused him to do a double-take. Blair was lying on the chaise lounge, wearing only his draw-string sleeping pants; his hands covered the small mounds of his breasts, his hair hung down over the arm of the lounge, and his eyes were closed. The mound of his pregnant belly was prominent, looking for all the world to Jim as Blair had looked at about seven months along in his other pregnancies. He wasn't quite four months into this one.

[ approximate placement of "communingsigned.jpg" ]

A long, low whistle caused Blair to open his eyes. "I thought you'd never get here," he said softly. Slowly lifting his head, he swung his feet over the edge of the lounge and sat up. "I have one more Christmas gift for you." Standing, Blair walked over to their bed, stepping out of the soft flannel pants before climbing onto the mattress. "Come and get it." He patted the bed and smiled seductively.

Despite his earlier weariness, Jim stripped quickly and joined Blair in bed. Their bodies twined together, moving with a practiced rhythm. Sounds of their lovemaking drifted softly into the hall, blessing the house with peace.

~oO0Oo~

January blew in with a light dusting of snow. Blair pulled his coat more tightly around him as he made the awkward dash from his car to the doors of Hargrove Hall. Inside, he cupped his hands together and blew into them, trying to get warm. Picking up his briefcase, he headed for his office, anxious to get it organized and get his syllabus written before the beginning of the new term.

On the second floor, just outside his office door, Blair ran into Paul Johnston, head of Rainier's Archeology Department. "Good morning, Dr. Johnston," he greeted the man with a nod. Barely acknowledging Blair's good wishes with a return nod, Johnston slipped into his office and closed the door. Blair sighed and entered his own office. While the Anthropology and Archeology Departments were closely related, Blair didn't have much reason to cross paths with the reserved professor, except that their offices were across the hall from one another. Paul Johnston had been less than friendly ever since the dissertation disaster that threatened to end Blair's career in academia. They had something of a "cold peace" going, wherein neither bothered the other more than was absolutely necessary.

Shrugging off the chance meeting, Blair settled to the task of organizing his desk and getting his materials gathered for the course in general anthropology that he would be teaching. Dr. Casey had insisted that he only teach one class this term. He was allowed to keep regular office hours, so long as he didn't stay late to catch up on the work. If he needed one, he had promised Lynne he'd ask for a T.A. to assist. This term, classes would be on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule, leaving his Tuesdays and Thursdays free in the afternoons.

The day went quickly, and by two-thirty Blair had completed his syllabus. Tomorrow would be time enough to gather his teaching materials, as classes didn't start again for another week. Satisfied with his day's work, Blair headed back to his car, stopping along the way home to pick up the kids from school.

"How did it go today?"

Laurene was bouncing in her seat, barely able to contain her excitement. "We're going to have a school play!" she announced.

"That sounds like fun," Blair said, grinning at his daughter. "What's it going to be about?"

"We're doing 'Alice in Wonderland', and I get to be Alice!" Her blue eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Whoa! That's wonderful!" Blair reached over to tousle the strawberry blonde curls. "You'll be perfect for the part!"

"You and Poppa will come to see me, right?"

"Are you kidding? We wouldn't miss it for the world!" Blair exclaimed. "When is it going to be?"

"Some time in March, I think," Laurene answered. "We're going to have costumes and a really neat set and everything!"

"Can't wait!" Blair said, pulling into their driveway.

The kids piled out of the car, but instead of heading straight into the house, they began playing in the snow that had fallen earlier in the day.

"Come inside," Blair insisted, "and get into your play clothes. Wear something warm!" He watched with amusement as the two children practically flew up the stairs to their bedrooms in order to change and go out to play in the snow.

Blair sat at the kitchen island drinking a mug of coffee as he reviewed his work for the day while keeping one eye on the children who were trying to build a snowman in the backyard. Good luck, he thought with a grin. There was barely an inch of snow on the ground. Not even enough to cover the blades of grass or close the schools. After about an hour, the exhausted and chilled children trudged back into the kitchen, shedding their wet outer clothing and boots at the back door.

"How about some hot chocolate?" Blair suggested. He went to the microwave to heat the water, then made two mugs with mini marshmallows. "Just be careful," he cautioned. "It's hot." The kids took their treat into the living room and turned on the TV to watch afternoon cartoons.

It was with relief that Blair turned to the front door at four-thirty to greet Jim, who had come home early. "You look beat," Jim commented, gathering Blair into his arms for a welcome home kiss. "How did it go at Rainier?"

"Good," Blair said. "I got my syllabus written and got the office organized. I'll be ready when classes start on Monday. What are you doing home so early?"

"I thought you might need a break after a long day," Jim admitted. "And it looks like I was right. It's my night to cook, so why don't you go upstairs and take a little nap? I'll call you when dinner's ready."

"Thanks." Blair gave Jim a little kiss on the cheek as he passed, headed for the stairs. In the bedroom, Blair quickly fell asleep, exhaustion overcoming him now that he was able to pass his responsibilities off onto Jim.

That night, after the children were tucked into bed, Jim gathered Blair in his arms. "You're not going to overdo with this teaching thing, are you?" He let a hand stroke over a bare shoulder and drift down to the mound of Blair's belly. "Just carrying our child is work enough."

"I'm taking it easy," Blair assured him. "I just have to get used to going back to work again. After all, I was laid up in bed for twelve weeks. It's going to take a little time to get my stamina back."

"I just don't want you to wear yourself out," Jim said, concerned. "Maybe I should have Pops come over in the afternoon to watch the kids so that you can take a nap."

"I don't want you bothering your dad for this." Blair covered Jim's hand with his own and imagined feeling the life stirring within him. "I can handle it."

"Your check-up with Lynne is less than two weeks away. If she confirms that you're carrying twins, she may restrict your activity."

"Let's wait and see," Blair insisted. "Until then, how about making me feel sexy?" The hormones coursing through Blair's body had made him feel anything but sexy for several months. Small breasts had formed where once he'd had a flat, hairy chest, and his genitals had decreased in size. He couldn't even see his penis anymore, thanks to the overhang of his belly, and it had been months since he could achieve more than just a partial erection. He felt emasculated and ugly.

~oO0Oo~

Just the opposite was true in Jim's eyes. As Blair's body changed, developed, and grew with burgeoning life, he found his lover all the more attractive. His protector instincts were at an all-time high, which often left Blair feeling irritated and helpless. But tonight, he could atone for all that by making his lover feel beautiful.

~oO0Oo~

"You are sexy," Jim said, his voice a low growl. He rolled Blair onto his back and let gentle hands caress the curves. He cupped the small breasts, not even an "A" cup in size, in the palms of his hands, then leaned in to suckle gently on the rosy nipples. Blair groaned, hands rising to caress Jim's head, to keep him there, giving attention to the sensitive, hard nubs. Jim's mouth left the nipples and found Blair's mouth, devouring the taste of his lover as Blair gave back in equal measure.

The body beneath Jim's hands was beginning to get slick with sweat. The arousal coursing through Blair's body like lightning heated him with passion. As the kiss deepened, Jim let a hand drift down to Blair's neglected cock. Blair bucked beneath him at the contact, needing, wanting more. He caressed the lax organ, coaxing some of Blair's passion to fill it and make it hard. He could feel his lover straining to comply, but without success. A moan, like a choked sob, erupted from Blair's throat, breaking the kiss.

"It's all right," Jim crooned, kissing both eyelids, stroking his free hand through the damp tendrils of hair plastered to Blair's forehead. "I love you just as you are. You're the most beautiful person in the world right now."

"I want it to be more," Blair said, his voice still full of unshed tears.

"Shhh... This is enough for now," Jim insisted. "You know how much I love your pregnant body." His hand caressed the mound of Blair's belly, already huge for just four months gestation. "Nothing is more beautiful than this. You humble me. I could never do what you're doing. To me, it makes you the sexiest man on earth."

"You mean that?" Despite two other pregnancies, doubts still persisted in Blair's mind, fueled by estrogen and the physical changes he was undergoing.

"Roll over, and let me prove it," Jim said, helping Blair to shift onto his right side. A lubed finger breached the tight ring of muscle in Blair's ass, causing his lover to moan and shiver in anticipation. A second followed the first, stretching the opening even more. A gentle thrusting motion caused Blair to toss his head and cry out.

"God, Jim, please! Now!"

Grinning, Jim pulled his fingers out of the prepared opening and replaced them with the real thing. His cock slid inside effortlessly, filling his lover as he wrapped protective arms around the rapidly chilling body. Blair cried out again when his orgasm washed through him.

As Blair's ass tightened around Jim's cock, rhythmically squeezing to the beat of his heart, Jim felt his own completion wash over him. He filled the tight opening with his seed, then pulled the blanket over them, laying twined with his lover until nature took its course and his penis slipped limply from Blair's body. They would shower in the morning. For now, it was enough to hear the quiet breathing of Blair asleep, and to smell the musky scent of their love.

~oO0Oo~

"It's good to see you again, Blair," Lynne said, grinning. "How was Christmas?"

"Great! We had Simon over, and Jim bought me this wonderful antique chaise lounge. It's perfect for naps or watching TV when I want to be alone for a while."

Dr. Casey had Blair lying on his back, wearing only a hospital gown as she gave him a thorough physical. Blair endured the doctor poking at his breasts, rolling his nipples and trying to extract a drop of colostrum.

"Ow."

"Sorry," Lynne apologized, pulling the gown back up to cover Blair's breasts. "It's early for the colostrum, but since you seem to be developing so quickly...." She raised the bottom of the gown, giving Blair's genitals a cursory inspection before focusing on the growing belly. "And how are things going at Rainier?"

Grateful for the distraction from the exam, Blair smiled. "We've been in class for two weeks now. The kids this term are great."

"Any questions about your obvious condition?"

Blair chuckled. "Oh yeah. But we got that out of the way in the first fifteen minutes. I let them ask whatever they wanted, and then we dove into discussing the basics of anthropology and what we were going to be covering this term. They haven't asked me about it again."

"Well, that's good," Lynne said, finally pulling the gown back down into place. "You don't want your condition to interfere with the class. How are you holding up physically? Getting tired?"

"The days are pretty long," Blair admitted. "But I only have the one class, and I'm keeping shortened office hours."

"Have you thought about bringing in a T.A. to help?"

"Already have one. Dr. Marcus insisted I have help, whether I thought I needed it or not."

"Good. I'm glad to hear that. The less strain on you, the better. So," Dr. Casey said, making some notes on her clipboard, "are you ready to invite Jim in and we'll have another listen to the heartbeat?"

"Sure thing."

"Jim, you can come in now." Lynne held the door open and waited as Jim took a seat next to the exam table.

"So, how is he, Doc?" Jim asked, reaching for Blair's hand as he sat.

