Chasing Cars

"Babe?" Jack mumbled.

"Hmm?" I answered tiredly from where I was laying on the couch, my head on his lap.

"Did you notice this?" Jack questioned me as his hand rubbed my stomach under my shirt, his warm fingers trailing over my skin lightly.

"What?" I panicked and sat up a bit to take a look. "No."

"Is it normal for you to be showing this early?" Jack asked, lifting my shirt up so my slight bump was out in the cold air.

"Well every pregnancy is different." Was my only response.

Jack simply shrugged and I laid back down, not really thinking much of it. The next morning I was getting Ben ready for school when he decided it was time to say his good morning to the baby. He sat on his knees on his bed and placed his lips to my stomach.

"Morning baby. I love you and daddy and Jack and uncle Vic and Kellin and uncle Zack and Gwandma Isobel and-"

"Alright Ben, that's enough honey, baby wants to sleep more." I smiled and ran my fingers through his hair.

Ben giggled and ran away while I shook my head and just laughed. I walked downstairs where Ben was now eating breakfast and telling Jack some make believe story about dinosaurs and how he wants a pet dinosaur now.

"Oh dude." Jack laughed and I chuckled.

"'S not funny." He pouted and crossed his little arms across his chest.

"Sorry sweetie. Eat up honey, you'll be late."

"Lex, you have your appointment later. Don't forget." Jack reminded me as he finished making his coffee.

"Oh yeah, thanks babe." I smiled and kissed his cheek before walking off to get Ben's shoes that were scattered in the living room near the Christmas tree.

Later that day I was at my appointment waiting anxiously as the doctor got everything ready for the ultrasound.

"Seems like the baby's growing quite a lot, huh?" She asked as she lifted up my shirt.

"Yeah and it's weird because when I was pregnant with Ben I didn't start showing until I was almost five months along." I told her and she nodded.

"Yeah, well you do understand that every pregnancy is different. But let's take a look."

I turned my head to the screen as she moved the wand around. I smiled as she pointed out the little peanut before freezing.

"Is something wrong?" I asked her.

"Quite the opposite really, but Alex, you're gonna have to get ready for twice the everything. You're having twins, Alex." She told me and I gasped.

"Holy crap. Twins." I repeated my eyes going wide as I stared up at the ceiling.

"Weren't expecting that, were you?" Liz chuckled as she cleaned off my stomach after telling her to print off four pictures.

"Not at all. I mean Jack did joke around at first about having twins, but, wow. I just can't believe it." I told her as I sat up.

As I got in my car still staring at the picture of my babies in my hands, a smile formed on my face and then headed towards the mall for Jack's final Christmas present. At the mall I went into the one store that I had in mind. I practically giggled the whole time I picked out the present.

"I take it your husband doesn't know he's having twins?" The lady asked me as I placed the things on the counter.

"Nope. I just found out today." I told her without wiping away the smile from my face.

"Well congratulations." She smiled and I payed before leaving the store and heading home to wrap up the things.

By the time Jack and Ben got home, the box was under the tree and I looked at it one last time before heading over to my boys.

"Daddy!" Ben cheered happily as he dragged Dylan inside the house, the little boy smiling at me shyly.

"Hello boys, how was school?" I asked them.

"It was fun! Was baby good today daddy?" Ben asked me as he released Dylan's hand and pressed his palms against my sweatshirt covered stomach.

"The baby was very good." I smiled down at Ben, making sure I said it singular and not plural.

"Okay, love you baby." Ben kissed my stomach and then ran off with Dylan, both giggling as they marched up the stairs.

"How was the doctor's?" Jack asked me, wrapping his arms around my stomach.

"It went great. She said the baby's growing a lot." I giggled and pecked his lips.

"Something's fishy with you." Jack commented.

"Nope." I smiled and walked away.

The next day at school, I walked up to my friends who were all in the library doing some last minute studying. I smiled at the librarian who smiles back at me and I sit down next to Vic and Zack.

"Hey." I greet them.

"How was your appointment yesterday? You were supposed to call me." Vic pouted.

