Disclaimer: "The Nanny" and all characters are owned by Fran Drescher, Sony Pictures, Tri-Star Columbia Pictures, High School Sweethearts, Sternim and Fraiser, Inc., etc.... This is for fun only, no infringements are meant.

To all Nanny fans: Here is the continuation of "Labor Of Love". Story number 9 gives everyone a chance to see the first few days of how "easy" it is with twins or not. :) I wanted to show what we would have liked to see on the actual show. I hope all enjoy it and please let me know what you think of it.

Balancing Act

The continuation of "Labor Of Love"

by

Caryn
(drescher_fine@yahoo.com)

Previously on the Nanny.....

~~~~~~~

Fran falls asleep quickly as she lies in Maxwell’s arms. She’s only slept a total of ten minutes since the birth of the twins. Her body is exhausted from the labor and excitement. Max feels Fran’s body relax against his. He smiles as he watches her sleep, he’s glad she’s stopped fighting it and let herself rest. Its only been a few hours since the delivery and now everyone else is gone, leaving the two of them with their babies.

Max lets himself rest too, today or the last twenty-four hours has been one experience after another. He relaxes against Fran as they instinctively cuddle with one another during their sleep. Smiles lie across both parents faces as they get the first nap they’ll get for a long time.

Max doesn’t sleep long, but just enough to make him feel alive again. He looks over at Fran and can’t help but to beam at her beauty as the love for her washes over his body. Then he looks over at his their two newest in their little beds.

"This is what nachas is all about." Max chuckles as he realizes he’s starting to talk Yiddish again.

Jonah squirms a little as his sister, Eve, stretches her tiny legs out. Max smiles proudly knowing Fran and him made these two.

"We can’t be hungry yet. Sshhh...let Mommy sleep a little." Max whispers to Jonah and Eve as he sees their little eyes pop open, "Please let Mommy sleep. You two have never seen her grumpy and cranky. I have, especially when she was pregnant with you two. It wasn’t a pretty sight."

"Max, I can hear you." Fran informs her husband as she opens her eyes and gives him that certain look of hers.

"Darling....I didn’t mean you..I meant..." He stops as he looks at her, "Fran, don’t look at me like that."

"Why? Its just your grumpy, cranky wife looking at you." She loves keeping their little fights going. She laughs as he nudges her softly.

"How do you feel?" Max shifts his position so Fran is lying half way on his chest. He kisses her forehead.

"I feel better, still quite sore. How long was I out?" Fran admits as she gently stretches not wanting to irritate her body.

"You slept for almost two hours. I thought for sure you were going to wake up when the nurse came in but you didn’t."

"How’s our little....." Fran asks as she looks over and sees both her babies awake.

"Waaaaa! Waaaa!" Eve and Jonah scream together.

"....ones?" Fran continues her sentence.

"Missing their Mommy," Max tries to make up for his earlier statement, "and I think they’re getting hungry again."

"Waa...waa!!! Waa...waa!!" Jonah screams again trying to get their attention.

Max slides out from under Fran and gently lifts Jonah out of his bed and hands him to Fran. He then proceeds to pick Eve up in his own.

Jonah immediately stops crying as soon as he feels the wonderful touch of his Mommy against his skin. He already knows the touch and sound of his parents, calming only when he is with them. So young, but knows the difference. Thus, the bonding has begun.

"So are we hungry? Hmmm...my little boy?" Fran asks Jonah as she turns towards Max to see him softly cooing to their daughter.

"Look Evie, its Mommy." Max locks eyes with Fran and they both light up in huge smiles.

"Okay here we go again. Jonah, you’re first....since you’re Mr. Fussy, just like Daddy." She laughs at her husband as she coos at their little son.

Fran softly lays him on the bed between her knees so she can get herself ready to feed her babies. She never takes her eyes off Max as she picks their baby boy up and starts to feed him. This new bond between them is more than even they ever expected. Max just watches in awe once again how beautiful this whole scene, how pure it is.

A while later as Max is burping Eve and Fran is dressing back up, Fran voices her first observation.

"It’s amazing by the time you feed them and change them, its time to do it again." Fran laughs a little nervously, "We can do this, right?"

"Yes, WE can do this. Fran, I promise you won’t have to do this alone. I’m gonna be there for them and for you."

"Awe, Max." She looks up and then winks, "With the exception of breast-feeding, right?" Fran laughs as she grabs Jonah back up in her arms.

He’s softly breathing and his little eyes are closing and opening, indicating he’s getting sleepy again. Just feeding him, can tire the tiny boy out.

"Funny, Fran. Did you see how excited Brighton was?" Max asks his wife as he places Eve back in his arms, softly cradling.

"Yeah, that’s my son for ya. We have to keep them two separated or poor Jonah here will never have a chance."

A soft knock is heard on the door to Fran’s suite.

"Come in."

"Mrs. Sheffield, we need to check on the babies and yourself." A nurse walks in with a smile on her face.

"Okay. Max, we need to put them down for her." Fran hands him Jonah after he had already put Eve in her little bed.

"Mrs. Sheffield, we’ll start with you first. That way if they get angry at me for messing with their sleep I can hand them right over to you both."

