It's Nice To Have A Friend

54) Never Grow Up [Epilogue]

The sounds of crying filled apartment 3A in the middle of the night, waking up the two people who were peacefully sleeping in each other's arms. Alice groaned slightly and tried to wake herself up, but before she had fully registered her surroundings, she felt FP shift in bed.

"I'll go get them," He said tiredly, as he pulled away the sheets.

"Give me a second, I'll come with you." Alice mumbled sleepily, pushing herself up to get out.

"You've been up with them all week, go to sleep honey." She assured him, softly stopping him before he got out of their bedroom.

"Nah, I want to see their adorable faces." FP said softly.

He was awake now anyway and he wouldn't be able to sleep if she was out of bed with their kids while he waited in bed. She gave him a sweet smile as they walked to the nursery, where they little babies were crying and reaching with their tiny hands for their parents.

"Hey there my little sleep stealers. You don't want daddy to get a good night sleep, huh?" FP laughed gently, as he lifted up their daughter, while Alice picked up their son.

"That's okay, I like hanging out with you more than I like sleeping." He kissed his daughter's cheek, who calmed down now she was in the arms of her father.

FP looked sideways to see Alice cradling their son, but she was clearly deep into thoughts. Her eyes were teary and he could see that she was emotional.

"What is it, babe? You okay?" He whispered, growing worried.

"Sometimes I think... that our baby came back." She said, not breaking her eyes from her son.

"When we heard we were getting twins, it felt like a second chance. As if they had returned. Does that sound weird?" Alice finally looked up to meet his sweet, softened eyes.

"No, I've thought about that too. It's a gut feeling, y'know?" He stepped closer to her and pressed a soft kiss on her shoulder, while keeping his daughter close.

"I know that's kind of impossible, but sometimes it's nice to believe impossible things." He smiled to himself, as he gazed at his son.

"What did you think we were getting the first time?"

"A boy." She said, without missing a beat.

"Me too." He agreed.

"So Charlie came back for us, huh?" FP chuckled softly.

"And Emmy surprised us with coming too." He looked down at the baby in his arms and her big, beautiful brown eyes.

"I love them so much, Alice. You, Emma and Charles mean everything to me." FP said emotionally, as he looked at the beautiful vision in front of him. Years ago, it was merely a fantasy that was so far from reality that he tried to push it away every single time it came back.

"We love you too." Alice declared lovingly. She looked at the baby girl in FP's arms, who had fallen back asleep.

"Emma loves it when you cradle her. She is going to be all about you." Alice laughed sweetly. The sight was so precious to her, making her dread to see how fast time would pass by.

"She's amazing. That's my little girl, Alice." FP whispered, as he gazed back to the girl in his arms.

"Thank you for giving me my kids." He said, giving her that warm smile that she would describe as home.

**

"Benjamin, honey, don't run in the kitchen!" Poppy warned her son, as he was waddling through the apartment. Ever since he had learned to walk, he had been trying to run (away from his mother). One of these days, he was going to hurt himself, Poppy believed.