Future!Fic (yes, again. Shut up)
"Greggy, can you grab the kids? Although how you're going to grab that many little munchkins is beyond me," Becca said with a laugh, looking around to see who else she could rope into the job. "Ah, I spy another brother! Adam? Think you can manage yours and mine?"
Adamn grinned and nodded. "I think I can handle them." He headed out the door with Greg behind him, both of them laughing on their way to the garden.
Parties were always fun. Welcoming new family members always made it even more fun. Becca was a little harried. She'd been cooking for nearly two days, and thank goodness for Krista, Mina, Charlie and Emma Grace because she'd been about four seconds from meltdown when they'd sat her down and made her drink a cup of tea and taken over. She'd taken time to drink TWO cups before she'd hopped back up.
"They're here!" Caz called from the living room where she'd sent him after he'd asked her for the ninth time if she needed help.
"BABY," Meredith said loudly, clapping her hands and bouncing a little. She grabbed her big sister's hand. "Vicky! BABY!" she crowed, pulling the nine year old behind her to the living room.
Victoria gave Becca a look that very clearly said "HELP" but Becca just laughed and went to the back door. "Anyone who wants to see the new baby should probably come into the living room," she called, grinning and catching Andy as he ran in. "Hey buddy-man," she said, swinging him around.
"Hi Aunt Becca!" he said, his big smile lighting his whole face. "Are Grandma and Grandpa here yet?"
The fire flashed green and Becca turned him toward it, letting him run to her parents as they came through. "You're just in time," she called, hearing the sounds in the living room go up a notch. "They just got here."
Frank grabbed Andy up and hugged him close as he walked over to give Becca a kiss on her cheek. "And how are you feeling?" he asked, looking her over carefully.
"I'm good, Daddy," she grinned, "however, I think you better brace yourself. The little punks are all on their way in."
Sasha came out of the spare room rubbing her eyes. "Mummy?" she said, going to hold onto Emma's leg, her red hair a mess from her nap.
Emma scooped her up, settling her on a hip. "Do you want to see the new baby?" she asked, bouncing her daughter just a little.
"Not now. Where Daddy?" Sasha asked, looking around curiously.
"He's outside helping Uncle Greggy," Becca said, pressing a kiss to Sasha's hair as she passed. "He'll be in in a minute."
"Oh," Sasha said with a small smile. She laid her head on Emma's chest and stuck her thumb in her mouth. "Sleepy," she said around it, her eyes closing a little.
"GRANDMA!" Timmy yelled as he came in the back door, launching himself at Alice with a squeal that made Sasha's eyes open and her chin set to wibbling immediately.
Adam came in next, and one look at his daughter's face sent him to her side. He scooped her up and held her close. "What's wrong, baby?" he asked, pouting at her.
"Timmy SCARED me," she said, putting her head on his shoulder and letting him comfort her with small pats to her back and soft murmurings in her ear.
As soon as the threat of tears passed, he pressed a kiss to his wife's lips. "Remus is keeping Greggy busy," he grinned, "They're chasing each other. I'm not really sure who's winning."
Emma's laugh lit up the whole kitchen. "He doesn't want to see the baby?" she asked, shaking her head.
"Oh, he does, he just said there's too many people around," Adam said. "I'm apt to agree with him. Poor little Ethan... though meeting everyone at once is probably for the best."
Frank was laughing as he left the kitchen. "Well, let's just add one doting grandpa into the mix and see if we can't overwhelm him a little more," he grinned.
Becca finally decided to follow the majority of the crowd, heading out to the living room. She caught Steph's eye from across the room and looked at the press of bodies surrounding her. "Okay, how about we don't overwhelm Ethan TOO much?" she called.
Luckily, everyone laughed and broke up, letting Steph and the baby breathe. "Besides," Becca called, "Aunt Becky gets first dibs." She laughed and walked over, kissing Steph's cheek before she held her arms out. "Mine," she teased as soon as the baby was laid in her arms, "Aren't you, Ethan Francis?"
"You did NOT saddle that poor boy with Francis as a middle name," Frank said, groaning as he turned on a video to keep the kids occupied before sitting gingerly next to Steph and hugging her close. "How are you, Firefly?" he asked softly.
"We did," Steph answered, curling into his side and smiling. "I'm fine, Poppa Bear. A little sore, of course. Beyond that? I'm perfect." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and then shifted just a little away from him, reaching her arms out for Sweep. "Tell Dad you didn't faint this time," she teased, patting the couch so he'd sit and then shifting to sit on his lap.
"I didn't get faint this time," Sweep grinned, kissing Steph softly. "And she was a trooper, Frank. You should have seen her. No pain meds or anything."
"Holy s-h-i-t-e," Becca spelled, "remind me not to try that, huh?" She smiled and passed the baby off to Frank. "Check him out, Grandpa. I'm gonna go check on the food."
Frank grinned and looked his grandson over carefully, counting fingers and toes just for kicks. "He's perfect," he finally declared, though he would have done that no matter what, because not a single one of his grandchildren could have a flaw, thank you so much.
Over the next hour, everyone took turns holding the baby, welcoming him to the family. Merry and Vicky were fourth and fifth, both of them climbing onto their Mum's lap to hold their new brother. Vicky held him close for a few minutes, then leaned down and whispered in his ear, sitting back up with a grin before handing him off and bouncing back to the video.
"I wonder what she said?" Sweep said, his eyebrow raising a little bit.
"If she's as smart as we know she is? She was telling him to run," Alice laughed, coming over to the couch to scoop the baby up while she had the chance. "Isn't that right Ethan? Was big sister telling you to run?"
