Past and Present

Chapter 20- Voice

Xue Yang opened his eyes to the sound of crying. He stood up and went to the babies' beds, where he picked Yue up. Yue was the one who would usually start crying which caused Chenxing to cry as well.
He looked at the now calm baby in his arms, "Did you just want me to carry you?" He asked tiredly. The baby babbled and played with his short hair, he had cut it a bit because the babies pulled it too much.
He put Yue down on the bed and put his hair in a ponytail, before picking the baby up again. He carried him to his bed and laid him down, he went back and picked Chenxing up as well.
With both babies on the bed, he laid in between the two and they crawled on his chest. He smiled softly and remembered when Xingchen used to do this all the time.
He looked at Yue who was looking at him with those dark brown eyes, they looked exactly like Xingchen's. He turned to Chengxing who looked exactly like Xingchen, except for the eyes. The eyes were like his own.
Xue Yang sighed sadly and held the babies close to him, "If only your mother was here," he whispered.
The babies gurgled causing him to smile softly. He fell asleep with the babies on his chest and a soft smile on his face.

A couple of months later the babies had just began walking and talking. They mainly said things that they were told, repeating words.
"A-Yue, come here!" Xue Yang called out playfully. The little boy waddled over and looked at him with wide, brown eyes.
"B-baba," he mumbled. Xue Yang was sitting down with crossed legs, with Chenxing on one leg.
He picked Yue up by the back of his collar and stood him up on his leg, "What were you doing?"
Yue puffed his cheeks and pouted, "Notin!"
Xue Yang smiled, "That's not what your brother told me."
The boy glared at Chenxing, his cheeks red in anger, "Meanie!"
"I tol tuth," Chenxing said cutely. Pointing at himself, he had a small smile on his face, he looked like a mini version of Xingchen. The only difference was his eyes, they were exactly like Xue Yang's.
"A-Yue, since you lied to me you need to go and help Auntie Qing clean up for today," Xue Yang said.
Yue frowned and hit his father's chest, "No!"
"Yes, now go to the kitchen," Xue Yang said, he put Yie down and pushed him towards the kitchen of the house. Yue pouted and walked slowly towards the kitchen.
Chenxing looked at the sad boy and turned to his father, "Baba, Mama say no do dat."
"What do you mean?" Xue Yang asked, "Mama isn't here right now."
"Yesh! He in mah hed," Chenxing said, pointing at his little head.
Xue Yang looked at him with wide eyes, "Has he said anything else?"
"Wuv me," Chenxing said giggling, "an' I smat!"
"He said he loves you, and that you're smart? Did he say anything about me?" Xue Yang asked.
"Wuv you, tak care," Chenxing said, his words mixing and stumbling.
Xue Yang had tears in his eyes, and his jaw was on the floor, "He-he talks to you."
"Yesh," the boy answered, "an' a-Yue."
"And a-Yue?!" Xue Yang picked the young boy up and ran to the kitchen were he saw his other son at the table, "A-Yue! Why didn't you tell me that Mama talks to you?"
"What?!" A-Qing screamed, dropping her spoon. Song Lan turned to him in shock but stayed silent.
"I din wan Baba get mad," Yue mumbled.
"A-Yue, listen to me very carefully," Xue Yanf said, kneeling to the height of the boy, "I will never, ever, get mad at you for talking about Mama. I get happy if you ask or talk about him, alright?"
"Alight," Yue smiled widely, "Mama say soup no goo."
"Which soup...oh," Xue Yang glared at a-Qing who looked away, "didn't you say that was how you made the soup?"
"No sat," Yue said.
"No salt?!" A-Qing smacked her face, "I'm so stupid!"
"Yes," Xue Yang said before turning to his son again, "a-Yue, did Mama say anything else?"
"Wuv you," the boy said smiling.
Xue Yang hugged both his sons with a wide smile, "Thank you, I hope YueHua hears this."
"He do," the two said.
"Good," Xue Yang whispered. He let go of the boys and turned to a-Qing and Song Lan, "Looks like he never left."
"Of course he didn't, he said he wouldn't leave didn't he?" A-Qing said, "He would never lie to you."
"You're right," Xue Yang picked up his sons and sat them at the table, "I'll help make the food if you'd like. And a-Yue, you don't need to help clean today, I can do it."
"Yay!" The boy cheered, "Tank you Baba!"
"No worries," Xue Yang smiled. They all ate and Song Lan kept asking the brothers questions.
"Did he ever mention anything strange?"
"Jus dat Baba need to make set," Chenxing said.
"Set?" Song Lan asked.
"What if he means sect?" A-Qing suggested, taking a spoonful of the food.
"No, I am not making a sect," Xue Yang said, "YueHua probably meant something else."
"No! He mean sect!" Yue yelled, "Baba make sect!"
"A-Yue, it's not that simple making a sect," Xue Yang sighed.
"Yesh it ish!" Yue exclaimed, "Mama say, Uncle Song an' Auntie Qing help."
"I mean we would help," Song Lan said, "I remember a lot of how to keep a clan running so we can do it if we try."
"I won't be able to," Xue Yang said, "a lot of people know who I am. They know I kill innocent people and have no mercy, nobody wants a leader like that."
"You can say how you regret doing it, and that you won't do it again," a-Qing said, "Xingchen forgave you."
Xue Yang thought for a moment before nodding, "Fine, Song Lan what's the first step?"