Since receiving the text from Caroline, Ennis had been in a foul mood. Inner struggle over what was right and what wasn't tended to have that effect upon him. Add to it what Gabrielle thought was right and wrong and you've got one messed up Jamaican. He threw himself into work, into anything that would divert his thoughts from Gabrielle and their sons. But he knew that wouldn't last for long. And even if Gabrielle didn't want him around, Ennis knew that by not at least visiting, by staying away, he was becoming a man he didn't even like to be around.

So, he decided that he'd spent enough time running away from the situation. Time for adolescent behavior was over. It was time to be a man and to take his responsibilities as a man should. And that's what led him to the door of Beecham House. As he stood there, he hoped that Gabrielle was home, alone. He didn't want nor need the interference of her family, especially her father and brother. After what seemed a very long time, Ennis reached up to ring the bell. As he stood and waited, he removed his raz. The sun was hot and the knitted cap only made matters worse. His loose fitting shirt had sweat stains in the pits and at the base of his neck, from where he'd been walking. The only thing not slightly stained were his khaki cargo shorts. His sandals were a dusty non-color. And even looking a mess, he knew what had to be done. This was right, and no matter what happened from here on out, at least he tried.

And it wasn't so much that Gabrielle didn't want him around. She had never said as much. What concerned her was that he wanted something from her that she could not give him, and that he had abandoned their friendship and their unborn children, just because she wouldn't lie to him and play a role that would ultimately hurt both of them. She'd missed her friend dearly in the last month or more, grateful to Caroline for including him in the round of texts and phonecalls when the boys had finally decided to be born, and hurt when he had not even so much as sent a message in reply. But life went on, and life with newborn twins was more hectic than she had thought it would be.

Cian had taken Leilani to explore a little of the Grove today, to find a cottage or house that might suit them both to stay in when they came back to Rhy"Din from time to time; her father, Gordon, had slipped a portal to have lunch with her aunt, Miranda, in New York on Earth. Thus Gabi was alone with her boys when Ennis came calling, moving to answer the door with a tired smile. She looked exhausted but content, her hair a mess and knotted untidily in a bun, a large shirt loose on her tiny frame and bare feet in slippers against the floor. Her smile only faltered a little when she saw Ennis on the stoop, before growing with surprised delight. "You came! Oh, I'm so glad to see you - come in!"

Ennis blinked his surprise when the door was opened and Gabrielle actually seemed happy to see him. For a man who could barely look at himself in the mirror, ashamed of the guilt in his dark brown eyes, it was surprising to him that she was glad that he'd shown up. More surprising to him was that the door wasn't slammed in his face.

She looked beautiful, but Ennis couldn't bring himself to look into her eyes. Hesitant, with his hat clutched tightly in his hands, he questioned her with just a look. Should he really go inside" It took him a full minute to coalesce to her request, and took a step across the threshold. "I'm sorry," he muttered quietly. He was closer to her now than he'd ever imagined and the urge to reach out and hold her was nearly unbearable. He had to remind himself that it wasn't his place to do so. And besides, he knew that the comforting of such an embrace would only be for his own benefit. So he stood there, just inside of the door, and apologized again. "I'm sorry it took me so long."

"You're here now," she told him gently, closing the door in his wake with a fond smile. She was very fond of Ennis, but not as much as he wanted her to be. She only wanted to be his friend, and to have him involved in their sons" lives. If, for him, that meant chaining her into a relationship she didn't want, that would be a very hard sticking point. "I'm sorry I didn't call, but ....well, it's a little hectic around here when the boys are awake. Would - would you like to see them?"

Of course he wanted to see them, that was why he was there. But Gabi wasn't entirely sure if he had planned something to say to her first, or not.

There was plenty Ennis had wanted to say, intended to say, but in that moment he knew it was all for naught. He wouldn't try to force anything upon her, much less himself. But to see her eventually fall in love with another man would be devastating. He hung his head, then picked it up and lifted his chin. If this is what she wanted, then he'd give it to her, regardless of how painful it was. He put a smile on his face and nodded slowly. "I would love to be seein" da boys. What did y"name dem?" Ennis was proud of himself, keeping the conversation light and mostly impersonal.

