Everything Changes

Timeless

In the wake of Bedelia's bombshell, she and Olivia sat together in silence, although it was clear that Olivia was doing her best to keep from having a brain meltdown and Bedelia was beginning to stew in bad memories of a life that she just wanted to forget about.

After a few moments, Olivia finally said, "Bedelia, does Amanda know that she's got an uncle here in the city?"

Bedelia shook her head. "No, she doesn't. Odis and I are the same age, and Lionel is two years older than us. The guys have the same dad, and so far as I know, Lionel stayed in Georgia until he was ten and moved up here with his mother. I guess Odis has been staying in touch with his brother all of these years, and I just never knew."

"He's his brother." Olivia said, almost sympathetic as she thought fleetingly of her own brother and how she would always miss him. "Of course he would stay in touch with him."

"Whatever. I'm just glad I'm an only child." Bedelia shuddered. "Wouldn't Lionel representing his own brother be a conflict of interest, or something?"

It totally was a conflict of interest, and Olivia would confer with Alex, Barba, and Casey about it later, but aloud, she said, "Why don't you let me worry about that, B? You just focus on your children."

"Alright, but can I ask you a favor pertaining to AJ?"

"Okay."

"I won't ask you to keep her from learning about having an uncle, but if you're around when she finds out, just promise me that you or someone will catch her when she faints. I don't know if that's even a quirk of hers anymore, but when she was younger, she would collapse or something along those lines whenever she received a shock or surprise. Living where we did and living the kind of lifestyle we did, we got a lot of those, especially when money was tighter than usual and I went without so she and Kim didn't starve."

Surprised by this detail of Amanda's childhood that she was sure that Nick didn't know about, Olivia managed to keep her cool as she stood and pulled her friend to her feet.

"I promise you that. Now how about we go see the rest of the family?"

In the midst of Bedelia's fears, hearing her friend refer to the people they jointly cared about as their family immediately calmed her.

"Alright." Bedelia told her. "Let's go."

2266 Azalea Street

Forest Hills, Queens

9:30 pm

Later that night, Amanda and Nick were unwinding from an already-long day and then a noisy evening of getting Zara, Lilyjoy, and Rubyjane used to their house. Only twenty minutes ago, Amanda and Nick had soothed Rubyjane back to sleep after she woke up crying about a nightmare, even more scared that she couldn't hear herself.

At present, she was fast asleep in her bed, and Frannie Mae was even with her, having decided all on her own to keep the small human company. Zara and Lilyjoy were both down for the count, totally unfazed by the disturbance.

As for Amanda, she was currently sitting on her bed, leaning against the headboard with her legs spread, and although she wasn't exactly naked, she was wearing a bra and boxer shorts, the latter of which she had come to discover were quite comfortable with her ever-expanding waistline these days. Nick was propped up in between Amanda's legs, but was leaning forward and covering her bump in kisses as he spoke to the babies.

The twins were now halfway into their sixteenth week of gestation, and their parents could easily feel them squirm in response to their touches.

"Mandy," Nick said, looking up after pressing an extra lust-filled kiss to the bump. "I did some thinking about two very important things while we were apart."

"Oh?"

"The first thing is that I thought of was names for the babies, and I just really hope you like them."

"Try me, mi amor." Amanda purred.

Nick gave Amanda's middle a rub. "For baby boy, I was thinking Zion, and for baby girl, Grace."

Amanda loved those names immediately for her own children, but a lump formed in her throat as she remembered something.

"Nick, have you been talking to Liv and Alex?"

"No...?" his own answer ended in a question because he wasn't sure where Amanda was going with hers.

"This has to stay between us and them, but twelve years ago, they were going to have a baby boy named Zion, but Alex miscarried him and he died."

"How sad..."

"I don't know the whole story with Grace, or if she was Olivia's biological child, but Olivia was her mother for awhile just after she was born. She died because she was too little. This was five years ago."

Nick's heart filled with sorrow for his friends and their angel babies, but also awe that he'd picked two incredibly special names without even trying.

"Wow." he marveled. "Amanda, do you like those names for our kids?"

"Yes." she told him with a smile. "I really do, and if it doesn't make Liv and Alex too sad, we could name our babies in honor of theirs."

"I love that."

Amanda grinned and then said with a chuckle, "I know I've been dragging my heels through the mud about name specifics, but while we were all gone, I thought of names, too. They're probably material for middle names."

"Let's hear them."

"For baby Grace, I was thinking of Grace Olivia Alexandra, and for her brother, Zion Moises Javier."

"Perfect." Nick turned his attention back to Olivia's middle and spoke to the twins. "Hello, in there, Grace Olivia Alexandra and Zion Moises Javier. This is your daddy, and mama and I are so relieved that we have your names picked out now."

Respondent to the sound of their father's voice, Grace and Zion went into one of their wiggle frenzies and it made Amanda laugh.

"Believe me, they love their names, and whoever is here," Amanda put her lover's hand on the top right corner of her belly. "Really loves theirs."

"Excellent."

Nick sat up and pulled Amanda into his lap so that she was now straddling him. Puzzled, but holding onto Nick's waist when he held his own hands in the small of her back, supporting it and caressing it, she looked at him curiously.

"What is it?" Amanda asked. "You said that there were two things you thought about while we were apart?"

"Mhm." Nick took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Amanda, I love you so much, more than words can say. You're my best friend, my rock, and mother of and to all of our children. When all of the craziness is over, and Grace and Zion have been born, will you marry me? I'll have a ring, but..."

Amanda interrupted what had turned into nervous babble with a passionate kiss before she hugged him close.

"I love you, too, Nick." she told him. "I understand that this is you swinging the idea by me, but to answer your question, yes. Yes, I will marry you."

They broke their hold for a moment, and just looked at each other with nothing but the utmost love before Nick pressed a kiss to Amanda's forehead.

"Thank you," he whispered, touching his forehead to hers. "For saving me."

"Thank you," she whispered back. "For saving me."