"Sorry, but Dylan was over and taking care of three four year olds is trouble enough." I sighed.

"Three?" Kellin asked with a frown.

"Yeah, Jack counts as one."

The others chuckled. The bell for our first period class rings and we all get up and start walking out of the library. Vic latches onto my arm as we walk towards our class together.

"Okay, I can't hold it in anymore." I squeal as we stop in the hall.

"What is it?" Vic asks me with an amused look on his face.

"I'm having twins!"

"Oh my gosh, Alexander!" Vic yells as he pulls me into a hug. "Does Jack know?"

"No. I just found out yesterday and no one but you knows. I want it to be a surprise for his Christmas present and then we'll tell everyone else together. Promise to keep it a secret?"

"Duh you silly goose." Vic smiled and we kept walking, talking about baby things.

The day move agonizingly slow. By the time my classes ended, it was snowing pretty bad and I sighed. Driving home was a challenge. Jack and Ben were home first than I was. When I walked in, Jack pulled me into his arms right away.

"Um, love you too." I chuckled and hugged him back while closing the front door with my leg.

"I was worried. We got home and you weren't and because it's snowing pretty bad so I thought something bad happened to you." Jack mumbled as he buried his face into the crook of my neck.

"Aww baby, I'm here and both the baby and I are fine." I cooed as I held him tightly.

Jack pulled back and pecked my lips before giving me a smile. He walked off and I took off my jacket and shoes before walking into the living room and setting my bag on a couch. Ben walked in looking tired and I smiled before picking him up and setting him on my hip. Ben's head rested on my shoulder, his arms wrapping around my neck.

"What's wrong with my little munchkin?" I pouted as I headed into the kitchen where Jack was.

"I tired." He mumbled.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked Jack softly.

"Tell you later." He mumbled and I nodded.

After dinner, Ben and I were heading upstairs for his bath. His little hand was in mine and he was still being very quiet which was worrying me a lot. Jack had to go out and help Rian with something so he didn't have time to help me, mostly because Ben has been clinging to me all afternoon.

"Sweetie, which pjs do you want? Batman or Superman?" I asked as we entered his room.

Ben simply shrugged and I sighed before pulling out the clothes and closed the drawer. Ben sat on his bed and I knelt down in front of him, grabbing his hands in mine.

"Benji, can you tell me what's wrong? Why are you so sad sweetie?"

"Tyler mean to me again." Ben sighed and my heart broke to see Ben so sad.

"But I thought he was being nice to you. What happened?"

"I broke his toy on acsdent." Ben whimpered. "He gots mad daddy."

"Oh baby it was just an accident. Did you tell Jack?"

Ben nodded and wrapped his arms around my neck, crying into my neck. I rubbed his back and tried getting him to calm down. After he calmed down I took Ben into the bathroom and gave him his bath. Jack walked in when I was finishing with Ben and he rubbed my back.

"Come on kiddo. Let's get you dressed so you can sleep, yeah?" I asked him and he nodded.

"Here, I'll take him." Jack offered and I nodded before wrapping the towel around Ben and letting Jack pick him up.

After getting Ben changed into his pjs and under the covers, Jack and I stayed with him a bit. He started to ramble about another one of his adventures with Dylan and I was just glad Ben was back at making things up.

"Oh really now?" Jack humored him and Ben giggled with a nod as he grabbed his stuffed rabbit and held it to his chest.

"And then we-" Ben stopped mid sentence to yawn and then he kept going, his eyes closing all the way eventually.

"Night baby." I smiled and kissed his forehead before standing up and waiting for Jack to follow me. We got ready and laid down under the covers, just laying in the dark and in silence.

"Is Tyler really giving him that much of a hard time?" I asked Jack quietly.

"Yeah. Patrick and I don't know what to do anymore. Tyler just won't listen and he also gets the other kids to make fun of Ben for his slow reading." Jack told me, turning on his side and resting a hand on my stomach.

"He's just a kid, Jack." I choked out.

"I know sweetie." Jack sighed and pulled me against him.