Gabi's smile was the same as it had always been - a little shy, but mostly golden. Motherhood suited her, obviously. Offering to show him the way, she moved toward the stairs that led upward into the heart of Beecham House, almost silent in her slippers. "I hope you don't mind what I've been calling them," she said, feeling guilty that he hadn't been able to be a part of that decision. "They're family names, like we discussed - Theodore Cian, for one of my cousins who died a long time ago, and my brother; and Jacob Frank, for my other brother. They're already being called Theo and Jake around the house." She cast a warm smile over her shoulder, pushing open the door to her own bedroom, where a large Moses basket was set up beside the bed. The twin boys were asleep inside, close next to one another, still tiny but promising to grow in leaps and bounds over the coming months and years.

Of course, Ennis didn't mind what she called them. He had no right to mind as he had chosen to be absent in the first few weeks of the boys" lives. He followed, smiling when he was being smiled at. He remained silent as her slippers on the floor, rolling the twins" names around in his head. They were good, strong names and was glad that she'd chosen them. Once the door was opened, he peeked inside of the bedroom. He really couldn't see the contents of the basket very well, the coverlets were in the way. Feeling like an intruder, he tip-toed past Gabrielle. And until he reached the basket and gently tugged the coverlet down, he didn't realize that he'd been holding his breath.

His eyes widened in surprise at what he saw. The boys were laying prone, knees and hands touching, heads turned towards each other. One of them puckered his lips and sucked on his own tongue before returning to the peaceful state of slumber only a newborn would know. Reaching down, he barely touched one tiny cheek, then another. "Gabrielle," he whispered, not wanting to wake the sleeping infants, 'dey be white." He turned then and looked at Gabrielle in confusion.

She watched him move toward the basket, knowing exactly what his first comment would be, and hoping he wouldn't come to the automatic assumption that she'd been cheating on him. It was utterly preposterous that she would, given how nervous she still was of men in general, but she didn't seem to know Ennis" mind anymore. He didn't seem to trust her the way he had done once. "I know," she said softly, a little confusion on her own face. "I asked the doctor if I'd done something wrong, but he said that not all children with a black parent and a white parent are born black. It was a surprise to me, too."

The thought of Gabrielle cheating whilst they were in the midst of their whirlwind romance didn't even come to Ennis" mind. "I tink it be dis place. It be a magical place and we be lucky dey came out white and not purple wit yellow dots about dem." Turning back to the boys, he smiled warmly and reached to put his index finger into the palm of a tiny hand. The fingers curled and Ennis" smile grew. "Dis one has m"mudder's nose. Da poor ting. And dat one has m"forehead." He turned and looked at Gabrielle again, excitement lighting his eyes. "And dey has a whole lotta you in dem. Dey be lucky, lucky boys."

Her smile relaxed as he spoke, a very quiet giggle intruding on the natural stillness in the room at his comment on the wacky genetics of Rhy"Din. Moving to stand beside him, looking down at their sons, Gabi agreed with him as he pointed out what was alike and unalike about them both. "I want to show you something," she told him, leaning down to gently lift the elder - Theo - into her arms, stroking her finger down his cheek until the tiny boy stirred, smacking his lips and opening his eyes, newly turning brown from blue. "Look," Gabi murmured. "They have your eyes, Ennis. Both of them."

Ennis was curious as to what she had to show him. But the moment those eyes opened, gazing upon them both without focus, Ennis" breath hitched in his throat and he took an involuntary step back. His jaw was slack and he stared at the boy in utter amazement. He didn't see what Gabi saw. Of course, he could see his family's resemblance echoed in the baby's features, but the eyes were hers. Instinctively, he reached for the boy, wanting to hold him and make that connection. "You be wrong, Gabi. Dose be yer eyes." The heat of tears pricked at the back of his eyes and tightened his throat painfully. "I was so stupid, Gabi. Please be forgivin" me."