"Darling, do you want me to stay or do you mind if I go and check up on our older part of the family?"

"No, Honey. Go ahead. They don’t do an exam until tomorrow, so its strictly blood pressure and yaddah, yaddah, yaddah."

"I love you." Max kisses Fran before he walks out the door.

"I love you too." Fran states happily as she lies there watching her husband make his first venture out the door since they came to the hospital.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hello Grace Sweetheart."

"Hi Dad. How’s the babies?" Grace answers excitedly.

"Beautiful just like their older siblings." Max smiles on the phone as he talks to his previously youngest daughter, "How’s everything at home?"

"Good, Brighton’s in the kitchen with Niles and Maggie left for a minute to tell Michael about the twins. She’ll be right back. How’s Mom?"

"She’s tired but she’s feeling good. Okay Sweetheart tell your brother and sister we called. And tell Niles, I’ll call him tomorrow with the time Fran and I will be coming home with Eve and Jonah."

"Okay. Love you Dad."

"I love you too."

Max smiles as he hangs up the phone and trots back to Fran’s room. He already misses her and the babies. As he gets closer to the room, he can hear one, or is that both babies screaming. He frowns hoping nothing is wrong.

"Waa..waa!!"

Max walks in and sees Fran holding Eve tightly against her chest.

"Sshhhh...ya can wake the dead with your scream, Evie. Don’t let Daddy know ya have Mommy’s voice. Shhh....look at Jonah, he’s just laying there being quiet...."

"Waa, waa!"

"Or not." Fran sighs as both babies are now screaming.

"Waaaa!! Waaaa!!"

"Darling, everything okay?" Max glides over to her in three strides.

"Yeah everything’s fine..." She rolls her eyes, "We just have two unhappy babies who got woke up by a stranger. Now I’m trying to get them to calm down," Fran gently rocks Eve back and forth as her voice changes into the cooing only parents can master, "aren’t we my little babies."

"C’mere Jonah...let Daddy look at you. Shhhh..." Max cradles Jonah in his arms and rocks him back and forth like Fran is doing, "Fran, who’s this boy that Margaret is seeing?"

"Who? Michael?"

"Yes that’s him. He’s not the...."

"Underwear model? Yeah he is." Fran smiles at him as she says that, knowing it is going to bother him, "Don’t worry Honey, its not like she’s gonna marry him or anything. They’ve only been dating for a couple of weeks."

"Thank God." Max looks at Eve in Fran’s arms, "Now you, my little princess, are forbidden to date anyone who models underwear or dating in general, got that young lady?" He turns to Jonah in his arms, "And you, don’t even think about modeling anything."

"Max, stop. They’re not even a day old and you’re already lecturing them."

"Yes, well I have more influence over these two than I did over our other three." Max smiles as he sees his son almost asleep once again. "So they have to listen to me."

"Oy! Learn this now...just agree and he’ll go away." Fran whispers to her babies, "Or if you need something, do what Mommy does, sashay around Daddy’s office with a smile and you’re guaranteed anything."

"Mommy is insane." He coos softly to his little son.

"Yeah but Mommy got Daddy." Fran grins at her husband as he just shakes his head at her.

Fran and Max softly laugh as they each look down at the twins realizing they are almost asleep. Each parent sighs lightly and then look up into one another’s eyes, still marveling in the miracle of their babies. They enjoy the silence, for in a little while it will be time to feed and change them once again.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Well Fran, everything looks good and you are already healing. Both babies are healthy and perfect. So you are all set if you feel up to going home." Dr. Reynolds informs her patient.

"Yeah, I’m feeling good and can’t wait to get these two home." Fran states excitedly as she slowly brings herself into a sitting position, taking Max’s hand once again in her own.

"Okay, in that case I’ll get your discharge orders and then you are on your way. However, you need to call my office tomorrow and make an appointment for your and the twins’ one week appointment."

"Yes, thanks Dr. Reynolds."

"Fran, you can change into your normal clothes and a nurse will be in with your paperwork. We have already discussed the restrictions." Dr. Reynolds looks at Max, directing her comment to him, "and what to expect from your body in the next few weeks. Remember it has been through a great ordeal, don’t push it too hard. Well, Mommy and Daddy good luck with your twins and enjoy your first day with them alone at home. Its quite the experience." Dr. Reynolds walks out laughing.

Fran and Max exchange glances and roll their eyes.

"What? She thinks I’m gonna push my wife into anything so soon?" Max gives Fran an innocent look.

"This question coming from the man who was so desperate to know when we had to stop having sexual relations and hoping to God it wasn’t soon. Then got down on his knees and begged." Fran sarcastically reminds Max, "Nah, Honey I don’t think she meant to direct her comment at you."

"Yes, well like you wanted to stop....who was the one always in the mood?"

"You!"

"Okay besides me?"

"Well I hope that only leaves me." Fran eyes Max and laughs at her husband.

Fran shifts her position into sitting Indian style on the bed and reaches for Eve. She gently and expertly picks her up and cradles her in her arms, kissing her tiny forehead and passes her to Max. Then she picks up Jonah the same way and holds him against her chest feeling his little heart beat.