Ethan looked up with wide dark eyes and made a random series of babbling sounds.
"I'll take that as a yes," Alice laughed.
"I think we all will," Steph grinned.
Adamn grinned and nodded. "I think I can handle them." He headed out the door with Greg behind him, both of them laughing on their way to the garden.
Parties were always fun. Welcoming new family members always made it even more fun. Becca was a little harried. She'd been cooking for nearly two days, and thank goodness for Krista, Mina, Charlie and Emma Grace because she'd been about four seconds from meltdown when they'd sat her down and made her drink a cup of tea and taken over. She'd taken time to drink TWO cups before she'd hopped back up.
"They're here!" Caz called from the living room where she'd sent him after he'd asked her for the ninth time if she needed help.
"BABY," Meredith said loudly, clapping her hands and bouncing a little. She grabbed her big sister's hand. "Vicky! BABY!" she crowed, pulling the nine year old behind her to the living room.
Victoria gave Becca a look that very clearly said "HELP" but Becca just laughed and went to the back door. "Anyone who wants to see the new baby should probably come into the living room," she called, grinning and catching Andy as he ran in. "Hey buddy-man," she said, swinging him around.
"Hi Aunt Becca!" he said, his big smile lighting his whole face. "Are Grandma and Grandpa here yet?"
The fire flashed green and Becca turned him toward it, letting him run to her parents as they came through. "You're just in time," she called, hearing the sounds in the living room go up a notch. "They just got here."
Frank grabbed Andy up and hugged him close as he walked over to give Becca a kiss on her cheek. "And how are you feeling?" he asked, looking her over carefully.
"I'm good, Daddy," she grinned, "however, I think you better brace yourself. The little punks are all on their way in."
Sasha came out of the spare room rubbing her eyes. "Mummy?" she said, going to hold onto Emma's leg, her red hair a mess from her nap.
Emma scooped her up, settling her on a hip. "Do you want to see the new baby?" she asked, bouncing her daughter just a little.
"Not now. Where Daddy?" Sasha asked, looking around curiously.
"He's outside helping Uncle Greggy," Becca said, pressing a kiss to Sasha's hair as she passed. "He'll be in in a minute."
"Oh," Sasha said with a small smile. She laid her head on Emma's chest and stuck her thumb in her mouth. "Sleepy," she said around it, her eyes closing a little.
"GRANDMA!" Timmy yelled as he came in the back door, launching himself at Alice with a squeal that made Sasha's eyes open and her chin set to wibbling immediately.
Adam came in next, and one look at his daughter's face sent him to her side. He scooped her up and held her close. "What's wrong, baby?" he asked, pouting at her.
"Timmy SCARED me," she said, putting her head on his shoulder and letting him comfort her with small pats to her back and soft murmurings in her ear.
As soon as the threat of tears passed, he pressed a kiss to his wife's lips. "Remus is keeping Greggy busy," he grinned, "They're chasing each other. I'm not really sure who's winning."
Emma's laugh lit up the whole kitchen. "He doesn't want to see the baby?" she asked, shaking her head.
"Oh, he does, he just said there's too many people around," Adam said. "I'm apt to agree with him. Poor little Ethan... though meeting everyone at once is probably for the best."
Frank was laughing as he left the kitchen. "Well, let's just add one doting grandpa into the mix and see if we can't overwhelm him a little more," he grinned.
Becca finally decided to follow the majority of the crowd, heading out to the living room. She caught Steph's eye from across the room and looked at the press of bodies surrounding her. "Okay, how about we don't overwhelm Ethan TOO much?" she called.
Luckily, everyone laughed and broke up, letting Steph and the baby breathe. "Besides," Becca called, "Aunt Becky gets first dibs." She laughed and walked over, kissing Steph's cheek before she held her arms out. "Mine," she teased as soon as the baby was laid in her arms, "Aren't you, Ethan Francis?"
"You did NOT saddle that poor boy with Francis as a middle name," Frank said, groaning as he turned on a video to keep the kids occupied before sitting gingerly next to Steph and hugging her close. "How are you, Firefly?" he asked softly.
"We did," Steph answered, curling into his side and smiling. "I'm fine, Poppa Bear. A little sore, of course. Beyond that? I'm perfect." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and then shifted just a little away from him, reaching her arms out for Sweep. "Tell Dad you didn't faint this time," she teased, patting the couch so he'd sit and then shifting to sit on his lap.
"I didn't get faint this time," Sweep grinned, kissing Steph softly. "And she was a trooper, Frank. You should have seen her. No pain meds or anything."
"Holy s-h-i-t-e," Becca spelled, "remind me not to try that, huh?" She smiled and passed the baby off to Frank. "Check him out, Grandpa. I'm gonna go check on the food."
Frank grinned and looked his grandson over carefully, counting fingers and toes just for kicks. "He's perfect," he finally declared, though he would have done that no matter what, because not a single one of his grandchildren could have a flaw, thank you so much.
Over the next hour, everyone took turns holding the baby, welcoming him to the family. Merry and Vicky were fourth and fifth, both of them climbing onto their Mum's lap to hold their new brother. Vicky held him close for a few minutes, then leaned down and whispered in his ear, sitting back up with a grin before handing him off and bouncing back to the video.
"I wonder what she said?" Sweep said, his eyebrow raising a little bit.
"If she's as smart as we know she is? She was telling him to run," Alice laughed, coming over to the couch to scoop the baby up while she had the chance. "Isn't that right Ethan? Was big sister telling you to run?"
Ethan looked up with wide dark eyes and made a random series of babbling sounds.
"I'll take that as a yes," Alice laughed.
"I think we all will," Steph grinned.