Ennis nodded his understanding, but still had much more questions. "How long do dey need to be doin" dis?" He gestured towards her and the boys. "I mean, do dey jes" stop or d"ya hab t' pull dem off?" The question felt strange in his head, he was sure it was a stupid question, but he simply didn't know. He'd never seen a child breast fed, that he could remember. "D"ya eber run outta milk" Wut happens den?" He was unable to control his curiosity, once it got started. And seeing Gabrielle in the madonna like image she was in was getting exponentially easier with each passing moment.

She laughed softly, remembering having the same questions when she'd first started. "They stop when they've had enough, usually," she told him in her gentle, warm voice. "I didn't have enough after they were born, so they had formula for a couple of days until my milk came in. I haven't run dry since, but I assume it'll happen at some point. We have formula just in case." Her head tilted as she looked over at him. "I thought you said your Mom had told you all about all this?"

"Wut m"momma be tellin" me has nuttin" t'do wit wut I be seein"." And it was true, his mother had told him the essentials, but until he saw it for himself, he really hadn't been paying much attention and didn't think that he'd be seeing it for himself. "Do it hurt?" He reached out his hand, but kept it a safe distance away in case she didn't want to be touched or comforted. "If m"body were all swelled up like a puffer fish, I'd be hurtin, too."

"It aches, a little." Gabi wasn't going to be untruthful with him, though Ennis was likely to regret asking that question in just a few minutes. "I tore, during the birth, so ....Well, I have stitches, and they're quite uncomfortable." She chuckled a little awkwardly, shaking her head as she looked down at her sons. Theo was almost done, she could tell, his hand flexing against her breast as he let his gums chew on her nipple. "And that isn't the best sensation in the world. I'm dreading the whole teething issue. If he does that with teeth, he's going to bite my nipple off."

Ennis sat back and put his hands in his lap. At her confession, and slight description of what had taken place during the birthing process, he paled and knotted his hands together in anxiety. "I'm sorry I put you tru dat. I truly am." He shook his head with remorse. Hurting Gabrielle was the last thing he ever wanted to do. As to the rest of what was said, he sighed and lifted his head with the only advice he knew to give: "If"n he bites, y"bite back. Den y'don't give him no more. Da bottle, dat be it."

"Oh, Ennis, it wasn't your fault," she chuckled softly, gently disengaging Theo from her breast, remembering to cover herself up at least on that side as she lifted him. "Come and take Theo. Put a cloth over your shoulder, rest him upright against your shoulder, and rub his back until he burps." Instructions handed out and baby handed over, she turned her attention to Jake, who always seemed to take his time over his feeds. "Besides, women have been doing this for centuries. I'm pretty sure I can handle chewed boobs."

Ennis carefully lifted Theo to his shoulder, then leaned back in the chair. Craning his neck and twisting it, he could watch Theo's head as it bobbled and weaved. Doing as he was instructed, he softly stroked the warm cloth covering that delicate skin. "I don't know," he responded dubiously. "Dere has t"be some point when y'don't give "em da boobs no more. I tink at first bite would be da bes". Teach "em young dat dey can't have eberyting dey be wantin." And, as if on cue, Theo belched loudly. The baby blinked in surprise, then lowered his head to his father's shoulder. He blinked sleepily, content to be where he was. "Lawd," Ennis chuckled and pulled his face away. "Y"be jus like m"uncle Ted."

As he spoke, Gabi gently transferred Jake to her own shoulder, rubbing his back as the younger twin grumbled his way through a few little burps of his own. "They won't be on milk forever," she chuckled. "If it gets painful, I can switch to bottles easily enough. Vicki feeds Emily with a bottle - she expresses milk for her everyday. If she can do it, so can I." Her smile rose again at Ennis" reaction to his son's burp. "You're a natural," she complimented him, high praise from an overprotective mommy.

"Y'really tink so?" Ennis was a little surprised by both the compliment and at the ease of which they'd shifted into this domestic role. He smiled and began to rock gently. Theo had abruptly fallen to sleep with a contented sigh. As Ennis carefully cradled the baby, and as he watched Gabrielle doing the same, his thoughts ran through all of the events that had led up to this very special and crucial moment in time. His smile faded slightly, turning into a thoughtful frown. "I be sayin" dis jus" dis once, gurl. So you be listenin" hard. I love you, like no udder." He knew that she'd want to interrupt, to inject her stance on the subject at hand. But he'd heard it before so he cleared his throat and continued on. "But I know dat you love me almost like one o' yer bruddahs, like we be fambly. And dat's fine wit me because you, me and dese here chilluns, we be fambly. Ain't nothin" changin" dat. Y"get me?"