"Niles should be here anytime." Max tells Fran, he can see her start to get restless in the hospital.

"I’m here now, Sir." Niles states as he softly walks in Fran’s room, "I had to listen outside the door to know when to enter."

"Niles, when we get home I’m ripping the intercom off the wall."

"Okay, Sir." Niles just stands there unmoved about his toy being taken from him.

"Nah, wait a minute that was too easy. Niles, I get it, if the intercom isn’t working, ya wouldn’t know when we need help with the twins or hear them cry." Fran figures out Niles little secret, she knows him too well.

"Ooohh, Mrs. Sheffield, you hurt me so with that comment...." He tries to be straight faced but couldn’t help to chuckle, "Okay, okay."

Niles sets down the baby carriers for Max and Fran to place the twins in so they could go home.

"Are we ready?" Max asks Fran.

"Yeah I think we are. C’mon Daddy, lets bundle up our babies and go home." Max helps Fran with the twins in the seats and then ever so slowly helps her off the bed, hugging her tightly against himself.

"I love you." He whispers in her ear.

"I love you too." She whispers back as he kisses her cheek.

Max helps Fran into the wheelchair that is awaiting her and places a baby carrier with Eve in it as a nurse wheels her out. Max grabs Jonah in the other carrier and heads out the door while Niles takes Fran’s bag.

Next thing they know, Fran and Max, Eve and Jonah, are heading home in the limo awaiting their fate....the Fine family and some of the Sheffield’s would be waiting for them once they entered their home. Mommy and Daddy know they better be thankful for their last few moments alone with their babies....once they hit that door, all chaos will erupt.

"Are you ready to face the mob?" Max asks Fran, since she’s been unusually quiet on the way home, "You do know if you get tired or they get cranky, we can take them away and hide ourselves upstairs, just the four of us. They are our children!"

"You read my mind...I was just thinking of our babies in the arms of strangers even though they are our families. I’ll tell ya now, if our babies start screaming or crying for us, I won’t hesitate to pull them outta the arms of anyone in that room, I don’t care who it is." Fran states protectively of her twins.

Max smiles as he sees the new attitude of Fran, her Mommy skills and intuitiveness have kicked in. For him it seems to be such a turn on, even watching her breast-feed is too. ‘Oh, don’t let Fran know you’re thinking that already.’ He chides himself, but his mind wins, ‘But she is just so beautiful, more so than when I first met her and now all I can think is how much I would love to take her in my arms and make love to her.’

"Max?"

"Huh? Oh..sorry I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"You, me....uh...." He stops suddenly as he blushes.

"The bing-bing? Why Maxwell Sheffield, don’t ya think of anything else?"

"No. Hey it’s not my fault my wife drives me crazy, even if she did just have twins." He kisses her on the lips and gazes into her eyes, "and that I find her incredibly sexy right now."

"Honey that is so sweet but ya do know that isn’t gonna happen for at least..."

"Two weeks?" Max asks quickly.

"Maxwell!" She smiles mischievously at him.

"Sir, Mrs. Sheffield, welcome home." Niles states as he stops the car outside of the front door.

Max leans over to Fran and whispers, "Ready?"

"Yeah. Let’s go show these two off to the world." Fran breathes in deep and lets it go.

Max slides out of the car and then gently helps Fran out, trying not to irritate her sore body. He then reaches back in the car to bring out their twins. He hands Eve’s carrier to Fran and he takes Jonah, while Niles takes Fran’s bag in.

As they climb the stairs to the front door, Fran and Max look once more at their tiny babies. Fran reaches for the door nob at the same time Max does. He leaves his hand on hers as they slowly twist together. They look into each other’s eyes as pride of their family and love for each other is evident.

The door opens and there stands the rest of their family and friends. Banners with ‘Congratulations Mom and Dad, Welcome Home Jonah and Eve!’ and thousands of balloons all over the livingroom.

Fran and Max can only smile as emotions choke the words back down in their throats. Maggie, Brighton and Grace are the first three to kiss their parents.

"Awe, Maggie look at Jonah." Grace states to her older sister.

"Yeah look at Eve, she looks so much like Mom." Brighton adds in the conversation.

"Thank God, she doesn’t look like you B." Maggie starts in at her brother.

"This is your home, Jonah and Eve. These three over here are your siblings. Yes, they are always like that." Fran coos to her babies, waving her hand towards the other three, as Max lightly laughs at their older children.

As the rest of the family takes their cue, Fran who is starting to get tired and sore, heads for the couch to sit down and take Eve out of her carrier.

"Let me look at her, awe...my little granddaughter." Sylvia reaches for Eve before Fran even takes her out of her little seat.

"Ma! Stop, this is my job. I’ll get her out, and then I’ll let you hold her but not until then." Fran states firmly.

"Fine! This is only my daughter, who-I-thought-would-never-get-married’s first kids and look how she’s treating me."

"Ma, stop with the guilt and leave Frannie alone." Nadine scolds her mother and smiles at Fran.