"In perfect health, and the baby is doing fine," Dr. Casey replied. "We're going to try the Doppler again to listen for the baby's heartbeat."

"Don't you mean babies' heartbeats... plural?" Jim winked at Blair before turning his gaze on the doctor.

"That's what we're here to find out for certain," Lynne said, spreading the lubricating gel on the Doppler's probe. "Just lie back, Blair, and relax." She lifted the dressing gown, exposing the mound of Blair's belly. Pressing the probe to the right of Blair's navel, she began moving the instrument around until the rapid and distinct whoosh-whoosh of a fetal heartbeat could be heard on the monitor. "There's one," she confirmed with a grin. "Let's see if we can find another in there." Moving the probe to the left, she circled the area, dropping down toward Blair's pubic region before picking up the sound of the second heartbeat.

"Well, there you go," Lynne said, leaving the probe in place so that both men could listen to the distinctive sound. "You called it, Jim. You two are going to be the parents of twins."

A groan escaped Blair's lips at the pronouncement and he rubbed a hand over his belly. "So, now what? What does that mean for the pregnancy?"

"Nothing that you need to worry about," Lynne assured the expectant father. "All male pregnancies are high risk, as you know. This just ups the odds a little more. I'd like to see you every two weeks from now until your thirtieth week, and then once a week after that until we're ready for the birth. Of course," she continued, "if you have any problems or concerns, you can call and come in anytime."

"Should he restrict his schedule more?" Jim wondered. "He's working at the University five days a week."

"Three full days and two half days," Blair corrected. "And I haven't been having any problems. I've been taking it easy."

"I don't see any reason to further restrict Blair's activity," the doctor said, "so long as things are going well. I trust you have enough smarts to slow down if you need to." Lynne's penetrating gaze pinned Blair to the exam table.

"Yes, ma'am," he murmured, frowning as he saw Jim's mischievous smile. "Cut that out!" Blair said, slapping Jim's shoulder. "You don't believe me, do you?"

"Well, you have to admit that you have a hard time knowing when to stop." Jim shrugged, but the smile remained firmly fixed on his face.

"When it comes to my pregnancy, I know where to draw the line," Blair growled.

Lynne pulled the gown back down and pulled a blanket up over Blair's legs. "Well, that's it for today, then. I'd like to do a full ultrasound on your next visit, and we'll see what we can see in there. How does that sound?"

"Great!" Jim enthused. "Will we be able to tell the sex of the babies so soon?"

"Hard to tell," Lynne said, "but we'll give it a go. See you in two weeks, Blair. You can stop at the reception desk on your way out to make the appointment and get your instructions for the ultrasound."

After Dr. Casey left the room, Blair dressed quickly. They stopped by the front desk on their way out. Blair was frowning as he read the instruction sheet. "Shoot, I was hoping things had changed in the years since I had to do this before."

"What do you mean, Chief?" Jim asked, guiding his partner through the door with one hand on Blair's elbow.

Still staring at the pink sheet in his hand, Blair grumbled, "I have to drink at least two quarts of liquid before coming in." He looked up at Jim. "Do you have any idea how uncomfortable it is to have a bladder that is nearly bursting while a doctor presses that darn ultrasound probe against your abdomen? It's torture!"

"It'll be over soon," Jim assured him. "Just try not to think about it for the next two weeks."

~oO0Oo~

"Have a great day at school." Blair squeezed Laurene's hand and patted her behind as she walked into her classroom.

"Dr. Sandburg! Could you wait a moment, please?" Miss Timmons hurried to the classroom door. "Do you have a minute?"

Blair shrugged. "Sure. What is it? No problem with Laurene, I hope?"

"Oh no, nothing of the sort!" Miss Timmons assured him. "Yesterday, when we had our instruments out for music time, Laurene mentioned that you play the guitar."

"I'm no Jimi Hendrix," Blair said modestly, "but I can play a few licks."

"I was wondering if you could bring your guitar to school and accompany us during our music time?"

"I'm free on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons," Blair said. "Would either of those work?"

"Thursday would be wonderful," Miss Timmons said. "How does two o'clock sound?"

Blair nodded and grinned. "I'll be here."

~oO0Oo~

The children gathered in a semi-circle around Blair who was seated on a tiny first-grader's chair, his guitar resting on his knee. "It's a little harder to play this thing than I thought it would be," Blair murmured, making adjustments for the size of his belly. "Okay, what should we start with? How about 'Old MacDonald Had a Farm'?"

The kids clapped as Blair began picking out the notes. Miss Timmons led the singing and the kids played along with their various percussion instruments. Some had sticks to tap together, others had triangles, maracas, or sandpaper blocks. All together, it was quite a racket, but it made Blair grin. They played several more children's classics before Miss Timmons clapped her hands to get the children's attention.

"Music time is over," she said. "Let's all thank Blair for coming and playing with us." A chorus of thank you's echoed around the room. "Would you like to have Blair come back and play for us again?" Applause and shouts of 'yes!' filled the room. "What do you say, Blair? Any chance you could come again?"

"Next Thursday, if you want me," Blair said, packing up the guitar in preparation to leave.

"We'd love that!" Miss Timmons enthused.

"Thanks, Daddy." Laurene grabbed Blair's coat and wrapped her arms around his legs in a hug.

"It was fun, Pumpkin," he said, giving her a quick peck on the top of her head. "I have to go now. See you after school."

~oO0Oo~

The next morning, as Blair was going over his lecture notes in his office at the University, the phone rang. "Dr. Blair Sandburg speaking."

"Dr. Sandburg, this is Miss Timmons," the teacher introduced herself. "There's been a slight altercation on the playground, and I was wondering if you could come to the school."

"Was Laurene hurt?"

"Oh no! Nothing like that..." Miss Timmons assured Blair. "She, uh... well, maybe it would just be better if you came over and I can explain in person."

"I'll be there in a few minutes," Blair said, hanging up the phone. "Terri?" he called out, waiting until his T.A. stuck her head in the door.

"Yes, Dr. Sandburg?"

"Could you take over my class this morning? I have to go down to Laurene's school. There's been some trouble that I have to help straighten out."

"Oh, sure! Are those your notes?" Terri snatched the papers out of Blair's hand, scanning them quickly. "No problem. You go take care of your daughter. I hope everything's okay."

"Me too," Blair agreed, grabbing his coat and heading out the door.

When Blair arrived at the school, all the children were in their seats, busy with an art project. Miss Timmons pulled Blair aside. "We need to go up to the principal's office."

"But Laurene is okay?" Blair asked, straining to see over Miss Timmons' shoulder into the classroom.

"She's just fine," the teacher assured him. "Cathy, my assistant, will watch the class while we're gone. Laurene, honey, will you come with us?" Laurene got out of her seat, hanging her head as she joined her father and her teacher. "This way, please."

Once they were settled in the principal's office, Miss Timmons began to explain. "We were outside for morning recess," she began. "Laurene was playing hopscotch with some of her friends, when all of a sudden she ran across the playground to the climbing equipment and gave Tommy Johnston a black eye."

"Can you explain to us why you did that?" Mr. Wilson, the principal, asked.

"Tommy was saying mean things about my Daddy," Laurene said, her mouth in a tight line of defiance.

"Like what?" Blair asked, reaching out to smooth the riotous curls on his daughter's head.

"He was saying how fat you are," Laurene explained. "And he said it's not natural for a man to be having a baby. He called you a... a fag. So I hit him."

"She couldn't possibly have heard what Tommy was saying," Miss Timmons explained. "She was clear on the other side of the playground from where the boys were playing."

"Are you calling my daughter a liar?" Blair asked, his voice turning suddenly cold.

"No. No, of course not," Miss Timmons backpedaled. "I just... I don't know how she could have possibly heard what she said she heard."

"She has very good hearing," Blair explained.

"No one's hearing is that good," the principal interrupted.

"Do you want to test her?" Blair challenged. "We could go out in the hall, if you like."

"That won't be necessary," Mr. Wilson said.

"No, no... I insist," Blair said, standing and taking Laurene's hand. They went out in the hallway. "Now, you walk as far down the hall as the distance between Laurene and Tommy on the playground this morning. Then turn your back and say something, as softly as you like."

The principal shrugged and walked down the hallway, muttered a few lines and came back.

"Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers," Laurene recited.

"That's impossible!" Mr. Wilson exclaimed.

"Apparently not, since she heard you," Blair said smugly. "Let's go back into the office, I'd like to get off my feet, if you don't mind."

Back in the office, the flustered principal and teacher looked at each other. "Well, obviously, she heard what she said she did," Mr. Wilson agreed. "But that still doesn't excuse her from giving Tommy a black eye."

"No, it certainly doesn't," Blair agreed, turning to his daughter. "What have your Poppa and I tried to teach you about fighting?"

Laurene hung her head and mumbled back at her father, "Never hit first, and go tell a teacher."

"You shouldn't hit at all," Blair reminded her, "unless your life is in danger."

"But Tommy was calling you names and saying mean things about you!" Laurene insisted, as if the words held redemption for her actions.

"Then you should have told the teacher, or waited until tonight and told me," Blair said. "This is serious, Pumpkin. I'm going to have to take away your TV and video games for a week."

"But what about Tommy?"

"Let the grownups deal with Tommy, all right?" Blair said, wiping with his thumb at a tear streaking down Laurene's cheek.

"Okay," Laurene said sulkily.

"No more fighting."

"Okay."

"Does that take care of it?" Blair asked. "I'll follow through on the punishment at home."

"That's quite adequate," Mr. Wilson said. "We just needed to get this straightened out."

"And are you going to have a talk with Tommy about his language and about the consequences of smearing a person's good name?" Blair wondered. "After all, Laurene isn't the only guilty party in this fight."

"We'll see to it that Tommy is disciplined as well," Miss Timmons agreed. "Thank you for coming, and for being so understanding."

Blair stood up and leaned down to place a kiss on the top of Laurene's head. "Back to class now, Pumpkin. And, when you get a chance, you should apologize to Tommy."

"Why?" Laurene cried. "He's the one who started it."

"You're the one who hit first," Blair explained. "Sometimes, the best way to take care of bullies is to be polite to them, or just ignore them. If he says something bad again, tell Miss Timmons... and tell me when you get home from school. We'll take care of it."

"Okay, Daddy. I love you!"

"Love you, too, Pumpkin!"

Blair pulled his coat around him and headed back out to the parking lot to fetch his car and return to the university. Tommy Johnston.... the name sounded so familiar.

~oO0Oo~

The following Thursday, as Blair carried his guitar into the school building, he was met by Miss Timmons and Mr. Wilson.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Sandburg, but you can't volunteer in my classroom anymore," Miss Timmons said, looking obviously distressed by the announcement.

"Why? What's wrong now?" Blair asked, looking first at the teacher, then at the principal.