He knew her a little too well - Gabi had her mouth open to speak as he cleared his throat, closing her lips when he continued. She didn't want to hurt him, glad that he said the way she felt was fine with him. He was family now; he would always be family, even if she couldn't love him the way he would have liked her to. Slowly, she nodded, her smile touched just a little with guilt for not feeling the way he wanted her to. "I get you," she agreed in her soft voice. "I'm sorry I hurt you, Ennis. I never wanted to."

"Nuttin" but water under da bridge," he accepted her apology by means of not making a fuss about it. And now that the elephant was set free, Ennis found himself relaxing more. "Jus" promise me dat you won't be trying to play da busy body match-maker. I don't want or need a woman tryin" to keep me from being a da. Not yet, anyhow." He smiled then and leaned his head to press a kiss to the soft skull of Theo's head. "Dis wut be impo"tant now. Jus" dis."

She couldn't help it; she giggled softly, moving to stand up with Jake still curled close to her neck, automatically swaying as she moved about. "Me, playing match-maker" That would be a disaster even before I started, and you know it," she laughed, rolling her eyes at him. "Besides, if you had a girlfriend, you wouldn't be able to come over here and be a dad as often as you want to, and you don't want a girlfriend who'll be jealous of your kids." She made no mention of anyone possibly being jealous of her, though it was a distinct possibility. Teja, who worked at the club where Ennis played in the band, was already a little icy toward her, and she knew all the circumstances.

Ennis couldn't help but laugh softly and roll his eyes. "Y'did. Tryin" t"tell m t"hook up wit Teja. Yeah, you "member. I knows you do." He stood then, putting his hand upon Theo's head to keep it from jostling around with the effort. "And dat be da reason I knows dat being wit anudder woman would not be good for Ole Ennis." He managed to make his way to the Moses basket, but no matter how he twisted or dipped, he couldn't figure out how to lay Theo down without waking him. Frustrated, he finally just stood there and waited for Gabrielle to show him how it was done.

"All I did was point out that she fancied you," Gabi defended herself with a smile, shaking her head as she gently jostled Jake on her shoulder, following Ennis toward the basket. "I never suggested you should do anything about it, just stated the facts." She paused, watching as he struggled to work out how to put Theo down without waking him. "You do know it's virtually impossible to put them down without them moaning a bit, right?" she offered as a means to reassure him, bending forward to lay Jake down with little fuss or ceremony. The younger boy protested as he was laid back, but only for a moment, his hand reaching toward the space where Theo should be.

"That gurl be fancyin" anyting in pants wit a stick." Ennis chuckled, rolled his eyes then turned his attention back to the task at hand. Gabrielle had really taken to motherhood and it all looked so easy when she did things. It was nearly intimidating. Taking a breath and holding it, Ennis leaned forward to place Theo close to his brother. He pulled his hands away and gazed down at the twins as if they were about to explode. A tiny whimper and then a shift of an arm and the brothers reconnected and settled right into their slumber. Only when he stood back up did Ennis finally breathe again. "Do y"think dat dey really know they are togedder?" He had his head cocked to the side and his hands upon his hips as he contemplated the wonder of their sons.

Gabi shrugged, tucking her arms around herself as she stepped back, letting him stare at their boys as much as he liked. Gods knew she'd done enough of that herself when she'd got them home. "I think they must do," she mused thoughtfully. "They know each other, that much is pretty certain, and they get fussy if they're kept apart for too long. Apparently that won't last too long, but they should stay close as they grow up. They're identical."