Fran sits down and places Eve’s carrier next to her and unsnaps the handle down in order to get better access to her baby girl. She looks around for Max and spots him doing the same with Jonah. Fran smiles tenderly as she feels Eve move gently into her arms and pulls her out of the seat.

Fran lets Eve rest in her arms for a few minutes, she loves the feel of her daughter next to her, feeling her little heart beat and hearing her breathe. Fran then looks over to her mother.

"Ma, are you ready to hold her?" Fran asks her mother now that she has had her time with Eve first.

"Yeah...oh c’mere little one......oh look at her. She’s got the Fine look on her face."

"Shhh....don’t let Max here you say that." Fran looks up from the couch and once again looks for her husband but doesn’t see him.

She spots Brighton with Jonah and smiles. Fran moves her head to the left and then to the right, still not spotting Max. She frowns not being able to see Max. She gets off the couch to go look for him.

At the same time, Max is looking for her. He looks on the couch were she was last but she’s not sitting there. He moves out of his spot in search of his wife.

Slowly they spot each other from the opposite side of the room. He smiles, she smiles.

Fran steps forward as Max steps forward and in seconds they make their way into each other’s arms. Smiling from ear to ear, watching their families with their babies.

"I’ve never been prouder." Max tells her as he laces his hand through hers.

Brighton passes Jonah to Jocelyn as Sylvia passes Eve to Morty. Then as if a bell has rung, the babies are once again passed to another member of the family.

"Honey, I’m glad your sister is here. Do you thing Nigel will be here too?" Fran whispers against his chest as they are sitting cuddled up on the couch.

"I"m not sure after what happened between you and him and then him and I.....I’m not sure he thinks he’s welcomed here...."

"Well it’s a good thing that I called him then, huh?" Fran pushes herself off Max and looks into his eyes.

"You are wonderful, you know that don’t you?"

"Uh hm, but I love hearing ya tell me." She kisses him lightly on the lips, "I’m glad you feel that way because....."

"Hey Big Brother. You know that is how you two ended up with twins, don’t you? What, you two going for triplets next time?" Nigel’s voice breaks into Fran’s sentence.

Max looks up at Fran. She is already looking at him, half expecting to see him mad at her, but when she looks, nothing but love is shining back.

"I love you." He whispers to her.

She smiles and whispers back, "I know and I love you."

"Nigel, good to see you. We have a lot of catching up to do." Max says to his brother as he reluctantly lets go of Fran’s hand and stands up to talk to Nigel.

"Hey Fran darling." Nigel takes his sister-in-law’s hand and kisses it, "I guess the best man won." He smirks as he says that.

"Nigel, don’t start. And yes, the best man won." She smiles at Max, who smiles back, loving the fact that Fran wanted him over his younger, attractive brother.

Fran watches as the two brothers talk. Max introduces Nigel to his newest niece and nephew. She smiles and then frowns thinking if only she could get Max’s mother to come and meet her new grandchildren.

"You okay, Mom?" Grace comes over and sits next to Fran, steering her from her thoughts.

"Yeah, I’ve never been happier. I have you, Maggie, B, Jonah, Eve and your father. What more could I ask for?" She hugs Grace and looks back at her, "And thank you."

"For what?"

"For being concerned about me. You are the first person who has asked me how I was." Fran kisses Grace on the cheek.

"That’s my job." Grace states as she goes over to hold Jonah.

"Nah, that’s my job. To take care of you, all of you." She says to no one in particular as she watches her family.

"Waaaa, waaaaa"

Fran stands and steps forward to take her crying baby away from whoever has him or her. But as she goes to grab one of the twins, Max is there already to claim his crying child. He wasn’t lying when he said he was going to be there no matter what. She smiles once again as he passes Jonah to his mother and kisses them both.

Fran turns on the baby monitors and tests it out to make sure they are working properly. She’s not sure she wants to leave the babies in their room all by themselves, but Max insists they will be okay. The babies’ room is directly across from Fran and Max’s room. So they will hear everything that could possibly happen.

"Okay, you two are feed and changed. Mommy has to go to bed now....but I don’t wanna leave you." Fran fights with her emotions but loses.

Tears start to flow down her face. She feels two strong arms wrap around her waist and she leans back into them. She never takes her eyes off her sleeping babies.

"Are you okay, Darling?"

"No.....I can’t let myself leave them. I already miss them so much."

"C’mere..." He sits down and leads her to sit on his lap, "I know you are used to having them in here." He pats her belly with his left hand, "and then you got used to having them right next to you when they were born. But now Sweetheart, they need rest and so do you. So when they wake up in two hours you won’t be completely exhausted."

"I know you’re right, but what happens if they need me now, and I’m not right next to them?"

"Fran, they’ll be fine. Come on, you need to sleep." He slides his hand in hers and guides her out of the twins’ room.

Fran lets her husband lead her out. She looks back and stops.

"We love you." She whispers to her babies.

She feels Max’s arm go around her waist once again and squeeze a little. She looks up into his face.

"Yes we do, and I love Mommy." He smiles at her as they enter their room.