"We've had calls from several parents complaining," Mr. Wilson explained.

"Complaining, about what?" Blair asked, flustered and confused.

"About you," Mr. Wilson said. "They said you're a bad influence on the children... what with being pregnant...."

"What does being pregnant have to do with anything?" Blair couldn't quite wrap his mind around what the principal was trying to say.

Mr. Wilson squirmed, obviously uncomfortable with the level of prejudice shown by the parents, but having to enforce their wishes as part of his job. "They feel that you're flaunting the fact that you're a homosexual, and they're not comfortable with having their children exposed so blatantly to your lifestyle."

"Because I'm pregnant?" Blair's face flushed with anger. "What business is it of theirs? If Miss Timmons came into the classroom pregnant, no one would say a word!"

Miss Timmons fidgeted, flushing at the reference to herself. Mr. Wilson jumped in to her defense. "She's a woman. People expect women to get pregnant. It's natural."

"She's not married," Blair pointed out. "Wouldn't that be a bad influence on the children?"

"Miss Timmons is not pregnant, nor is she the subject of this conversation!" Mr. Wilson nearly shouted. "I didn't say that I agree with the parents who have complained, but we have to deal with this the best we can. My hands are tied. You're not allowed to volunteer in the classrooms while you're pregnant."

"So you've said." Blair turned on his heel to walk back to the parking lot, but was halted by Miss Timmons' voice.

"You're still welcome to come to the school play. Laurene is playing a key role, you know."

Blair looked over his shoulder. "Yes, I know, and I plan to be there." He turned his attention back to the parking lot, refusing to give the principal any further acknowledgment.

~oO0Oo~

"Oh, God, what a day!" Blair sprawled on the chaise lounge in their bedroom, rubbing his temples.

Jim came to sit next to him, taking over the gentle massage. "Want to talk about it? You were unusually quiet at dinner tonight. Does this have anything to do with the trouble Laurene got into last week?"

"No... Yes..." Blair closed his eyes and relaxed into the sensation of the massage on his temples. "Not exactly, but I think they're related," he said finally.

"How so?"

"Well, apparently some of Laurene's classmates talked to their parents after I volunteered in the classroom last week."

"Ahhhh..." Jim nodded as understanding blossomed. "The little darlings went home and told their parents about the pregnant man who came to their class, and they started asking questions?"

"Yes, apparently, and some of the parents took exception. Principal Wilson told me that my being pregnant was flaunting our homosexuality, and that it wasn't appropriate for the children." Blair sighed.

"His words, or the parents' who were complaining?"

"The parents," Blair said, swinging his legs over the edge of the chaise and sitting up. "But I got the feeling that he wasn't all that pleased with the idea either. What is with people these days?" Blair vented his frustration on the upholstery by hitting it with his fist. "Pregnancy is a natural condition; a normal, everyday thing. Why is it so different when it's a man?"

Jim shook his head. "Just because it is. People are jackasses, you know that. This isn't the first time you've had to deal with prejudice."

"No, dammit, but it's going to be the last," Blair swore.

"Don't do anything stupid," Jim warned, obviously worried that Blair might get some harebrained idea into his head.

"I won't," Blair promised, visibly deflating. "I'm getting so sick of all this crap. I just want people to ignore me, ignore my condition, and just get on with it."

"How about we take a shower and go to bed?" Jim suggested. "I'll bet I can make you forget about your problems for a while."

Blair grinned, the smile lighting up his face. "I'll just bet you could. Help me up?"

Jim stood and pulled Blair to his feet. Minutes later, they were standing together under the warm water of the shower, Blair leaning back against Jim as the spray pounded down, sluicing over his distended belly to drip on the tile floor at his feet. Jim soaped his hands and rubbed them in circles over Blair's belly, using sensitive fingers to map head, arms, and legs of the tiny lives growing inside.

Blair groaned and his hands rose to pinch at his aching nipples, rubbing over the small mounds of his breasts. He could feel Jim's erection pushing against his ass, and he wanted nothing more than to take Jim inside him, to feel one with the man who made his life whole.

Jim tipped Blair's head up with a finger under his partner's chin and turned him so that he could reach the full lips of Blair's mouth. His tongue tasted the sweetness there, while his hands moved to stroke the breasts that Blair had so recently touched.

"In me..." Blair murmured through the kiss, pulling Jim's right hand away from his nipple and down toward his ass. Jim obliged, using a soapy finger to penetrate his lover's body, stretching the tight muscle that he found was already spasming with excitement.

Gently, Jim guided his cock into the waiting body. Blair drove back against the firm column of flesh, driving it deeper inside. He moaned as the cockhead brushed his prostate, sending tingles of desire to his own, lax penis. As Jim began a slow thrusting motion, his fingers wrapped around Blair's cock, coaxing whatever reaction he could get from the unresponsive organ. A rush of blood firmed the penis into a soft erection -- more than Jim had been able to get from Blair for months. As their desire rose, the thrusting became more insistent. Blair pushed back against Jim in a perfectly synchronized rhythm; both men grunting with the effort they were expending. With a cry, Jim peaked and filled Blair with the heat of his seed. Blair mewled and squirmed, unable to get a similar reaction from his own cock.

Still buried deep within his lover, Jim squeezed hard on Blair's firm cock, using his free hand to pinch and pull at erect nipples. The double assault made Blair cry out, his body racked with an orgasm that was completely internal. Jim felt muscles clamp down on his spent penis, first holding the organ in, then pushing it out. Blair's knees buckled, and Jim was barely able to keep his lover standing.

"Are you all right?" Jim's worried gaze studied Blair's flushed face.

"'m good," Blair muttered. "More than good."

"Good," Jim agreed. "Then let's finish up here and get to bed."

Clean and dry, they crawled into bed together, Jim spooning up behind Blair, wrapping an arm across Blair's chest with his hand splayed across the enormous belly. "Love you, Chief."

"Mmm-mm," Blair muttered, already half asleep.

"That's right," Jim whispered as he closed his eyes, "sleep, Baby, sleep."

~oO0Oo~

The two weeks since his last visit with Dr. Casey had gone all too fast for Blair. He stood in the kitchen, downing his fourth bottle of water in the past hour.

"I don't think I can hold any more," he complained. "I'm about to burst my bladder as it is."

"Then I'd say you've had enough," Jim said, taking the bottle from his partner's hand and setting it on the counter. "I don't want you having an accident on the drive over."

"Oh, God! Don't even think it!" Blair cried. "C'mon, let's go." He took Jim's hand and headed toward the garage.

At the clinic, Blair carefully eased himself into a seat while Jim went to check them in. Dr. Casey came out five minutes later, a bright smile on her face. "Ready to see those twins of yours?"

"I'm ready to use the bathroom," Blair countered dryly.

"In a few minutes," Lynne assured him. "Come on in, get undressed and put on the gown." The doctor stepped out as Blair hurried to comply.

"Well, now, let's see what we have." As Blair bit his lip trying to hold his water, Dr. Casey pressed the ultrasound probe against his distended belly. Soon the shapes of a head, an arm and a leg came into view, tangled with another set of arms and legs. "There you go," Lynne said with a grin, "proof positive that there are two healthy babies in there."

"Can you determine the sex?" Jim wanted to know.

Dr. Casey began pointing to various shapes on the ultrasound screen. "Here's the head of Baby 1, and you can just see the crown of Baby 2's head here." Moving her finger, she outlined the shapes, "Here's an arm, and another arm... a leg... You've got quite a tangle in there," Lynne chuckled. "Sorry, but at this point in time, I can't tell the genders yet. Would you like a picture?"

"Sure!" Blair's face lit up and he nearly forgot how badly he had to pee. "Laurene and Jeremy would get a kick out of seeing their future siblings."

Lynne hit the print button and the picture slowly emerged from the machine. "Why don't you go use the restroom now," she suggested, "and we'll finish the exam when you get back."

With Jim's help, Blair slipped off the exam table and waddled to the room's bathroom facilities. Lowering himself onto the toilet seat, Blair waited expectantly. Since his size had become a factor in his "aim", Blair had taken to peeing in the seated position. It seemed to take forever for his tense muscles to relax, but once they did, the stream seemed endless. Blair heaved a sigh of relief as Jim helped him up.

"Feel better now?"

"Actually, I still ache," Blair said, frowning.

"That's natural," Dr. Casey explained as Blair climbed back up on the exam table. "Your bladder has been stretched to capacity and beyond for longer than usual, so it will take it a while to shrink back to size. You should feel better in a few minutes." With that, she began her exam. It was all over in ten minutes, and Blair was free to go.

"Everything is looking good. I'll see you in two weeks!" Lynne said, exiting so that Blair could get dressed.

By the time they got home from the doctor's office, Laurene and Jeremy were home under the watchful eye of Grandpa Bill.

"How did it go?" William Ellison asked, noting the small black-and-white print in Blair's hand.

"Everything's normal, Pops," Jim answered. "Half down, half to go. Just another twenty weeks and you'll be a grandfather to twins."

"Can't wait," William said, the glint in his eyes being proof of his words. "What'cha got there?"

"It's the ultrasound picture of the babies," Blair said, crouching down to the level of Laurene and Jeremy. "You guys want to see what your baby brothers or sisters look like?"

"Sure!" Both children crowded around for a look.

"I can't see anything," Jeremy complained, voicing Laurene's unspoken concern as well.

"Here's the head of one of them," Blair pointed out, tracing the murky outline on the picture. "And this is all we can see of the other one's head. Arms... here and here. And here are the legs...."

"Wow!" Jeremy enthused. "Can I take this to school tomorrow?"

"I think we'd better leave it at home for now," Blair said, remembering the troubles he'd had at Laurene's school. "But if any of your friends come over to play, you can show them. How's that?"

"Okay!"

"How are you really feeling?" William asked, looking at Blair's pale complexion.

"Tired. But that's not unusual. If you don't mind, I think I'll go upstairs and lie down for a bit."

"Need some help?" Jim offered.

Blair made his way to the stairs and settled himself on the seat of his motorized lift. "No, I'll be all right. I just need to lie down for a few minutes before dinner."

"You need to keep an eye on that boy," William advised his son. "He always looks so drawn and pale these days."

"There's a lot of stress for him being pregnant, and it's not just the physical load. He gets a lot of taunting, too, especially at work. I may have to have a talk with him about cutting back his hours."

"Do what you have to do, Jimmy, but make sure that he stays healthy."

"Will do, Pops. Are you staying for dinner?"

"Not tonight. It's bowling league and we have to get practiced up for the upcoming tournament."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," Jim said, smiling and slapping his dad on the back. "Well, you go and have a good time. Don't worry, I'll take care of Blair."

~oO0Oo~

March rolled around with blustery, cold days filled with rain and the last hints of snow.