Ennis nodded his understanding, but couldn't tear his eyes away. Not just yet. He repositioned himself, folding one arm over his chest while resting the opposite elbow to give him a platform of a fist to his chin. He eyed the babies contemplatively. "I tink dat I shouldn't take dem from here. My apartment be small and I don't have anyting for dem dere." The intent had been for Gabrielle and Ennis to move in together, but the road to hell was paved with good intentions. He bit his lips and then turned away from the boys and away from Gabrielle, towards the door. "If I look too long dey be wakin". We can talk downstairs." And with that, he left the room. The door was left ajar, an open invitation for Gabi to follow.

Gabi stared at him, more than a little flabbergasted by this confession, her mouth hanging open in a very obvious sign of her astonishment. To her, the solution to his inability to cope with his mother's constant badgering was obvious, but she did understand that sometimes you just didn't think things through before blurting something out. "I have to ask, Ennis," she ventured warily, "why didn't you just tell her we'd had an argument' She does know we're not together, right, I mean ....if we go to Jamaica, she won't be expecting to see a wedding ring or anything, will she?"

Leaning forward, Ennis balanced his elbows onto the table and put his face in his hands as he shook his head. "Y'don't know m"mudder. Ifn I be tellin" her bout our bidness, she be raisin" all sorts o"holy hell. She know we're not marrit but she didn't know bout da fight." He shifted back again, rubbing his face with his hands before dropping them to dangle at his sides. Now, Ennis was leaning back, nearly laying across the chair. "If I had told her da truff, she be up in yo bidness like a wasp to a hive. Askin" if ya tink ya so high falutin" dat her boy aint good "nuff to do anyting but fuck."

"She thinks we're still together, then?" Gabi was just a little aghast at this thought. She hadn't realised how little Ennis had told his mother about the circumstances surrounding the birth of her grandsons, and the thought of lying to the woman was abhorrent to her. All right, so she might be a little intimidating, but Gabi wasn't going to let her carry on in a state of ignorance. "Ennis, she should know the truth. I can handle myself, if I have to." I think.

Ennis couldn't help the laughter that seemed to come from nowhere. The entire situation seemed very funny, all of a sudden. "No, she tink y"be dead, still. I told her dat after da fight. I hadn't told her nuttin" since. I didn't want t"be callin" her t'day, befo I saw you and da boys, in case it didn't go so good." He shrugged then, and sat up. "If"n y'd like me to, I can do it now." And he reached for that cell phone.

"Yes, you should." It wasn't like the mousey Gabi to be quite so firm on any subject, but since becoming custodian of two very little lives, the backbone that had always been lurking in her somewhere had come to the fore. "It's not right that she doesn't know she has grandsons alive and very healthy, Ennis. I just hope she's not too angry with you, that's all."

"Alright," he muttered, not liking having his bluff called. He punched in the numbers and put the phone to his ear. "You be too serious, gurl." He leaned forwards then, to resume the position of elbows to the table and hands to his face. He was preparing for the worst. His mother's voice sounded subdued and quiet at the other end, she was still in mourning for him and the tragedy that he'd bold faced lied to her about. Well, here it was, the opportunity for him to clean the slate. Once it was his turn to speak, he laid it all out. "Momma, I did someting stupid, Momma. I told you dat Gabrielle," he peeked at her through his fingers, "and da boys be dead. Dat be a lie Momma. I..." he had to pull the phone from his ear from the screaming that commenced on the other end. "But....but..." the woman wasn't giving him a chance to get a word in edgewise. Even though it was muffled, Mrs. Clarke's anger was loud enough to hear. "Y'did what? Y"ungrateful, ignorant chile! How dare y"put me and yer aunties tru such a ting! Ennis, how could you do it!" Other things were yelled, screamed and then the phone went dead. Ennis" mother had hung up on him. With a sigh, Ennis closed the phone and tossed it onto the table. "She be fine in a few days. I call her back den."

Gabi watched quietly as Ennis made the call, unsurprised by the shouting that immediately ensued when he made his confession to his mother. She was surprised, however, by how easily he gave up after his mother cut the line on him. "In a few days?" Chewing her lip, she ventured her hand across the table to pick up his phone, opening it to find his mother's number. Her soft eyes strayed back to him. "Would ....would it help if I called her?"