"I love you too, Daddy." She kisses him gently,"But I know that look and you better get it off your face, soon. I’m not letting you touch me any time soon."

"What?" Max smiles innocently at her.

"Ya know what, now help me get ready for bed." She begs with her eyes.

"Don’t have to ask me twice. You okay my Darling?" Max asks her as he takes off her shirt.

"Yeah but I’m starting to get a little sore. I just want to lie down right now."

Just then a noise is heard on the baby monitor and Fran is instantly up. Max grabs her back.

"Fran, you can’t go for every little noise."

"But what if..."

"No Darling, its Brighton. Listen." Max holds Fran down in place as they both listen to their older son talking to his little brother and sister.

"Hey guys, it’s me, B. You can call me that. Mom started it and I kind of like it. I know they would laugh at me for talking to you two while you were sleeping, but I have to admit I am so happy you are finally here. Well, anyway I wanted you to know that and I wanted to tell you both that I love you. And being your big brother gives me the right to torture you and....well, never mind, I have this feeling that our parents are frowning at this moment and not knowing why." He laughs slightly as he gently runs his hand over their little heads full of hair.

"Brighton has a way with words." Max tells Fran sarcastically.

"I have a feeling he knew we were listening. But....he’s so cute when he’s honest with his feelings, so unlike his father." Fran teases Max.

"Fran, that’s not fair. I’m trying and I am cute." He pouts again.

"I know you are Honey, I’m just saying I’m glad those traits didn’t get passed onto B. Which means maybe Jonah has a chance." She laughs and then settles against Max, "And yes you’re cute. Now shut up."

He chuckles a little as he places his arms around her and feels her relax against his chest. She places her hands over his and they soon try to fall asleep, but every little noise startles Fran and she has to get up to see what it is.

Ten minutes into their sleep, Fran swears she hears one of the babies cry so she gets up slowly but feels Max’s arm tighten up around her, "Darling, its the wind, now lay back down and go to sleep."

"But Max.."

"No. Fran, lay back down now. You’re going to be so tired if you don’t try to get some sleep." He chastises her and she reluctantly obliges.

"Fine." She slowly closes her eyes once more and tries to fall back asleep.

Max wakes up at 9:45 p.m., only forty-five minutes since they went to sleep. He reaches over to slide his arms around Fran once again, but finds her side of the bed empty. He knows exactly where she is at. He gets out of bed and puts his robe on and quietly heads towards the twins’ room.

There he sees his beautiful but tired wife asleep in the over stuffed chair with a teddy bear in her arms. He could tell that she fell asleep watching Jonah and Eve. He slides his arms around her and picks her up in his arms. Fran stirs awake and looks into Max’s eyes.

"I was only checking on them, I don’t know what happened." She gives him on of her innocent looks.

"Fran, you went in and fell asleep. Honey, they are okay. Now let me take my gorgeous wife back into our bed, okay?"

"But Max...."

"Fran."

"Fine." She pouts at him.

"Waaaa, waaaaa" Eve screams on the top of her tiny lungs.

"Waaaa, waaaa. Waaaa, waaaa" Little Jonah chimes in.

"Shhhh......don’t wake up your sisters and brother. Are we hungry or do we need to be changed?" Fran asks her babies as she tries to figure out what they need or want.

She reaches in and take Eve out of her little crib and holds her against her chest. Eve quiets down as she feels the touch of her Mommy against her body. She’s making little bubbly noises as Fran hums her a lullaby. Eve settles down for a minute then decides to scream again.

"Waaa, waaa."

"Okay, okay Evie, I’ll feed ya." Fran tells her daughter as she takes her shirt off to get herself ready to feed her. As soon as Eve starts to suck from her Mommy, she’s instantly quiet.

"Takes after her Mommy." Fran looks up and sees Max standing in the doorway, "Hi gorgeous.".

"Hey Honey." She smiles and then pretends to pout at his statement, "Whatever do you mean?" She bats her eyelashes at him, in the meantime trying to stifle a yawn, "Whatcha doing all the way over there? C’mere."

"Hmmm..what do I mean by that statement? Let’s see, Eve’s quiet when she gets what she wants, and you’re quiet when you get what you want." Max teases Fran as he enters the room to watch Fran with the twins.

"Waaa, waaa." Jonah whimpers again.

"Max!" She whines but they both start to laugh, "Sweetie, can you grab Jonah? He’s next on my list."

"Sure. These two were hungry huh? Hey guys its midnight, couldn’t have picked a better time?"

"I wasn’t sure what they needed. I heard them cry, and then I wasn’t sure what to do with them, other than pick them up and see what they wanted. I didn’t know if they were hungry or wet. How am I suppose to know?"

"You’re not. That’s the fun of having kids. You never know what they need until you learn. Fran, you’ll learn that a certain cry means this or that, but you can’t come to them every time they cry." He brushes a lock of her hair out of her face, "Why didn’t you wake me?"

"I thought I’d get up this time and you could continue to sleep, since I was already awake."

"Fran, you can always wake me up. I want to do this together." He caresses her cheek with his unoccupied hand.

She smiles up at him as she continues to feed Eve. He smiles back as he tries to pacify Jonah until Fran can feed him too.

