The Song Books (Ghost Bird)

One

"Attention Blackbourne Clan! This is your Ojiisan speaking! It has been brought to my attention that it is almost Christmas and we have not read the Song Books this year. If everyone could please move their butts in this direction we will begin shortly."

Around the large estate where the Blackbourne family lived Sean's voice rang out. Brothers, sisters, parents and grandparents began moving towards the library. It was the same Every year the family gathered in the library one by one the parents read the 'Song Books' It kept them a part of the story and the magic that was there unconventional family.

Sang pulled the last tray of sugar cookies out of the oven looking at Lillian who had been piping icing onto the gingerbread men. "I'm surprised your Papa is allowing anyone in the Library to even get to the books let alone sit and read them as a family." Lillian laughed and went to wash her hands, while stealthily slipping a cookie in her mouth.

"I saw that" Lillian hunched her shoulders at her mother's tone. Then just laughed "Don't worry Mom there will be enough for everyone." Sang met her daughter's brown eyes, so much like her fathers. Then they burst into giggles and said together "As long as we hide them from Daddy!" Commotion out in the hall had them turning to the door to the kitchen three men burst through. "Baby save us, your Daddy is after us!" Lillian's fiancés bounded through the door the identical triplets had been getting in on the holiday spirit and helping Luke prank people all week. Apparently though they had decided he needed to be in on the fun as Luke came around the corner covered in glitter. Lillian rolled her eyes as three grown men hid behind her laughing.

Luke stood at the door to the kitchen the glitter falling on the floor getting ready to pounce on his daughter and her loves. Without looking up Sang halted him in his tracks. "If you get glitter anywhere near my cookie dough ,Always, you won't make it upstairs for the 'Song Books'." Luke put a huge pout on his face. "But CUPCAKE! They turned on me, the villains. Lilly-Bean you sure you want to marry three shady individuals?" Lillian walked over to her Daddy and pulled him out of the kitchen. "Come on Daddy, let's get you cleaned up so we can go listen to the books. Chris, Grant, and Jake since you obviously have so much time on your hands you need to help my Momma get the cookies upstairs for the books. I think you'll like this, we read them every year!"

"Awww Lilly! We wanted a kiss." Lilly looked at her boys over her shoulder as she followed her Daddy out. "Sorry boys, Family First!" Sang couldn't help but laugh at the identical pouts on the triplets faces. They remind me so much of my boys. I'm glad Lilly found them. Putting the boys to work Sang and Lilly's fiancés carried trays of snacks and drinks for the clan up to the Library.

Setting the trays on the coffee tables Sang was passed from husband to husband getting kisses and hugs before ending up snuggled between Owen and Silas. Sang looked around the Library, nine husbands, twelve children, six spouses and three fiancés, three grandchildren and two on the way, in a few more years there would be to many of them to get together like this. Sang looked at North and Silas and watched them come to the same realization. Owens soft voice whispered in her ear making her shiver. "Don't worry darling, we'll make sure there is always enough room in our home for our family. We'll think of something."

Sean stood near the fire place after handing Sophia off to Daniel. She immediately wiggled out of his grasp and crawled into North's lap causing the room to chuckle. The grumpiest of Sang's husband's was the one all the children wanted to snuggle with. Daniel's millimeter smile, so much like his father's crept across his face. "Apparently Dad's just aren't as good as Opa's and Ojiisan's."

Sean clapped their oldest on the back. "Of course not son, now Last year we read in order they were stored, this year do we go by when we met or names?" Kota adjusted his glasses his then wrapped dropped his arms around his very pregnant twins, their dark red hair, exactly like Nathan's without the threads of silver at the temples, snuggled on his shoulders. "I think we should go youngest to oldest. We haven't done that in a few years." Gabe shot his fist in the air at this. "YES! I go first" Gabe, Luke, Evan and Lillian jumped up and did a happy dance causing the room to erupt into giggles. Lillian's triplets pulled her across their laps. Each of them kissing her softly on the face or hands. Sang watched and approved of how well those boys loved her baby.

Gabriel went over and pulled out the orange leather bound book taking it back to the arm chair he had claimed only to find his son Evan had taken it. "Mischief get out of my chair! Trouble, make your son move!" Sang giggled helplessly earning a warning glance and an eyebrow wiggle from Sean. Unfortunately she couldn't stop as Lysander, Nikola, and Alicio crept up behind their baby brother, practically silent despite their size, and flexed those Greek muscles dumping him out of the chair and placing it in front of the fire place for Gabriel. "Here you go Papa," Evan cursed under his breath and flipped his brothers off as the family laughed at their antics.

Unfortunately the commotion woke up the infant that had been sleeping on Nathan's chest. "Aw Pop," Grace sighed "Hand her here, I might as well nurse her if she's awake" Grace's husband Mike got up and took Baby Hope from Nathan winking at his father-in-law and Sensei and placing his 3 month old daughter in his wife's arms. Helping Grace adjust her glasses framing the green eyes he fell in love with.

"If all of you brats would shut up so we could get my book started maybe the babies wouldn't start crying!" Gabriel settled into his armchair and smiled as he got what he considered the appropriate degree of deference. Opening the book he frowned as the page wasn't as clear as it had been a few years ago. Fucking stupid shitty ass eyes. Sighing in defeat he pulled a pair of orange cheaters out of his shirt pocket and glared at the room in general daring anyone to comment. While he had taken the number of his age very well, the physical changes that getting older came with distressed him.

"Dear Meanie,..."

A/N Sorry for the Cliffy but I'm having a hard time finding the perfect version of the song I want. Also I hope the jumps between children and parents weren't too confusing. I wanted to show how the children didn't just stay with their parents but instead were loved equally by all of them.