Ennis knew his mother's temper better than anybody else, and nodded when Gabrielle asked. "She needs t"cool down. But if"n y"wants to try..." he shrugged and gestured to her that the ball was in her court. "I don't tink dat she be angry wif you, bout dis time. Jus" me." He shook his head, imagining his mother and the mess her kitchen would be in right about now. He was glad that he was in Rhy'din and his mother had no idea how to get there.

"All right." Offering a smile that was as close to reassuring as she could make it - which, given how charming Gabi could be when she set her mind to it, was pretty damned reassuring - she rose to her feet, lifting the house phone from its cradle. Maybe if his mother didn't recognise the number, she wouldn't instantly start shouting again when she picked the phone up. Carefully tapping the number in, Gabi lifted the phone to her ear, listening to the pause before it began to ring.

When the phone was picked up, chaos could be heard in the background. Lots of shouting, sobbing and things crashing against the walls and through windows. A hushed voice answered timidly. "Alo?" Then a gasp and the phone was dropped. "Auntie Mo! Stawp!" Then the phone was picked back up. "Dis be Alicia. Can I he..." the phone was dropped again and then picked back up. "Help you?" Poor Alicia had been in the kitchen when Mrs. Clarke had answered her son's phone call. Now she was hiding behind a bookshelf to shield herself against the barrage of items that were being flung about the kitchen. An angry Monica Clarke was never a good thing.

It was just as well Gabi had heard the incandescent rage while Ennis was on the phone, or she might have been shocked by the deluge of fury still going when Alicia answered her call. Waiting patiently for the other woman to finish her sentence, Gabi leaned back against the counter with a grin aimed straight at Ennis. "Hello, Alicia," she greeted the other woman, assuming this was a cousin or sister she hadn't been given much detail about. "My name's Gabi. I was wondering if I could speak to Monica Clarke" I think she might want to speak to me, since apparently I've just risen from the dead." Only Ennis could see the twinkling amusement in her eyes as she spoke, but it was more than audible in her voice, too.

Alicia's jaw dropped open wide in surprise, Ennis" Gabrielle was supposed to be dead. But, Alicia wasn't a dense girl by any means and quickly put her aunt's fury and fit throwing together with the voice on the other end of the line and realized what had happened. "It be good, knowin" y"aint dead." She'd recovered her shock quickly. "Da boys, tell me da boys be alrigh' and I'll get auntie to d"phone." Relief washed over the girl's face at the realization that things weren't as bad for her cousin as she once thought.

"The boys are both absolutely fine," Gabi was only too happy to assure the other woman, realising what a shock it must be even to hear her voice. "They were born on the 10th, and they're both very happy, healthy babies. And Ennis will be bringing all of us to meet you at some point over the next couple of months." Won't you? her eyes asked pointedly of the man sitting at her kitchen table, trying not to let her amusement shine too brightly. She didn't think Monica Clarke was going to appreciate the funny side until it was all explained.

Ennis groaned and scrubbed his face with his hands when he realized who Gabrielle was talking to, first. Alicia. Only the biggest busy-body, most nosey and annoying of all of the cousins. At least, that's how Ennis saw her. He just knew that within a matter of minutes, the entire island was going to know of his ignorance, his mistake. And when he looked at Gabi, he could see that she was absolutely loving every moment of his apparent misery. How could she be so cold" Ennis leaned back and simply nodded silently to her unanswered question. His arms folded over his chest and his eyes grew cold. This was no longer funny.

Alicia sighed once again and the smile could be heard in her voice. "Tank you, Miss Gabi. Let me see if Auntie is well enough to speak. Hang da line a minute?" And without waiting for an answer, the girl slid out from behind the bookshelf and held the phone out to her aunt. "Auntie Mo, a call be fer you. It be Gabrielle." The chaos in the background grew silent in a heartbeat. Stomping feet could be heard and then a gasp as Monica Clarke yanked the phone from Alicia's hand. "Gone on wit ya girl. Can't y'see da kitchen needs a-cleanin??" The harshness in her voice changed the moment that it went from background to into the microphone. "Alo, Gabrielle?"