Laurene pranced through the house in her blue gingham dress with a small white apron. "I'm Alice! Call me Alice!" she chirped.

"Hey, Princess!" Jim greeted his excited daughter. "Looks to me like someone is getting ready for tonight's play a little early."

"We have dress rehearsal this afternoon," she informed her father.

"Well, you'd better change back into your regular school clothes," Jim suggested. "You don't want your nice costume to get dirty during recess, do you?"

"No, Poppa!" Laurene turned and ran upstairs to change.

Jim turned to Blair who was packing lunches for the children. "Are you ready for tonight? Chances are, we'll be meeting some of those parents who object to your being around the school."

"If we do, we do," Blair said, putting the finishing touches on the sandwiches and slipping them into zip-lock baggies. "I'm not missing our daughter's starring role in a major school production."

"Glad to hear it," Jim said. "It's about time these people started coming into the twenty-first century and realizing that gay couples have as much right to a family as anyone else."

"Just don't expect them to change overnight," Blair cautioned. "It's hard for a society as a whole to change its opinion on something like this that goes to the basic core of their beliefs."

"I don't understand people who think their God isn't big enough to accept gays and lesbians," Jim argued. "We don't choose who we fall in love with; it's the way we're wired. I thought that God didn't make mistakes."

"He doesn't," Blair said, gathering the kids' coats and getting them dressed for the cold spring rain outside. "But that isn't going to change the minds of people whose minds are already made up. We just have to learn to deal with it."

"Easier said than done," Jim mumbled.

"Just remember to keep your gun in its holster tonight," Blair said with a wink as he and the children walked out the door.

"Easier said than done," Jim repeated to the closed door.

~oO0Oo~

The small auditorium was crowded when Jim and Blair arrived with Jeremy in tow. They managed to find seats near an aisle, so that Blair wouldn't have too much trouble squeezing through, and so he'd have an escape route if the pressure on his bladder became too much to bear. It was ten minutes before the production was about to begin, and excitement was palpable in the air.

"When do we get to see Laurene?" Jeremy asked, straining to see over the heads in front of him.

"Pretty soon, Sport," Jim answered. "Just a few more minutes." He lifted the youngster onto his lap so that Jeremy could see the stage better.

Blair felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Paul Johnston standing in the aisle. "I thought you were told not to show up here again," he growled.

"I was asked not to volunteer in the classroom," Blair explained calmly. "Nothing was said about not attending school functions. In fact, I was specifically invited to the play. Laurene is playing the lead role of Alice."

"How nice for her," the Archeology professor sneered. "That doesn't mean you're welcome here. A number of parents feel as I do; that your pregnancy is a bad role model for the children. I can't do a damn thing about you teaching at Rainier.... After all, the students there are all adults, albeit young ones. But we won't have you flaunting your fornicating ways in front of our children."

"What's for'icating, Poppa?" Jeremy asked, looking up into Jim's face.

"It's something not nice to talk about in public," Jim answered softly, putting his son in the seat beside him. "Even for grownups."

Jim stood up, leaning across Blair to shove his face into Johnston's personal space. "This is not the time or place for you to be flaunting your ignorance," he said through clenched teeth. "There are children present. After the play, if you want to continue this discussion, we'll take it outside."

"Are you threatening me?" Johnston asked, his voice taunting. "Because if you want to insist on staying after you've been asked to leave, I may just have to call the police and have you escorted out." He pulled his cell phone from a pocket and turned it on.

Jim reached into his jacket pocket and extracted the leather wallet containing his badge and ID. "Cascade PD Major Crimes Unit, Lieutenant Detective James Ellison at your service." He grinned at the stunned look on the professor's face. "Do you really think anyone from the police force would come out here for a minor complaint like yours? Think again, buddy. Why don't you just go take your seat and enjoy the show? That's what Blair and I intend to do."

Paul Johnston backed off, his face a mask of anger and frustration. "Just wait... just you wait," he threatened as turned to leave and find his seat.

"Are you okay?" Jim asked as he sat back down.

Blair nodded, his lips pressed together in a grim line. "Paul has always been an advocate against me, ever since the dissertation incident. He was never one to believe my innocence. He's just a dick, Jim. I can handle him, don't worry."

"You'll be sure to call me if you need anything when you're at the university, all right?"

"Sure, Jim." Blair pointed to the stage where the lights were being brought up slowly and an announcer was stepping on stage. "Look, the play is starting."

They sat back and enjoyed the amateur production. Lines were being fed to nervous young actors who stuttered on stage, from teachers standing in the wings. But for all the childish mistakes and stumbling over dialogue, the story was entertaining and the show a big success with the parents. As the curtain was coming up for the second time, Laurene broke from the group that was bowing to the thunderous applause. She ran across the stage and down the side steps, straight into the waiting arms of her admiring fathers.

"You did great, Pumpkin!" Blair enthused. "You were the best one up there."

"How's my little princess?" Jim asked, sweeping Laurene off her feet and into his arms.

"It was fun! I want to do it again!"

"Looks like we may have a budding actress on our hands," Jim said with a chuckle. "How about we go out for some ice cream to celebrate?"

"Ice cream!" Jeremy cried excitedly. "Ice cream! Ice cream!"

"I guess ice cream it is, then," Blair said, grinning. "This is certainly a reason for celebration."

The night ended on a high note, with the confrontation between Blair and his fellow professor all but forgotten under the lights and blaring music of the ice cream parlor.

~oO0Oo~

Blustery March gave way to a wet April, which turned over into a more spring-like May. Blair's pregnancy had continued to develop, with no problems other than the growing size of his now enormous belly. At nearly eight months along, it was a slow waddle from the parking lot up to his office in Hargrove Hall. Another couple of weeks, and he might have to start his maternity leave early.

As he walked down the hallway to his office, he noticed a commotion. It appeared that a number of the campus police were gathered around his office door, with several going in and out. As he approached, he recognized Suzanne Tomaki, the senior campus police officer.

"Hey, Suzanne... What's going on?"

Suzanne Tomaki turned, startled by the familiar voice. "Oh! Blair! I'm so sorry."

"Sorry? About what? What's going on?"

Suzanne sighed and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. "You're under arrest for the possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute."

"What?" Blair's disbelief was palpable. "Look, Suzanne, this is a mistake," he began as Tomaki pulled his hands behind his back and cuffed him. "I don't know anything about any cocaine. Where was it found?"

"In a locked drawer of your desk," Suzanne answered grimly. "We got an anonymous tip and we had to follow up on it. I'm really sorry."

"Whoever it was, was lying!" Blair cried out as he was being escorted back down the hall to the waiting police car outside. "I didn't do this! I don't have any cocaine."

"Watch your head," a CPD officer told him as the back door of the waiting squad car was opened and Blair was settled inside.

"Look, I didn't do this. The cocaine isn't mine," Blair argued as the car took off toward downtown.

"That's for the investigating officers to decide," the officer behind the wheel said. "Now, shut up and behave like a nice little drug dealer."

Blair was still arguing as he was escorted through the halls of the Cascade Police Department, to be deposited in a locked interrogation room. "I have the right to a phone call!" he protested as he was shoved down onto a chair. Ignoring the outburst, the escorting officer uncuffed one wrist, so that Blair's hands could be re-cuffed in front of him. Then the officer left, leaving Blair alone in the room.

An hour later, a narcotics officer entered the room and pulled up a chair opposite Blair. "You're lucky they locked you up in here, and not in the holding pen downstairs. Pretty little thing like you, pregnant as you are, you wouldn't have stood a chance down there."

"I want my phone call!" Blair insisted. "I have rights. I'm hungry and I need to pee."

"That can wait," the officer said. "Now, you were found with almost a kilogram of high grade cocaine locked in your desk drawer. Want to tell me how that got there?"

"I don't know, dammit! It's not mine. It wasn't there yesterday!"

"Then you must have just gotten your shipment late last night. You were at work late, weren't you, Dr. Sandburg?"

"I was there until 8 PM," Blair admitted. "I had papers that had to be graded."

"Late enough that the building is usually deserted, am I right?" the officer continued his interrogation.

"I was there by myself," Blair confirmed. "I was working."

"And accepting a delivery of coke."

"No! Dammit! I have nothing to do with drugs. I don't know how those bags got in my desk drawer."

"Your locked desk drawer."

"Yes, my locked desk drawer!" Blair grimaced, the extreme discomfort of his bladder was becoming an issue. "Please, you gotta let me go pee. I'm going to burst."

The interrogating officer snorted in disgust, then got up and yanked on the back of Blair's chair. "Get up. I'll escort you to the bathroom."

Blair stood and allowed the officer to take his elbow and lead him down the hall to the men's room. He had to do his business with the officer watching; another humiliation to add to the many others he'd suffered already that day.

"Better now?" The officer's voice held a sarcastic edge.

"Much," Blair replied, going over to the sink to wash his hands. When he was finished, he was escorted back down the hall to the interrogation room.

"When do I get my phone call?" Blair asked, settling back into his chair opposite the narcotics officer. "I've been here over an hour now."

"In time. In time. Just be patient. I have a few more questions for you."

"Well, I don't have any answers for you!" Blair spat. "I don't know anything about the cocaine found in my desk. It's not mine. I didn't put it there! I want to talk to Jim."

"Jim? Who's this Jim?"

"Jim Ellison. He's a detective in Major Crime. Get him up here right now." Blair's hands were fisted, resting tensely on the tabletop.

"You're in no position to make demands," the officer said. "When I get some answers, you'll start getting privileges."

"I can't tell you what I don't know," Blair insisted.

"Well, we have some witnesses that say otherwise," the officer teased. "There are at least three students who have come forward and promised to testify in return for immunity. They say they've bought from you on numerous occasions over the past year."

"That's a lie! They're lying!"

"The evidence is stacking up against you, son," the officer said, suddenly taking a softer approach. "Why don't you just come clean? It will be easier for everyone concerned."

"I can't tell you what I don't know," Blair repeated, choking up in his anger and frustration.

"Then maybe I should just let you sit here and think about it for while," the officer said. "When you're ready to talk, just wave. Someone will see you and send for me."

Blair watched the officer leave once more, heard the final snick of the lock, and felt more alone than he ever had in his life. Pushing his chair back as far as he could and still reach the table, Blair crossed his arms and rested his head on them. He was so tired. He couldn't remember being more exhausted. All he needed was a little sleep. When he woke up, this would all have been nothing more than a bad dream....

~oO0Oo~

The sound of an argument through the door woke Blair an indeterminate amount of time later. One of the voices sounded familiar. It was Simon! Blair rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up just as the door flew open and the imposing bulk of the Major Crimes captain forged into the room.

"Blair! Are you all right? You look like shit!"

"Thanks, Simon, I imagine I do." Blair ran a hand through his tousled hair and tried to shake the remains of sleep from his head. "This wasn't a dream, then, was it?"

