Until There Was You

Joe and Nick ran out of the courthouse doors, but were too late, as they stood there and watched the cab drive down the street.

“Damn it!” Nick yelled as he turned and punched a nearby metal sign.

“Great, what are we going to do now?” Joe questioned. “The girls just took off in a cab. How are we going to find them now?”

“They are probably heading back home. We can talk to them when we get there. But for now let’s go back inside and deal with Lily and Danielle.”

“We have to decide what we are going to do and which of our kid’s Mother’s we want to be with. It’s either the girls we’ve known for a long time or the girls we just got to know.” Joe spoke with reason.

“I know, I know!” Nick complained shaking his head.

“We shouldn’t have met up with Lily and Dani at the bar like we did. We got drunk every time and you know they took advantage of that fact and seduced us into sleeping with them. It’s no wonder they’re pregnant. Alcohol seems to have that effect on us and makes our little swimmers like extra potent.” Joe chastised as he furrowed his eyebrows.

“Extra potent?” Nick questioned, giving his brother a really strange look.

“Do you notice a wonderful little pattern we have going on?” Joe gestured slightly in front of him.

Nick shook his head no, waiting for Joe to continue on and explain what he was talking about.

“We seem to get girls pregnant while we’re drunk and we don’t remember much the next day.” Joe looked at Nick with raised eyebrows. “Meaning - we have to stop doing that or we’re gonna have a whole lotta baby mamas to pay child support to. I know we’re rock stars but damn are we living up to that reputation, it’s not good and I don’t want to be in the “Where Are They Now” files or even worse in rehab, while one of the various baby mama’s sells our story to the tabloids for a quick buck.”

“I don’t want to ruin my career any more than it might already be. And we have enough baby mama drama with two different girls now. So, lets go back in there and do right by someone in our screwed up lives. I can’t believe we got ourselves into this mess.” Nick shook his head again in pure disbelief as he opened the courthouse doors and walked inside, Joe following closely behind as they walked back to the courtroom where they had left Lily and Danielle waiting.

*

After Beth and Nikki hailed the cab. They didn’t bother looking back to see if Joe and Nick would come out after them. The girls figured that the guys would choose Danielle and Lily knowing it would be for the best, since they've known them longer.

The girls rode around the city for an hour before deciding to stay at a Church sanctuary for the night. They were in no mood to head back to the house and gather their belongings or even facing Joe and Nick.

"Beth, are we doing the right thing?" Nikki asked looking down at her protruding stomach as she rubbed small circles upon it.

"Yeah, for now. We have no other choice at this point in time." Beth stated as they entered the church greeted by a friendly nun.

Hello, My name is Sister Mary Alice, You girls seem troubled. How can the church be of service?” she asked as her eyes wondered down to our stomachs.

"Well, we sorta had a fight with our baby’s fathers and we need a place to stay." Beth answered as she shifted her feet slightly.

“For only a night or is this a little more of a permanent situation?” Sister Mary Alice inquired.

“More permanent. We don’t plan on going back to them, as they have gotten back together with their ex girlfriends.” Beth explained.

"I am sorry to hear of your hardships. You two are welcome to stay here if you wish, and I can also provide you with a job until your babies are born." She informed the girls as she kept looking down at their stomachs.

Thanks to the generosity of Sister Mary Alice, the girl’s worked in the church kitchen, feeding the homeless everyday and attending Mass services on Sunday. While the girls lived at the church, they never saw the boys again. The girls figured that Nick and Joe weren’t even looking for them and were happily living with Lily and Danielle in the house that they once shared with the boys.

*

Right on schedule, Beth and Nikki gave birth to two beautiful baby girls a month later on June 17, 2014.

Beth laid there in the hospital bed as she held onto her baby girl trying to think of a name that would suit her. It didn't take Beth long until she decided on Rosemary Lynn after her grandmother. While Nikki decided to call her daughter Michelle Marie.

*

Two weeks later, Beth and Nikki had gone to the store to get more baby supplies when they ran into Nick and Joe on their way out of the store.