"Yes, I -" But Alicia was already gone, and Gabi was left smiling to herself, listening to the summoning of Monica Clarke. Ennis probably thought she was enjoying this just because he'd brought it on himself, but to be honest, she was enjoying the dynamic of his family. Evidently there was very little dishonesty in the Clarke bloodline, and even less subtlety. "Yes, hello. Mrs Clarke" I'm Gabi, I thought you might like to speak to me."

Monica was winded from the very emotional outburst that had left her kitchen in such a disarray that new windows and wall paper were needed to fix it. Settling down onto a chair, she put her hand to her breast and heaved a sigh. "I don't know what be goin" on between da two of you. I don't wanna know. Dat be y"all's bidness. Y"can't answer for m"boy, I don't 'spect you to. Alls I know is dat one day Ennis be tellin" me you be dead, and now y"aint. I has t"know. Didja die, and come back" Dat be some bad voodoo and I be wantin" m"boy back ifn dat be da case.?

It was kind of her to cover for him the way she did, and lucky for himself that he decided that sooner was better than later to make a visit. No further explanations needed to be given and the animosity between the Grangers and Ennis, more like any animosity that the Grangers held against Ennis, would be minimum. For this, Ennis was relieved and smiled as he pushed the door to Gabrielle's room open further and stepped into the silent, warmth and comfort of her bedroom. "Look at dat, Gabrielle. Dey still be sleepin." His voice was quiet and full of awe as he gazed down upon the boys.

She smiled at the wonder in him as he looked down at his sons once again. Her own awe had faded a little with the never-ending round of diaper changes and feeds, but it was nice to see it in Ennis and know that she hadn't been all that star-struck when the boys had been born. "They do a lot of that," she chuckled quietly, leaning against the wall comfortably. "I'm living on small naps here and there while they sleep at the moment, but apparently it'll get better when they settle into a proper sleeping pattern."

It hadn't occurred to Ennis that Gabrielle had looked tired when she answered the door that afternoon. He turned to look at her, really look at her. The smudges under her eyes were evident enough. "Let's take some pictures, den you go an milk yerself. Den you sleep. I be here t"take care o' dem." It was an offer, a suggestion and the hope was clear in his eyes that she'd allow it.

For a moment she hesitated, but this was Ennis. He had every right to want to look after his sons by himself, and to be honest, if things got out of hand, the crying would wake her up anyway. So she smiled gratefully, nodding in agreement. "That would be really kind of you, thank you, Ennis," she murmured softly, one hand rising to touch her messy hair. "Um ....you do just want pictures of the boys, right' Not me, too?"

He didn't think she was going to say yes, and the hope dimmed from his eyes. But when she fooled him and did approve, the smile was right back on his face. "Nuttin" I shouldn't oughta be doin" anyway. And I'd like one wit you in it, but dat can wait. I know gurls be fussy bout how dey look." He held out his phone to her and showed her how to use the camera. "Ifn I aint in da picture, Momma won't tink dey me mine." This was explained as he walked across the room to squat behind the basket. He placed his hands on either side, enveloping the basket in a wide armed hug. "Cheese!"

"They look too much like you for her not to believe they're yours," Gabi objected, taking the phone from him with a quiet snort of laughter. "I don't mind if you want to take a picture of me, too. This, believe it or not, is a good day for me." Smirking, she aimed the phone in his direction, concentrating hard on keeping her hand from shaking as she took a few snaps of him with his sons.

The second and third snapshots were of kissing first Theo, then Jacob, upon their tiny furrowed brows. Then Ennis rose from his position to take the phone from Gabrielle. "Alright, den. Away y"go, Mommy." And just for fun, he snapped a couple of shots of Gabrielle without the children anywhere near the viewfinder. "Dey look too much like you for her t"believe dey be mine," he laughed back. It was funny how people saw different things when looking at something as simple as a baby's sleeping face.

The pictures he got of Gabi were of one weary smile, and one kiss blown toward the camera, before she started giggling. "All right, enough," she told him, turning to rummage in a drawer for the horrible little machine she was going to have to use to express milk into a couple of bottles, hoping she had enough in her boobs to cover a feed for both boys.