"It sure as hell isn't!" Simon spat, turning his anger on the narcotics detective who had been grilling Blair earlier that morning. "I don't know where you people are coming from, thinking you can treat one of mine this way!"

"He's not 'one of yours' anymore, Captain Banks. He stopped working as an observer over a year ago. Now, he's just another drug dealer. Probably a user, too." Detective Patton scowled at his prisoner, whose attention was firmly fixed on Banks.

"Have you taken a good look at your prisoner, Patton?" Simon seethed with anger. "He's eight months pregnant, for God's sake! He's not going to be using or dealing!"

"I've seen it all before, Captain. Many a child is born addicted to heroine, cocaine, or meth. Just because he's pregnant doesn't mean --"

"Enough!" Banks cut the man off with a swift slice of his hand. "You're releasing Blair into my custody... now!"

"Yes, sir, but this isn't over yet, sir." Patton stepped aside as Simon helped Blair to stand and led him out the door and into the hallway.

They took the elevator up to the sixth floor and entered Major Crimes. Jim looked up, startled, from his reports. "Blair? Simon? What's going on?"

"Follow me," Simon ordered, making a beeline for his office.

When the office doors had closed behind the three, Jim looked between the bedraggled face of his life partner and the angry countenance of his boss. "So, what's going on here?"

Blair sank down into a chair in front of Simon's desk and looked up at the Captain. "You tell him. I don't think I have the strength."

"What the hell?" Jim knelt next to Blair, brushing tendrils of hair from his forehead and thoroughly studying the exhausted face. "Tell me what's up."

"Blair's been arrested for the possession of nearly a kilo of cocaine. They've tacked on intent to distribute as well," Simon explained. "And they claim they have witnesses."

"I didn't do it, Simon," Blair said, looking up with eyes blackened by fatigue. "That cocaine showed up in my office desk drawer sometime between when I left last night and when I got there this morning."

"Was there anyone else in the building with you?" Simon asked.

"So far as I know, only the janitor," Blair explained.

"Blair, how long has it been since you've eaten?" Jim asked softly, concern written on his face.

"I dunno. Breakfast, whenever that was."

"Simon, we've got to get him something to eat. If he doesn't keep his blood sugar up, he'll pass out. Eating regularly is critical at this stage of his pregnancy." Jim looked to his captain for help.

"I'll call down to the cafeteria and have something sent up for all of us," Simon said, looking at his watch and noting that it was after one in the afternoon.

"While we wait," Simon continued, "can you give us any idea of who might have set you up?"

Blair shook his head. "I know there's been some dealing on campus, and rumor is that it's one of the tenured professors," Blair admitted. "But no one has ever been able to figure out who. The kids who buy from this person aren't talking."

"They are now," Simon growled, "and they intend to implicate you."

"But I didn't do it!" Blair groaned. "How many times do I have to say it?"

"Look, son, I believe you," Simon said gently. "But right now, all the evidence is against you. Whoever set you up did an excellent job."

"Can I go home soon?"

Simon shook his head. "You'll have to stay here for a while, while I pull some strings. I think I can get you released into Jim's custody. In the meantime, we'll keep you out of lockup by keeping you here in my office."

"He's innocent," Jim asserted. "And I'm going to find the bastard who set him up."

"Hold on a minute," Simon said, stopping Jim from leaving the office. "Right now, Blair needs you more. I'll put Brown and Rafe on the case. You can join them after we get things settled and can send Blair home."

"What about work?" Blair asked. "It's near the end of the term, and I have papers to grade and a class to teach."

"I don't think it's such a good idea that you show up on campus right now, Chief," Jim warned. "Even out on bail, you're a target. If you return to campus, you're just giving your tormentor another chance to seal the deal. Don't you see? More drugs could be planted on you if you're there. If you're home, with me, nobody can accuse you of anything new."

Blair sighed. "You're right, I suppose. I'll have to call Terri and tell her that I need her to take over my class for an indefinite period."

"I think that would be best," Simon agreed. "Anything that you already have with you, like the papers you were grading, you could have her come and pick up. You shouldn't be within five miles of the campus if you can help it."

"Simon's right, Blair. And I think I should take a leave of absence to stay with you until this is over."

"I don't need a babysitter," Blair insisted. "I'm fine by myself."

"But I can be your alibi," Jim explained. "No one will be able to say you snuck off to do some shady dealings if I'm around."

There was a knock at the door. The donut girl from the cafeteria stood outside with their lunch order. Jim let her in, thanked her and turned to Simon. "You got any cash, Cap?"

Growling, Simon dug in his wallet and handed the girl a twenty. "Keep the change." When the girl had left, he turned to Jim. "You owe me."

"Whatever you say, Simon," Jim replied, handing Blair a sandwich and a bottle of milk.

Blair dug into the food with relish. "God, I didn't realize how hungry I was!" His sandwich disappeared in moments, and Jim found himself offering Blair his own lunch. "I couldn't," Blair declined, eyeing the food with a still-hungry glint.

"I insist," Jim said, shoving the still-wrapped sandwich at his partner.

"Thanks!" Blair dove into the next course of his meal with as much zeal as the first.

"I don't know how you afford to feed him when he's pregnant!" Simon chuckled as he watched Blair devour the second sandwich.

"We've talked about taking out a second mortgage," Jim quipped. "Thank goodness this will all be over in another six weeks!"

"And things settle back to normal, whatever that is for the two of you?" Simon sat down at his desk and picked up the phone. "I'd better get busy calling in those favors, so that you two can go home. Blair looks like he could use about forty-eight hours' worth of sleep right now."

While Simon was on the phone, Jim used the time to check Blair for any obvious signs of injury or distress. "I'm fine," Blair insisted. "They didn't do anything to me other than keep me locked in that room. I just want to go home."

"Simon's working on that," Jim assured him.

It took nearly a half hour of haggling, but Simon finally hung up the phone. "You're free to go, but don't leave Cascade. I'd prefer it if you didn't leave home except to come here or attend court dates," Simon said. "Narcotics claims they have a tight case, and they aren't too pleased that you're getting out of here without spending some time in lockup. Just keep your nose clean. Report in here whenever you have to go anywhere, even doctor's appointments. Understand?"

"Yes, Simon," Jim answered for them both. He helped Blair to his feet and supported the tottering man through the bullpen and out to the elevator. A short while later, they were on their way home.

~oO0Oo~

Jim helped Blair up the stairs of their front porch and into the house. Blair took the chair lift to the second floor where he began to undress. "I'm going to bed," he said, his voice heavy with weariness.

"How about I call Dad and ask him to pick the kids up from school?" Jim suggested. "He could take them out for pizza, and that would leave us with a little more quiet time."

Blair nodded. "Might not be a bad idea. I'm not so sure that I'm up to their boundless energy right now."

Jim went downstairs to make the call. When he got back to the bedroom he was greeted by a sight that made him hard despite the circumstances. Blair had managed to strip all his clothes, but he hadn't made it into bed. His nude form was sprawled across the chaise lounge and he was snoring.

With a smile, Jim grabbed an extra blanket from the closet and draped it over Blair. "That's right, Chief. Get some rest. You're going to need it."

~oO0Oo~

"Ah, Jim! It's no big deal. I'm fine!"

Jim pulled the truck into a parking space in front of the clinic. "It is a big deal, and we're going to have Lynne check you out."

"I come in every week as it is," Blair complained. "It's just some mild cramping."

"We'll let Dr. Casey be the judge of that." Jim got out of the truck and made his way around to the passenger side, opening the door and helping Blair ease his bulk out and onto the asphalt of the parking lot.

"You're going to an awful lot of trouble for nothing."

"Think of it as a day out," Jim suggested. "You've been cooped up at home ever since this drug conspiracy thing started. I'd think you would enjoy a little fresh air."

"To a park for a walk, maybe," Blair replied. "I could use a little relaxation. Things have been a little tense."

Lynne marched out to meet them almost as soon as Jim had checked in at the reception desk. "Are you having problems since your last visit?" she asked. "Come this way, please."

"It's nothing. Jim's being a worrywart, as usual," Blair said, climbing onto the exam table.

"What are your symptoms?" Lynne got out her stethoscope and began a general check of her patient.

"Cramps. Nothing but a few cramps."

"There have been times when he's buckled over with the pain," Jim added. "He doesn't seem to think it's serious, but I wanted to make sure everything was all right."

"Jim's right," Lynne scolded. "At this point in a twin pregnancy, especially a male pregnancy, any symptom out of the ordinary should be checked out."

"But my next regular appointment is in two days," Blair complained. "It didn't seem bad enough to make a separate trip."

"You've been under a lot of stress this past week with the drug investigation," Lynne countered. She turned her attention to Jim. "Any progress on that front?"

"Nothing yet. The case against Blair is pretty strong."

"Well, if there's anything I can do..." Lynne said. "We run frequent blood tests, and there's never been a sign of any illicit drug use, unless you count OTC prenatal vitamins." She grinned, trying to lighten the conversation.

"Why don't you lie back, and I'll try an ultrasound," Dr. Casey suggested. "We can just pull down your pants...."

"Elastic waistbands are the only way to go these days," Blair grunted as he struggled to get the jeans down below his belly.

"I'll say. What would we do without them?" Lynne pressed the probe against Blair's stomach. "It's a little harder to read without a full bladder," she muttered, "but everything looks okay in there. I can see two hearts beating. It's getting a bit crowded, though. I'll bet the babies will be as happy as you to get out of there and stretch their arms and legs!"

"So everything's okay?" Jim asked, coming over to view the ultrasound screen.

Lynne nodded. "Nothing wrong with the fetuses. I'd say the contractions are a result of the stress Blair has been under lately. It's not healthy for the babies if the contractions get too strong or are too frequent, however; so I'll give you a prescription that will help you relax. Oh, don't worry," she added as she saw the protest form on Blair's lips. "This is very mild and perfectly safe for the fetuses. Actually, it's better than you having premature contractions. Make sure that he takes it," she said to Jim, handing him the prescription slip.

"Don't worry, he'll take them if I have to sit on him," Jim promised.

"Do I need to come back on my regular appointment in two days?" Blair asked.

Dr. Casey shook her head. "Why don't you just reschedule for your regular time next week? If you have any problems between now and then, don't hesitate to come in."

"Thanks, Doc." Jim took Blair by the elbow and helped him to stand. Once Blair had pulled up his pants and slipped back into his coat, they headed out to make the appointment and go home.

~oO0Oo~

"Why don't you go lie down?" Jim suggested. "I'll fill your prescription, and then I'd like to run down to the station to see if Brown and Rafe have made any progress on your case. All right?"

"I'm getting tired of all these naps. I'm not tired, and I'm not sleepy. I want to help clear my name, if I can."