An hour and half later and both babies are feed and changed, Fran leans over and watches them fall back into their sleep.

"C’mon Fran, let’s go back to bed."

"In a minute, Max. I just want to watch them for a little bit. You go back, I’ll be there soon."

"No, I’ll stay right here with you." He reaches around her and places his arms around her waist.

"Hmmm....I love this." Fran smiles as she thinks of her babies and her wonderful husband behind her, "You, me and five of the most wonderful kids any parents could ask for.".

"As do I."

"I still think of them inside me. But now they’re really here."

"Amazing isn’t it?"

All Fran can do is nod her head as tears threaten to fall once again.

"Let’s go back to bed." Max guides her once again to their room.

"Shhhh......don’t wake Daddy up." Fran whispers to her son.

"Waa." He starts off quieter than he normally does.

"Shhh..Jonah, don’t wake your sister up either." Fran rubs his little belly and sits back on the bed with him.

"Fran?" Max’s tired voice asks.

"Oy..." Fran says quietly, "Yeah, Max."

"What are you doing?"

"Uh..nothing. Go back to sleep, Sweetie."

"They’re in here, aren’t they?" He starts to get up in bed.

"No, they just seems closer, because.....oh..um...yeah, I turned up the volume of the baby monitor." She tries to pacify her husband.

Max turns on the low switch of the bedside lamp. He sees both cribs in their room and Fran sitting on the end of the bed with Jonah in her arms.

"Fran!"

"Wha?" She looks at him with puppy dog eyes, "Max, they kept whimpering and I kept hearing noises so I brought them in here to watch them. Honey, I can’t help it, I don’t like to be away from them."

"Okay. But put Jonah down. He’ll get used to being held and he’ll never want to lay down by himself. Hand him here."

Fran hands their little boy to his Daddy and watches Max kiss his little forehead and lay him back down. Then he puts both his hands on Fran’s shoulders and guides her back into the bed, but this time the babies are right next to her.

She seems more at ease this last time. But as they start to fall back to sleep, someone knocks.

"Go away." Fran tries to yell and not wake up the babies.

"Mom?" Maggie whispers as she pokes her head in their doorway.

"Hmmm..what is it, Maggie?" Fran asks not opening her eyes.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Maggie steps inside the room not knowing the twins are there too.

"Margaret, can it wait until morning?" Max realizing it almost two in the morning, "Why are you just getting home now?"

Maggie tries ignoring her father, "Yeah I guess it can wait." She says quietly.

"Waaa, waaa!" Jonah wails from inside the room.

"No, c’mon in, your sister and brother are awake, why not talk now, as we try to get them to go back to sleep." Fran rubs her eyes as Max turns on the light.

Fran winces in pain as she realizes she moved too quickly and too far for her sore body. She pushes past the feeling and lets Max get up to take Jonah for a walk so the two women can talk. Besides, it might just calm Jonah down.

"Maggie, can you hand me Eve. I’m too tired to get up."

Maggie retrieves her sister and smiles. She places her into Fran arms ever so gently, afraid to break her.

"Now what’s up? I’m glad your father took a walk. He’s been too overprotective and clingy to me lately. I need some space....thanks."

"Really? You don’t want Dad around all the time?"

"Well, I don’t mean it like that. I love having your father here at my side anytime I need him, but lately I feel so strange being a Mommy and not knowing what the heck I’m doing, I’m way over tired, and I can’t think straight, that his attention is somewhat overwhelming." She looks at Maggie dead pan, "But don’t ya ever tell him I said that."

"What’s it feel like to be in love?" She asks quietly as she watches Fran with Eve.

"Oy...I thought this was gonna be an easy question." She laughs slightly, "Are ya thinking you could be in love with Michael?"

"I don’t know. I think, well...I’m not sure."

"Well, lets put it this way, I knew I loved your father a long time ago and couldn’t imagine my life without him."

"That’s not what I mean. How do you know when love starts?"

"Oh, that’s not an easy one. It’s different for everyone but this is what did it for me. I got weak in the knees when he just said my name. I melted every time he simply caught my gaze. I realized I got overexcited when he would be home one minute earlier than he was suppose to be. I imagined having children with him. And for the first time not being scared to grow old, because I would be growing old with him, finally ready to tell him my real age."

Fran didn’t notice Max standing in the doorway listening to her. Max smiles knowing Fran is talking about him and him only.

"Thanks. I’ll let you put my little sister down and go back to sleep. She’s so cute when she’s sleeping. I wonder if that’s what I looked like when I was a baby."

"Yeah you did." Max smiles making his move into the room from the spot where he was just listening from, with his sleeping son in his arms.

"Good night Mom, good night Dad."

"Goodnight Angel." Fran states happily yet very tired.

"Thank you." Max whispers in the early morning sun.

"What for?" Fran whispers back.

"For just being you, and for being the most wonderful wife and mother." He scoops up his whimpering babies in his arms, "I love you."

"Ya know what?"

"Hmmm?"

"That our lives have turned out a whole lot different then I ever imagined." She leans back and places Eve across her chest watching her little girl stare up at her.