"Alright," he confirmed with a smile and turned his back to start sending out the photos to a couple of his cousins, Alicia first and foremost. She'd make sure his mother saw the pictures. When he turned back around, Gabrielle was holding something in her hands and Ennis had the smarts to look and feel horrified. "Wut da heck be dat ting?"



She was just finishing screwing a sterilised bottle into the contraption when she heard his exclamation, laughing before she even looked up. "This" This is what?s going to get you your milk just in case," she informed him, and just like before, there was little to no embarrassment in the usually shy woman as she flipped a boob out of confinement and inserted it into the odd funnel-like thing. That didn't look so bad, until she flipped a switch, and the whole ....suction business ....started up.

Ennis had to sit down, and he covered his chest with his hands. He looked horrified and felt terrified. "Oh, oh, I..." He couldn't keep from staring as she expressed a dribble of milk into the bottle. It was like staring at a bad car wreck, he didn't want to, but he had to. It was quite disturbing and he felt his lunch rolling about in his stomach. "Doesn't dat hurt?"

She smirked at his reaction, knowing it had to look pretty bad from his direction. "It did the first few times," she admitted with a light shrug. "I got used to it. How else am I going to get more than an hour's sleep here and there if no one can feed them but me, right' So it's a toss up - squished boobs or no sleep."

Finally Ennis was able to turn his head and he still brought up his hand to shield his peripheral vision from being able to even glimpse that horror. "Oh, well, alright." He didn't know what else to say or do. Turning towards the Moses basket, he quickly crossed himself. "Y"boys be da death o"yo Momma." He chuckled, laying a hand on Jacob's chest and then Theo's. It was amazing how warm and soft they both were. Deciding this was the distraction that he needed while Gabrielle was doing her thing, Ennis smiled contently and sat down.

She couldn't believe he'd just said that, especially after the phone conversations they'd both had not more than half an hour ago. Giggling with wild enthusiasm, Gabi clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle the sound, only just managing to calm down enough to say, "What, again?" before going off into further gales of laughter. Ah, well. It passed the time while she was doing her best impression of a dairy cow.

The words weren't out of his mouth more than two seconds when he heard her begin to giggle. His eyes rolled, knowing he stepped right into that pile of cow poo. "You hush now. De boys be sleeping." It was a good excuse to shush her, but it wasn't the real excuse. His words weren't harsh, littered by the light laughter of his own. He knew when to take a punch, and this was a punch he'd learn to grin and bear for years to come. And, somehow, it wasn't a punch that was hard to take when it was Gabrielle throwing it.

Snickering, it took as long for her to calm down as it did for her to fill a couple of bottles, shaking them gently before setting them down on the cabinet beside her. A moment or two later, she was dry and tucked away again, a little sore but no worse for wear. "Those need to go in the fridge until you're ready to use them," she explained gently. "There's a heater thingy on the counter next to the fridge - the instructions are stuck up on the cupboard above it." She glanced down at the basket. "Do you want a hand taking them downstairs?"

When she was finally finished, and Ennis knew this because the humming of the machine had stopped, Ennis rose from his seat and turned to reach for the bottles. He gave her a curious look at her question, misunderstanding it. "Dey jus" be bottles, Gabi. I be fine." He chuckled and picked them up. Surprised by the warmth in them, he looked down at his bottle filled hands with confusion. It had never occurred to him that milk could be anything other than ice cold. He stepped from the room then and began the trek to the kitchen to put the bottles away. He wondered at the taste, texture of such milk and by the time he got to the fridge, curiosity got the best of him. Tipping one bottle up, he shook a few drops onto his wrist, then licked them up. It was sweet and thin, but not watery. He frowned as he contemplated the taste and decided it wasn't half bad.

"I didn't mean the ..." Of course, by the time she'd got that far with the sentence, Ennis was already out of the room. Chuckling to herself, Gabi looked down at her sons. "Your father," she informed the twins, moving to gently lift the Moses basket free of its cradle and turn to follow Ennis from the room and down the stairs, "is an idiot sometimes.?

{Super huge thanks to the awesomeness of Gabrielle's player!}