"You need to rest and stay away from the investigation," Jim countered. "You don't need more stress in your life right now. I'll stop at home and drop off the pills before I go down to the station. I expect to find you in bed, or at least lounging on the chaise. That's why I bought the thing for you, after all."

"I suppose," Blair grudgingly agreed. "Between you, Simon, and Lynne, I'm not allowed to do much of anything these days."

"You're incubating the two newest members of our family," Jim reminded him. "What's more important than that?"

"Touché," Blair replied, giving Jim a mock salute as he climbed aboard his chair lift. "See you when you get back."

~oO0Oo~

Jim dropped off the medication and made sure that Blair took some before heading back down to the station to talk with Henri and Rafe. He found the two detectives huddled over Brown's screen, studying it intently.

"What have you got?" Jim asked, coming up behind the men.

"Just looking over the rap sheets of the kids who are set to testify against Blair," Henri said, pointing to the screen. "This dude's sheet is longer than my arm! I'm not convinced these are totally reliable witnesses."

"We already knew that," Jim said, exasperated. "Someone paid these kids off to lie and say that they bought their stash from Blair. I'd say it's their real supplier -- the person who set Blair up."

"But we haven't got a clue as to who that might be yet," Rafe said, straightening up and looking Jim in the eye. "Got any leads for us? Anyone who has a beef against Blair?"

Jim thought about it, shaking his head. Then, suddenly, his face lit up. "At the school play back in March, there was this one guy.... Somebody from the University that Blair works with. He had a kid in the play, too.... Johnson... No... Johnston! Paul Johnston. He's head of the Archeology department at Rainier. He and Blair haven't gotten along since the dissertation disaster."

"Want us to check him out?" asked Brown. "Just take a few minutes."

"No. You keep working on the students. See if you can find anything that might prove that they're lying. I'll check up on Johnston myself."

"Whatever you say, man," Henri replied, buckling back down to his work.

Simon appeared in his office doorway. "Ellison! My office, now!"

Jim made a sharp one-eighty turn on his heel and walked into his boss' office. "What is it, Simon?"

"You're on paid leave to stay home with Blair. You're his alibi and his guardian for the time being... remember?" Banks growled. "Let Brown and Rafe work the case. They're good men."

"Yes, sir, but I just thought..."

"You thought you could hurry the investigation along if you stayed to help. Remember, Jim, I know you." Simon poured a cup of coffee and offered it to Jim, who declined. "Your job is probably the most important of all right now. You need to keep Blair safe. He's due for his C-section in just about five weeks, isn't he? And hasn't he been having problems with the stress?"

"Yes, but we went to the doctor this morning and she prescribed a mild sedative for him."

"Not enough, Jim. You need to be there with him. Not that I expect Blair to go off half-cocked and do something stupid, but it's still good to know that you're there watching over him."

"He resents having a babysitter," Jim informed his captain. "And that's what I've felt like ever since this debacle started."

"Well, he's just going to have to get used to it, and so are you," Simon grunted. "Now, get on home and let my men do their work."

"Yes, sir," Jim answered, walking toward the office door. "But you'll let me know as soon as there's any new evidence?"

"You'll be first on my call list," the captain promised.

~oO0Oo~

"Hey, Jim, it's Henri," Brown's familiar voice came over the phone lines about two hours later. "Nada on your Paul Johnston. He's clean as a whistle. All we found out was that he's head of the Archeology Department at Rainier, which you already knew; married to his wife, Susan, for ten years; and they have a six-year-old son named Thomas."

"Thomas?" Jim could almost feel the gears turning. "Tommy Johnston? That's the kid that Laurene punched out a couple months ago when he was making some crude remarks about Blair's condition. And Paul confronted us at the school play in March. There's no love lost between him and Blair, that's for sure."

"Want us to keep digging?" Brown asked. "Not sure we'll come up with anything, but if you want, we'll keep trying."

"Keep trying," Jim confirmed. "My spider sense is tingling, if you know what I mean."

Brown's guffaw brought a grin to Jim's face. "Got'cha, my brother. We'll keep working."

~oO0Oo~

"Hey, Blair! I'm home!"

"Upstairs!"

Jim took the stairs two at a time and pushed open the bedroom door to see Blair sitting shirtless on the lounge, his enormous belly bare, the skin stretched taut and straining over the precious cargo inside.

"Make any progress on my case?" Blair asked, hands roaming the expanse of his belly.

Jim crossed the room and knelt in front of his partner, putting an ear just south of Blair's protruding navel to listen to the cherished sound of two tiny hearts beating in almost perfect synchronicity.

[placement for "listening.jpg" (Jim listening at baby belly)]

After a moment, Jim looked up and sighed. "Nothing concrete. I asked Brown and Rafe to look into Paul Johnston a little more closely."

"Paul?" Blair's eyes widened in surprise. "He's an ass, but I can't believe he'd go to extremes like this!"

"It's his son, Tommy, that Laurene gave the black eye to, and he was none too friendly to you at the school play," Jim pointed out.

"But that doesn't make him a drug dealer, or someone who would set me up."

"Why are you trying to defend that scumbag?" Jim asked, getting up to sit next to Blair. "There's a good chance he's our guy."

"I'm not trying to defend him," Blair explained. "I just can't wrap my mind around anyone I know doing something this despicable."

"People do it all the time," Jim said with a sigh. "It's the ugly side of police work; finding that those you trust aren't always worthy of that trust."

"I got a call today while you were out." Blair ran a hand through his long hair, scooping it back from his face, his fingers combing the fine strands, his face looking disturbed. "The District Attorney wants me to come sit before a grand jury on June first."

"That's less than a week away," Jim exclaimed. "I can't believe they're moving this fast."

"It's only to determine if there's enough evidence to go to trial," Blair explained. "It shouldn't be too bad." Counter to his words, the muscles of his abdomen contracted, making him wince with the pain.

"C'mon," Jim said, standing and offering Blair a hand up from the lounge. "You need a little TLC." He led Blair to the bed and spooned up behind him, massaging the cramps away with strong, sensitive fingers. Blair sighed and began to relax. "How about discussing something a little less stressful?"

"Like what?"

"Well, we haven't talked about names for the babies in a while. Do you have any suggestions?"

Blair turned his head to smile at Jim before relaxing back into the pillows and enjoying the soothing massage. "I was considering Jacob and Joseph if we have boys," he said. "I figure that way they're named after us, but not in too obvious a way. I haven't had much luck with girls' names, though."

"Hmmm..." Jim thought about it. "How about Naomi and Grace, after our mothers?"

A thoughtful smile crossed Blair's face. "I like that," he replied. "But Jewish tradition frowns on naming newborns after living relatives."

"Since when has Naomi ever been traditional?" Jim asked with a snort of laughter.

Blair turned again to look at Jim. "You'd be surprised. She's always been a bit of a rebel so far as the family is concerned, but I had my Bris when I was eight days old, as tradition requires. When I was twelve, she had me studying the Torah in preparation for my Bar Mitzvah. She couldn't think of me turning thirteen without the traditional ceremony." Blair paused, considering the possibilities. "How about Ruth? That was my maternal grandmother's name," he suggested.

"I like that," Jim agreed. "And if we have one of each, the combinations could be Jacob and Grace or Joseph and Ruth, taking one name from each side of the family."

Blair nodded. "I like that."

Jim rubbed his hand over Blair's distended abdomen with a light, firm pressure, feeling for any remnants of the muscle cramps that had been plaguing his lover for the past few weeks. "How are you feeling now?"

"Much better, thanks." A yawn escaped, and Blair closed his eyes. "I think I'll take a little nap now."

"Sounds like a plan," Jim agreed, getting up carefully so as not to disturb his partner. "I'll go downstairs to sideline the kids when they get home from school. Maybe I can take them out for burgers for dinner."

"Take them to the deli for sandwiches," Blair mumbled quietly. "It's healthier than burgers."

Jim grinned as he closed the bedroom door and headed downstairs.

~oO0Oo~

It wasn't easy being patient, but Jim waited nearly a week before confronting Brown and Rafe again. "Find anything on Johnston?"

Rafe shook his head, looking disappointed that they didn't have better news for their colleague. "We've been as thorough as we can, but we don't have enough evidence against him to get a warrant to search his home or office, so our hands are tied."

"Have you tried interrogating those young wimps who claimed that Blair sold them the cocaine?"

"The Narcotics guys interviewed them when they first came forward with their claims," Brown answered. "They didn't find any evidence that the kids were lying. The prosecution has offered them immunity from any possession charges for testifying against Blair. They're off limits, man."

"We'll see about that," Jim said, determined to clear Blair's name at any cost. "Thanks, guys, you've done your best."

"Sorry we couldn't find anything to help Blair," said Rafe. "We really tried."

"I know you did," Jim replied with a hint of despair.

Brown looked up from his computer with a serious look in his eyes. "Tell Blair we're pulling for him. We don't believe for one minute that he's guilty of the charges."

"Will do," Jim promised. "But we're going to need more than wishful thinking to get the charges dropped." He turned on his heel and headed for Simon Banks' office.

"Come in," Simon responded to the sharp rap on his door. He looked up as Jim entered and closed the door behind him. "How's Blair doing?"

"Not so good." Jim pulled up a chair and sat down in front of Simon's desk. "He's testifying before the grand jury this afternoon. The stress has been causing more frequent cramps. He's been going to see Dr. Casey nearly every other day to make sure that everything is all right." Jim ran his fingers through his close-cropped hair. "Blair's nearly full term, Simon. He shouldn't be having to go through all this crap."

Simon sighed and chewed on an unlit cigar. "The prosecution has a pretty strong case, and our hands are tied."

Jim stood, slamming his palms flat against Simon's desk and leaning in toward his captain. "My hands aren't tied, sir. I'm going to do whatever it is I have to do in order to prove Blair's innocence."

"Jim..." Simon cautioned. "You're playing with fire. If you step outside the boundaries, you're risking your badge and your career."

"My badge and my career are nothing compared to Blair and my family. Blair once gave up his career for me," Jim pointed out. "I'm not going to do any less for him."

"Just be careful," Simon said, sighing. He knew what it meant to be up against a brick wall, and he also knew that Jim was like a wrecking ball. Nothing would stand before his determination to clear Blair's name. He watched as Jim walked out of his office, closing the door behind him with deliberate gentleness.

~oO0Oo~

Jim parked the truck in Rainier University's large parking lot and glanced down at the class schedules he held for Brandon Williams, Katie Corwin, and Tad Gershwin, the three students who had claimed to have bought drugs from Blair. Katie was out, so long as he could possibly break Williams or Gershwin. Williams' schedule showed a class just ending in the science hall, so Jim got out of the car and ambled across campus to see if he could intercept the young man.