"I couldn’t think of a more perfect scenario than what we have right at this moment. I’ve never been happier."

"Neither have I"

Max watches Fran intently and sees her slight pained expression as she shifts a little.

"You’re hurting aren’t you?"

"No not really..." Fran tries to deny it but she knows he can see through her, "okay, yeah I am."

"Waaa. Waaa." The twins call out to their parents in unison.

"Oy! I knew it was too good to be true. You two can’t just lay here quietly, can ya? You’re torturing me." She coos at her babies and then turns to look at Max, "Well look at it this way, we officially made it through our first day...between these two, the other three and you, it’s a wonder I look like this." She points to her disheveled appearance.

He turns to look at her.

Fran continues, "So if this first day is any indication of the next 18 years, ya can forget ever making love again."

"To me, you look beautiful."

"That ain’t gonna cut it, Mister."

Fran didn’t think it would be this hard, but that’s what it is...she’s not really complaining, she’d never change anything for one minute.

"Waaa!"

"Shhhhh...." Max tries with Jonah.

"I am truly glad I’m married to you." She smiles warmly as she watches Max trying to quiet Jonah down once again.

"So glad, you want to share you’re age?" He looks at her mischievously.

"Oh.....I, um...well, I only said that to make a point with Maggie." Fran tries to get around answering that torrid question.

"Fran."

"Okay, but promise that you will still love me once you know that truth." She looks at him seriously.

"I promise." He smiles waiting for the one truth he has never gotten out of her.

"Okay. Cover your ears Jonah and Eve. Max, I am...."

"Mom!! Dad!" Gracie yells for the hallway.

"Oy! Now what!"

"You did this, didn’t you?" Max says to her as he gets up with Eve in his arms.

"What?" Fran questions him.

"You told them to interrupt so you couldn’t tell me your age." He teases her as he opens the door to the hallway.

"Oooohh, you found me out." She rolls her eyes at him, while mentally thanking the powers above for getting her out of telling him.

Fran slowly pulls herself off the bed to go see what the hell is going on now. As they walk out they can hear, Brighton and Gracie fighting and Brighton and Maggie fighting. And somewhere they can hear Niles laughing.

"Brighton, give me my Fran doll back, now!" Grace yells at Brighton, "and leave me alone."

"I don’t have it, Gracie, Maggie took her." Brighton points to his older sister, "What’s wrong with you anyway?"

"What? Maggie you have Fran doll?"

"WHAT is going on out here?" Max firmly asks his children.

All three kids look up and see both their tired parents coming near them. They all stop in mid sentences and back up.

"Ask her...she’s been yelling at us all morning." Brighton points to Grace.

"What’s wrong, Angel?" Fran asks as she suppresses a yawn.

"Nothing!" Grace snaps at her parents and heads for her room, slamming the door as she enters it.

Fran sighs and heads for the door, "Grace Sheffield, get your butt out her and tell us what’s wrong."

The door slowly opens with Grace standing with her head down.

"So, what’s with the attitude?" Fran asks her again.

"I’m just, never mind." She says quietly.

"No...you tell us why you are mad at everyone."

"I don’t know, I just suddenly found them annoying." Gracie finally spoke up, "And I miss you."

Fran’s heart melts as she hears Grace’s words, "Honey, we aren’t neglecting you, we just need to focus on Jonah and Eve for a little while. They are too small to know what they want. We need to be there for them as much as possible." She reaches out and hugs Gracie, "You may not be the ‘baby of the family’ anymore but that doesn’t mean you are less important. It means you are officially a big sister."

"Yeah Gracie. It’s the best feeling in the world, to be able to do things for them, that they can’t do themselves." Maggie states trying to help out.

Max and Fran smile at their oldest daughter.

Fran thinks of something, "Hey why don’t you help your father and I change them. What do you think?"

Grace’s face lights up, "Okay." And she skips to the twins’ room ahead of Max and Fran.

"Can we come too?" Brighton asks pointing to Maggie and himself.

"Sure, why not? We could use your help anyway. I’m sure they are getting hungry again, anyway."

As if the twins heard the word ‘hungry’ and knew what it meant, they both start to cry, "Waaa! Waaaa, waaa!!"

"Okay you two, we hear ya!" Fran looks down at Jonah and over to Eve as her and Max head towards the babies’ room with the family.

Just as Fran enters, Niles comes running upstairs, "Sir, sorry to interrupt, but the police are on the phone."

"What?"

"Uh Dad the thing is, I sorta hit...."

"Master Brighton, it is regarding the Aston Martin." Niles gives Brighton a look, which does not go unnoticed by Max.

"Did they find it?" Then realization hits Max, "Brighton, what was that you were saying?"

"Uh, nothing." Brighton hurriedly takes off for the room.

"Brighton, this isn’t over with!" He yells after his son, "Fran, will you find out what happened. I’ll be right back." Max hands Eve to Fran. She’s balancing both babies in her arms.

"Don’t make me the bad guy here." She whines, and then looks at him, "And what do ya think I’m gonna do with two at the same time?" She teases her husband.