For only a split second it was pure silence between the almost married couples. When the boys eyes adverted to the baby’s clutched in Beth and Nikki's arms respectfully, both wrapped in pink blankets.

“Beth -” Nick utter as Joe uttered. “Nikki-” at the same time.

“Um, how are you?” Nick asked.

“Where have you two been? We’ve been worried about you and the babies.” Joe butted in right after not giving the girls time to respond.

“We’re fine, Nick. We’ve been working at the catholic church. They were generous and gave Nikki and I jobs and a place to stay. Sister Mary Alice has been wonderful to work for.” Beth explained, fighting off the urge to cry.

“Will you two come back to us? I mean you just had our daughters, it’s only right that we should be together and help you raise them.” Nick affirmed while Joe cut in.

"Do you mind if we hold them?" Joe asked as he scooted closer to Nikki and smiled.

"No, not at all." Nikki replied back smiling as she placed Michelle into his arms.

"What's her name?" He asked as he stared deeply into his daughter’s eyes as she wiggled in his arms.

"Michelle Marie." Nikki answered, watching as Joe held their daughter.

Joe started to softly sing “Michelle my belle, these are words that go together well. My Michelle.” then started humming Michelle by The Beatles as he rocking her back and forth in his arms.

"May I hold my daughter?" Nick asked as his eyes adverted to Rosemary asleep in her mothers arms.

Beth nodded and reached out her arms carefully placing her sleeping form into her Fathers arms.

"What's her name?" Nick asked with curiosity as he played with her fingers.

"Rosemary Lynn." Beth said as she tugged on her little booties to make sure her feet stayed warm.

Nick softly sang, “Love grows where my Rosemary goes, and nobody knows like me.” then hummed the tune of Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes by Edison Lighthouse as he sways his body back and forth with the baby.

Nick and Joe both look up from the babies as they look into Beth's and Nikki's eyes.

"So, will you two please come back?" Joe pleaded.

"No." Nikki said bitterly as she took Michelle from Joe and began rocking her gently in her arms.

"But why?" Nick spoke, a hurt tone clear in his voice. “I need you in my life - both of you.” Nick said in urgency, looking from Beth to his daughter still sleeping peacefully in his arms.

"Because you two are married men now and there is no way we would want to be in a relationship with you two when your married to other people!" Beth said as she lifted Rosemary out of Nick's arms.

"We didn't marry Danielle and Lily, after you two ran out of the church. We went looking for you but you already left in the cab before we could catch up." Joe began telling the girls, as Nick picked up the story.

"Joe and I stood outside and we discussed what we wanted to do. We wanted to make the right decision. So, we went back into the courtroom and we told Danielle and Lily that we couldn't be with them." Nick stated.

"We said that our hearts only belong to you girls at the moment and you two are the only girls we want to be Fathers and husbands to." Joe explained, grasping on tightly to Nikki's hand.

"We searched for you two relentlessly after you two didn’t come home after a few days. Joe and I thought that we had lost you both forever." Nick added.

Beth and Nikki looked at each other than towards the boys, a smile had crept onto the boy's faces.

"So what do you girl say - come home, please?" Joe asked bouncing his eyes back and forth between Beth and Nikki.

"Ok," Beth and Nikki replied in unison.

"But one thing before we go home. Let's go get married and do this right like we should have a few months ago." Nick said as he held onto Beth's free hand.

“Alright, I just hope you two don’t have any more surprise girlfriends who might crash this ceremony too.” Nikki affirmed.

“No, we don’t.” Nick shook his head.

“We promise you.” Joe added.

The four friends had a good laugh, before moving on with their lives - now as one big happy family.

*

Two weeks later, the girls are back to where they were a few months ago. Standing in the same courtroom with Nick and Joe, all donned in their wedding attire. Ready to attempt another marriage ceremony. As a judge officiated their vows. Beth stood next to Nick with Rosemary resting quietly in her arms. As Nikki stood next to Joe with an half awake Michelle in hers.

The ceremony came to a blissful end, no interruptions in sight as the boys sealed their fate forever.