Williams was exiting Baxter Hall as Jim approached. "Brandon Williams?"

"Yeah?" the student answered cautiously.

"Cascade Police," Jim answered, pulling out his badge and ID. "I'd like to have a little talk with you."

Williams took one look at the badge and took off at a run.

Jim followed, keeping pace as the young man fled through the campus. He finally managed to tackle Williams near the fountain where Blair had nearly drowned.

Cuffing Williams, Jim dragged the student to his feet. "So why did you run?" he asked. "I only wanted to talk." As he spoke, he frisked the young man, finding something questionable in a pocket of his jacket. "What's this?" Jim pulled out a small bag of white powder. Opening the zip-lock, he dipped a finger in and rubbed the powder between his fingers. "Not much doubt it's cocaine. We can test it anyway, so you might as well admit it. Where did you get this? Blair hasn't been on campus for weeks now."

"I ain't saying," Williams snapped.

"Well, you have the right to remain silent," Jim agreed. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to have an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand your rights?" As Jim repeated the Miranda to his prisoner, he was prodding the man along toward the parking lot and his waiting truck.

~oO0Oo~

"You can't keep me here!" Williams protested. "The District Attorney made me immune from prosecution for the drugs."

"That was then, this is now," Jim snarled. "This is a whole new possession charge, not covered under your agreement with the D.A. And now that I have you here, I can ask you anything I please." His grin was feral as he watched tiny beads of sweat form on Williams' brow. The young man didn't like the small interrogation room, or the large, angry man standing before him. Jim decided to take his time; revenge was going to be sweet.

~oO0Oo~

Blair arrived at the courthouse five minutes before his appointed interview time. Settling in the waiting room, he was surprised to see Dr. Lynne Casey exit the jury room.

"Lynne!"

"Blair! What a surprise to see you here. I didn't know they'd be questioning you today," the doctor replied.

"Why were you here?" Blair asked, surprised to see his physician.

"To give testimony regarding your use of illegal drugs," she answered. Lynne sat down next to Blair and smiled reassuringly. "You're clean, of course. Your blood tests were requisitioned by warrant, but they cleared you of any drug use charges. All you're up against now is the dealing."

"I didn't do it," Blair said glumly. "But how can I prove it? They've got witnesses who are lying, perjuring themselves to make me look guilty."

"Just go in there and tell the truth," Lynne said. "Trust the system, trust Jim to come through for you."

"Blair Sandburg?" A court appointee called from the open jury room door.

Blair stood and looked hesitantly back at Lynne.

"I'll stay here until you're done," the doctor promised, nodding her head reassuringly.

Blair walked into the jury room and sat in a chair at the head of a large table. Seven grand jurors sat around the table, waiting for him to get comfortable. The District Attorney was the only other person in the room.

"This is a closed proceeding," the D.A. told Blair. "Nothing you say here will leave this room. The grand jury is convened only to determine whether or not there is enough evidence against you to take your case to court for trial. Do you understand?"

Blair nodded. "Yes," he replied, his voice nearly failing him as he swallowed the lump forming in his throat.

"The Jurors will be asking you questions," the D.A. continued. "You will answer truthfully, and to the best of your ability. First, you'll need to be sworn in."

The foreman of the jury read the oath: "Do you swear that the testimony you are about to give to this grand jury will be the truth as you know it?"

"I do," Blair replied quietly.

"Where were you on the evening of May 10th?" one of the jurors asked.

"I was in my office at Rainier until 8 PM," Blair answered. "Then I went home."

"What were you doing there so late?"

"I was reading papers and preparing grades," responded Blair.

"Do you stay late like that often?"

"No more often than I have to," Blair said honestly. "But I probably stay late at least one or two nights a week most weeks."

"Can you tell us how the packets of cocaine came to be in a locked drawer of your desk?"

Blair shook his head, his chin dipping to his chest before he looked up at the Jurors once more. "I have no idea where that came from. The only people with keys to my desk are myself and my T.A., Terri Watson. Terri's a good student and a good friend. She'd never try to incriminate me by planting the cocaine."

"Can you tell us of anyone who might have something against you? Someone who might want to harm you or see you go to prison?"

"I don't --" Blair paused, gasping as a cramp doubled him over.

"Are you all right?" the District Attorney asked. "If you need a doctor, I can get one in here."

"No... no..." Blair gasped. "I'm okay." He rubbed his belly and drew in deep breaths, trying to relax. "Um... the only person I can think of who seems to dislike me is Professor Paul Johnston. He objects to my current condition." Blair continued to rub his enormous belly.

"When are you due?" a female juror asked.

"In three weeks," Blair answered. "I'm scheduled for my C-section on June 22nd."

"If you need a break, we can continue this later," the D.A. said, sympathy in her voice.

"I just want to get this over with," Blair declared, steeling himself to take on the rest of the interrogation. "I just can't believe that Dr. Johnston could be the one who set me up," he continued.

"What happened the next morning? The morning of May 11th?"

"I arrived at Hargrove Hall on the Rainier campus, and was arrested just outside my office." Blair's face suddenly twisted with agony and he doubled over, crying out with the strength of the abdominal cramping.

The District Attorney shot to her feet and exited the jury room. She turned to the secretary seated at her desk outside. "Call 911. Now! We have a medical emergency!"

"I'm Blair's doctor," Dr. Casey announced, rising to her feet. "What's the matter?"

"He doubled over in pain," the D.A. explained. "I think he's having contractions!"

"It's too early," Lynne said, pushing past the D.A. and into the jury room. She knelt next to where Blair sat, his face red and sweating. "Tell me where it hurts... exactly," she commanded.

"Here," Blair said, rubbing across the middle of his abdomen.

"What does the pain feel like?"

"Cramps," Blair gasped. "Bad cramps."

"Contractions?"

Blair nodded, unable to speak.

"We've got to get him to the hospital now!" Lynne announced. "These babies are coming, and if I don't get him into surgery soon, both Blair and his unborn children could die."

~oO0Oo~

Jim leaned over the table in the interrogation room. It had already been two hours, and while Williams was sweating, he wasn't breaking. Time to break out the big guns. "Look," Jim said, his voice steely. "While we've been in here, I had some friends of mine in Narcotics go pick up the other two witnesses," he lied. "They're being offered a deal as we speak."

"I already have a deal with the District Attorney," Williams spat back.

"But this is a better deal," Jim purred. "You see, we know you're lying about who you got the cocaine from, so the first one of you that talks, walks. The other two will go before the court on perjury charges. Do you know what the penalty is for perjury in the state of Washington?"

Williams shook his head.

"Perjury is a Class C felony, carrying a penalty of up to five years in prison," Jim explained. "Do you really want to go to prison for five years? A pretty boy like you?" Williams blanched at the comment. "Do you know what happens to good-looking young men in prison?"

Jim watched as Williams swallowed as if he had a lump in his throat and then nodded his understanding.

"Good. Then we're on the same page here. So... do you want to be the one who walks? Immunity would include the possession charge that I brought you in here on. You'd be free and clear to go."

There was a sharp rap at the door. Jim ignored it. The rap became a pounding.

"What do you say? Time is running out on the offer. If one of your friends turns evidence first, the only place you'll be walking is the narrow halls of the state prison."

"Jim! For God's sake!" Simon came bursting into the room. "What the hell's wrong with you?"

"Just give me a minute, Captain," Jim said, turning from Banks back to his prisoner. "Well?"

"It was Professor Johnston," Williams confessed. "He paid us each a thousand dollars to say that we got our stash from Professor Sandburg." He paused, gasping for air. "It was a lot of money..."

"Yes, well..." Jim began. Simon's hand on his shoulder spun the detective around.

"You've got your confession, now listen up! Blair's been taken to the hospital. He began having contractions during the grand jury proceedings! Get your ass down there! I'll clean up in here."

"Thanks, Simon." Jim slapped his captain on the back and tore out of the interrogation room at warp speed.

~oO0Oo~

When Jim arrived at the hospital, Blair was already in surgery. Donning a gown and mask, and scrubbing up, he was admitted to the surgery suite. He sat down on the stool provided for him at the head of the bed. Blair was awake, but groggy, smiling up at Jim through the oxygen mask over his face.

"Hey, Chief, how ya doing?" Jim asked, stroking sweat-dampened hair from Blair's forehead.

"Better." Blair's voice was muffled by the mask, but clear to the waiting ears of the Sentinel seated next to him.

"It's going to be all right," Jim assured him. "You're in the best of hands." He turned to Dr. Casey, who was busy behind a tented blue shield that blocked Blair's view of the proceedings. "How is he?"

"Blair is doing fine. He's quite the trouper," Lynne replied. "We just about have Baby Number One here." A bit more effort on the doctor's part, and Jim heard the squall of the first twin. "You have a daughter," Lynne announced. A few minutes later, after a quick check and cleaning, the swaddled infant was handed over to Jim.

"Look, Chief, you did it." Jim held the baby up for Blair to see. "Want to hold her?" When Blair nodded, Jim lowered the bundle into his partner's waiting arms. Blair picked at the blanket, exposing more of the tiny, red face. "So, which one is she? Grace or Ruth?"

"She looks like my Grandma Ruth," Blair said, lifting the mask from his face long enough to speak.

"Then Ruth she is," Jim declared.

"This one must be Grace," Dr. Casey said, just as the cry of a second infant filled the room. She was quickly checked and bundled, and handed over to Jim.

"Meet Grace," Jim said, holding their newest born in his arms for Blair to see.

"She's beautiful," Blair declared, grinning sleepily.

The nurses allowed the two men to bask in their babies' presence a while longer, then took the infants to the nursery. "We need to weigh and check them more thoroughly," one of the nurses explained. "By the time Blair is back in his room, they'll be ready to come visit you again."

Jim nodded his thanks and turned his attention back to Blair. "It won't be much longer now. You did it, Chief." Blair just smiled and closed his eyes, exhaustion finally catching up with him.

Turning to the surgical team, Jim asked, "How much longer?"

"Maybe another half an hour," Dr. Casey replied. "I need to detach the placenta and close the wound. We don't want to rush these things."

"Blair's asleep."

"That's natural," Lynne said, looking up long enough to grin at Jim. "He's had a rough day."

"What happened?"

"I finished my testimony to the grand jury just before Blair went in," she explained. "I promised him I'd wait until he was through. Good thing I did, because less than twenty minutes later, they came running out calling for a doctor. I guess the extra stress of the questioning brought on the contractions."

"It's been building for the past couple of weeks," Jim said, knowing full well that Dr. Casey knew that as well as he did.

"Hmmm..." Lynne turned back to her work for a few minutes, then looked back up at Jim. "Yes. I half expected an early delivery given the amount of stress Blair's been under. I just didn't think it was going to be today."

"Are the babies premature?"