"You should have thought about that nine months ago." He whispers back.

"Me? Its all my husband’s fault. Now go take care of things so I can have you back up here in two minutes, or I’ll hunt you down with two screaming babies and leave you alone with them."

Just then CC runs upstairs shouting, "Maxwell!! You need to...."

"Oh no I don’t. I’m off on maternity leave...or make that paternity leave!" He grins as Fran walks away rolling her eyes at him.

"I’m only giving you two minutes, Max!" Fran throws over her shoulder, "And if you’re not here then, you are gonna find the door to our room locked and I expect you to take care of the twins."

"CC, what is it?" He states quickly as he makes his way to the phone.

"We have a little problem with the cast of this new play."

"What they wouldn’t throw your bone for you?" Niles quietly states next to Miss Babcock.

"Shut up dust bunny!" CC retorts back.

"CC, we don’t have a cast, its only one person, Sting. You haven’t done anything to irritate him, have you?" Max asks not really wanting to k now.

"Me? C’mon Maxwell, you know its not me that does that, its Nanny Fine."

He sighs, "CC would you please call Fran by either Fran or Mrs. Sheffield, and stop annoying her by calling her ‘Nanny Fine’ because she’s not anymore. And get to the point, what happened with Sting?"

"Well, he sort of demanded a new contract to add things, and well, I sort of, maybe over reacted, and then he well, I can’t believe how rude he was...."

"CC!"

"He quit!" She tries to sneak in when he said her name.

"What? Never mind. I don’t what to know. What the bloody hell is wrong with you? Now we have a theater rented with no play!" He reaches the for the phone, "Maxwell Sheffield here. Great. My butler will be right down to get it. Thank you." He hangs up and turns to CC, "I’m not going to worry about it right now, I have a family to attend to, but if I were you, I would try to find a solution to the problem you just created for yourself." With that he turns on his heal to go back to his wife and children, "Oh by the way, I’m sending you with Niles to go get the Aston Martin."

With that Max is out of her sight as CC starts to fume. "I don’t want to go with Toilet Brush!"

A few hours later, Fran and Max are frantically standing over two very unhappy babies.

"Max, I can’t help them." Fran starts to cry.

"Darling, its okay. C’mere." He pulls her to him and hugs her tightly.

"What if they hurt or they’re sick, how am I suppose to know? I can’t help them. I’ve tried feeding them, but they won’t take my milk, and they don’t need to be changed. I don’t know what to do."

"Waaaa, waaaa!" Screams Jonah.

"Waaa, waaa!!" Screams Eve.

"What is it, little ones?" Max softly coos to his crying twins, "Let’s try something." He picks up Eve and kisses her tiny forehead and hands her to Fran, who is trying to regain her senses. Then he picks up Jonah, "Fran, I remember when I was little, Nigel wouldn’t stop crying, so my father used to pick him up and rock him."

Fran sits down in one chair and Max sits in the other one facing her. They both try rocking their babies. Fran cradles Eve so she can rub her little belly at the same time. Eve soon stops screaming and Fran can feel her little body begin to relax in her arms.

Jonah is being held in Max’s strong arms across his chest. Jonah’s tiny body stops shaking as he begins to quiet down along with his sister.

"Maybe they just needed to be held by their Mommy and Daddy." Max lovingly suggests as he looks up into Fran’s eyes and smiles.

"The simplest joys in life we take for granted and it’s all they need." Fran states as her own eyes are heavy with sleep.

"So?" They both state in unison after they sit down on the couch after one helluva second day.

"Brighton dented the Porsche." Fran starts.

"CC lost Sting for the new play." Max goes next and so on.

"Gracie’s still jealous."

"Niles and CC can’t stop torturing each other."

"Maggie has a date with Michael."

"Your mother called."

"It took me three hours to get the twins quiet again."

"My mother called."

"I’m sore."

"I’m tired."

"I’m 37."

"I love you." Max snaps his head towards his wife, "What?"

"Nothing." She innocently smiles at him, "I love you too."

"That wasn’t nothing, Mrs. Sheffield."

"Waaaa, waaaa!"

With that, they both rise off the couch to attend their non-stop screaming babies in the basinets next to them.

"Here we go again." Fran and Max state in unison once more, but with smiles broadly across their faces.

"Who needs another play, we have the perfect act going on right here....balancing marriage, parenthood and life, together, just you and me." Max kisses Fran lightly on the lips as they hold their newest members of the Sheffield family.

"Max, by the way, we need to discuss the Bris."

"I’m ignoring that comment."

"Fine, ya can deal with the higher power."

"God?"

"No, Ma!"

"Fine, we’ll discuss it tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay. But we only six days left."

"Oy!" Max states as he protectively holds his son.

Thanks to Jenn, my editor and friend for making me laugh at myself. Thanks to Steffi for ideas that we keep laughing over to this day. A special thanks to Andrea and Irene, the humour behind this story. Leire, this is also for you, since you always wanted to know how Fran and Max were like with the twins as babies. And Sylvia, for your heart.

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