"Well, they arrived three weeks early. That's close enough to full term that they shouldn't have to be placed in the NICU," the doctor explained. "But they may need a little extra TLC over the next few weeks. They're small, but that's to be expected of twins, especially twins by male pregnancy."

"So everything is going to be okay?"

"To the best of my knowledge, yes," Lynne said, smiling at Jim. "You needn't worry."

"Thanks, Lynne... for being there for Blair when he needed you."

"It's all part of the job," Dr. Casey said. "Besides, I've grown close to you two over the years. Blair has been a very special patient of mine." She turned back to her work, concentrating on the delicate suturing. When she was finished, she turned to leave, grasping Jim's shoulder and motioning him to follow.

"The team will clean up and then move Blair back to his room. If you want, you can wait for him there. Room 302," Lynne instructed. "I gave him a light sedative, since he was in a lot of initial pain, so he may sleep for a while. It's nothing to worry about."

"Thanks again, Doc," Jim said, a genuine smile warming his face as he turned and headed for Room 302.

~oO0Oo~

Blair was settled in bed, sleeping peacefully, when a nurse entered the room pushing an incubator with two small, squirming bodies in it.

"Now then," the nurse began, turning to Jim. "Why don't we have you unbutton your shirt?"

Jim looked up at the nurse in surprise. "What?"

"Unbutton your shirt. The little ones need skin-to-skin contact. Since they were born a wee bit early, they're going to need some extra attention if you want them to thrive."

Jim looked up at the nurse skeptically, but opened his shirt, exposing his bare chest. The nurse unbundled one of the infants and held her out to him.

"This is little Gracie," she said, introducing father and daughter. "Just cuddle her up against your chest and we'll cover you both with a nice, warm blanket."

Jim did as he was instructed, feeling large and ungainly with the tiny infant engulfed in his hands. Grace immediately turned to the source of warmth and began to suckle on bare skin.

"Oh, here now," the nurse crooned, taking the baby and placing her over one of Jim's nipples. "This is what she wants."

"I'm not the mother!" Jim protested, shocked by the nurse's action. "I don't have any milk for her. That's Blair's job!"

"Well, Blair isn't quite with us right now, is he?" the nurse replied, pointing toward the man sleeping soundly in the bed. "It doesn't matter that she can't feed. What she needs is the nurturing. It doesn't hurt, now, does it?"

As the nurse placed the blanket over the suckling infant, Jim had to admit that it felt amazingly good. He was almost sorry that he had no milk for Grace, whose tiny mouth held much more suction than he would have given her credit for.

"No... It's fine," Jim said, smiling up at the nurse. "But how do I know when she's done?"

"She'll stop when she stops," the nurse said. "I'll be back in fifteen or twenty minutes and help you switch over to little Ruth. How does that sound?"

"Good." Jim nodded, and then turned his attention back to the tiny infant at his breast.

~oO0Oo~

A few hours later, Blair awoke, rested, but a bit sore. "Hey, Jim." His soft voice woke Jim from a light doze.

"Hey there, Chief! It's all over and you did great!"

"How are Grace and Ruth?"

"They're perfect," Jim said, beaming proudly. "I got to hold and nurse them while you slept."

"Nurse?" Blair's voice was astonished. "You nursed them?"

"Well, not exactly, but... yeah," Jim replied. "The nurse said they needed skin-on-skin contact and they wanted to suck, so she put them on one of my nipples and they... nursed."

Blair was beaming with surprise at this turn of events. "That's great! You know, I could really use the help, since I'll have two to take care of now."

"Whoa!" Jim put up his hands to stem the flow of the words. "What are you suggesting? I can't actually nurse them!"

"Maybe not," Blair agreed, "but you could hold one while I feed the other. And given time, you might start making milk of your own. It's not unheard of, you know. There's documented evidence of men who have lost their wives right after the birth of a child actually lactating and feeding their own babies."

"Oh no. No, no, no..." Jim was shaking his head in denial. "I'm not growing breasts to feed our babies."

"You wouldn't necessarily grow breasts," Blair explained. "But that shouldn't matter. What matters is that you would bond with your daughters, become closer to them. That's important, especially for a father. I get far more contact, because I'm the daily caregiver and source of nutrition for the first few months. You'll have to go back to work. So the more close contact you can have, the better."

"Well... it was rather pleasant," Jim had to admit. "I like holding them."

"There you go!" Blair beamed with enthusiasm. "You need the contact as much as the babies do. And," he added, his eyes going round and innocent, "it would really, really, really help me. I can only imagine what nursing two at once is going to be like."

"Enough with the puppy dog eyes," Jim complained good-naturedly. "I'm convinced."

"He's good with those eyes, isn't he?" Dr. Lynne Casey entered the room, smiling at the new parents.

"Tell me about it!" Jim grouched, his proud grin never leaving his face.

"I just dropped by to tell you that everything went well, Blair. There were no complications despite the early delivery, and you can expect to stay here about seventy-two hours. After that, I'll let you go home."

"Will we be able to take the babies home with us, or will they have to stay?" Blair asked, remembering Jeremy's extended stay after his premature birth.

"Little Gracie and Ruth are doing very well, and I see no need for them to stay. I would make an appointment with your pediatrician to see them as soon as possible, though. While I don't expect there to be any problems due to their early birth, it never hurts to be on the safe side."

Changing the subject, Lynne eyed Blair critically. "I know you've just been through an ordeal," she said softly, "but if you're feeling up to it, I'd like to see you up and out of bed this evening. It would be good if you could make at least one round of the floor."

Blair groaned and laid a hand lightly over his abdomen. "Could that possibly wait until tomorrow morning?" he begged.

Lynne tilted her head and continued her scrutiny of the young man. "The sooner the better," she reminded him. "Any delay in getting you up and about could mean a longer hospital stay."

"How about after dinner?" Blair suggested, suddenly eager to be free of the confining hospital environment, with its disturbing smells and sounds.

"Perfect!" Lynne agreed. "I'll be sure to send a nurse around to help you get started. Jim can stay by your side while you walk. By the way," she said, turning to Jim, "do you have someone who can stay with Laurene and Jeremy for extended periods?"

"My father is caring for them now," Jim explained. "He wouldn't mind watching them a while longer."

"Good. I'd really like you to be here for Blair's first walk. After that, I think perhaps you should go home and let him rest."

Jim nodded. "Thanks, Doc."

After Dr. Casey had left the room, Jim turned his attention back to Blair. "I have some good news for you," he began.

"Yeah?" Blair said, his eyes lighting up. "Better news than the birth of the twins?"

Jim's mouth turned down in a mock frown. "Nothing could be better than that," he admitted, "but I think you'll like this."

"Go on." Blair folded his arms and waited patiently.

"Late this morning, I decided to see if I could get a confession from one of those lying bastards...."

"Language, Jim," Blair reminded him. "We don't want you getting back into bad habits around the kids."

Jim grimaced at the mild reprimand, but continued. "I went to the Rainier campus and stopped Brandon Williams for some questioning. When he saw my badge, he took off. When I caught up with him, he had a dime bag of coke in his pocket, so I arrested him for possession. Anyway..." he took a deep breath, "...I managed to get a confession out of him just before Simon came in to tell me about you being in labor. Williams admitted that Paul Johnston had paid him and the other witnesses a thousand dollars each to say they got their stash from you."

"So, does that mean I'm off the hook?" Blair looked hopefully at his partner.

"Sure does." Jim nodded and smiled. "Now we just have to make a case against Paul Johnston. The confession gives us enough probable cause to get a warrant to search his office and home. That's something we didn't have before."

"Hallelujah." Blair breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Jim. When I get home again, I'll show you just how grateful I truly am."

"No rush, Chief." Jim chuckled. "You're not going to feel up to celebrating right away."

"Speaking of which," Blair said with a yawn, "I feel another nap coming on."

"You've earned it," Jim said, leaning over the bed to press a kiss against Blair's forehead. Sleepy eyes drooped shut and soon Blair was snoring softly.

~oO0Oo~

Two days later, while Blair was nursing Grace and Jim was cuddling Ruth against his chest, there was a sharp rap on the door. The two men looked up to see Simon Banks entering, toting a large wicker basket full of baby supplies and topped with two "It's a Girl" Mylar balloons and several colorful, helium-filled latex balloons.

"Sorry I'm late," Simon apologized. "Things down at the station have taken quite an interesting turn."

"It's good to see you, Simon!" Jim greeted his captain and friend. "Want to meet the newest of the Sandburg-Ellison clan?"

Simon walked over to where Jim was seated. Jim peeled back the pink blanket to reveal Ruth's head of dark curly hair. "This is Ruth. Blair is nursing Grace." He nodded over toward the bed. Blair pulled the blanket down to show another dark head nestled at his breast.

"Beautiful babies," Simon commented, smiling. He put down the basket with a relieved sigh. "Thought with twins, you might need a little extra," he said. The basket was filled with diapers, wipes, powder, shampoo, jars of baby food, and some premixed formula.

"Thanks, Simon!" Blair grinned at the captain. "So, what's been happening at the station that kept you away?"

"You won't believe this!" Simon began.

Jim chuckled, his voice dry. "Try us."

"After you got the confession from the Williams kid," Simon began, "we decided to round up the other two. Sure enough, when they heard that Williams had confessed, they each came up with nearly identical stories in separate interviews. We were able to get the warrants to search Paul Johnston's house and office, and we found evidence of cocaine as well as drug paraphernalia. Here's the kicker: he confessed."

"Confessed?" Blair's eyebrows shot up into his hairline.

"Yup. It was like watching a balloon deflate. He gave a big sigh and started talking. He ranted on about gays and gay rights, and men having babies. He wanted to discredit you, Blair, for having the gall to flaunt your pregnancy in public. It all came to a head when Laurene punched his son, Tommy. After that, he began plotting his revenge."

Blair shook his head, as if disbelieving his own ears. "I have a hard time swallowing Paul as being that vindictive," he said with a sigh. "We never got along well, but I never thought he was one to attack someone so viciously. He almost ruined my life... and Jim's and the kids'. Paul Johnston..." His voice was quiet. "I just can't believe it."

"Believe it," Simon said firmly. "The man's in jail awaiting trial. One more cocaine pushing scumbag off the streets."

"The perfect happy ending," Jim said, grinning. "And now we can get on with living our lives."

"Hear, hear!" Simon agreed.

Blair looked down at the bundle still suckling at his breast and smiled. A happy ending all around, he agreed silently.

A New Beginning....

Special Note: When it came to naming the twins, I was at a loss; so I posted a contest on several mailing lists asking for help. I hereby wish to congratulate Kathy K for coming up with the names Grace and Ruth, and the explanation of Jewish naming traditions. Thank you, Kathy, for naming the newest members of the Sandburg-Ellison clan.