Double Up

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Kate returned home at 9pm that night, having caught Emily's killer and put him behind bars. She hadn't managed to finish all the paper work though; she'd decided he'd just do it all tomorrow.

She turned her key in the door and opened it. The loft seemed rather silent, and she wondered whether the kids were already asleep.

She took off her shoes and stepped into the kitchen. Washing her hands first, needing to clean her hands off of all the crime and grime it had been through during the course of her day.

Now she was home and she wanted to feel at home.

She poured herself a glass of water and drank up. She then tied her hair up into a messy bun and went upstairs in search of Rick, Alexis and the twins.

She noticed Alexis's door slightly open, she knocked and peeked in.

"Hey, you're back. How was your day?"

"Tiring. But good"

"That's great."

"Did the kids give you guys any trouble?"

"Nope… they were angels all day. In fact I think Jo is already asleep."

"Well, I better go check on them then"

"Goodnight Kate"

"Goodnight Alexis, I love you."

Kate closed her door and then walked to their bedroom. She stood at the doorway and watched.

Rick was standing near the window, holding Nate in his arms, and he was pointing out to the stars in the sky.

Kate looked to the other end of the room to find Jo fast asleep in her cradle. She walked to where Rick was, and it was as if Nate felt the presence of his mommy in the room, he turned his head away from where his day was pointing out for him to look and began making sounds.

"What is it big guy?"

"Ooo" the child said

"You're missing your mommy? I'm missing her too. But both of us don't need to wait up for her, you need to sleep."

Nate mumbled something again, and Rick just laughed at the little guy, finding it so amusing the way he was responding.

Kate finally stepped into Ricks view and said

"Looks like you guys won't have to wait any longer. Mommy's home."

"Mmm" the baby exclaimed, wetting his lips a little in the effort to make a sound.

Kate reached put and took Nathan from Rick. She wiped his lips with her thumb and then kissed his forehead and softly whispered in his ear

"I missed you too baby"

he looked at her mouth again, and a hint of a smile came upon his tiny pink lips.

"Come on, I'll put you to sleep now." she said to him with a smile.

She held him close to her, letting him rest his tiny head in the crook of her neck. He placed his hand lightly atop her breast. And Kate felt his breathing grow softer by the second.

Rick leaned in close, kissed his son on the head and said to Kate

"should I warm up dinner for you?"

"Yea, I'm really hungry"

"Okay, I see you downstairs in a while then"

he left Nathan and his mommy there, to give Kate a moment with her son, after a long tiring day of work, away from them.

He knew this would be exactly what she needed when she got back, and he was secretly glad that one of them was awake to greet her when she returned home.

Kate inhaled the sweet scent of her baby. He smelled of baby powder and sweet innocence. And the scent of him filled her nostrils, making her feel warm and at home. She loved these two to the moon and back.

They were her heart and life. She always thought that Rick was all she lived for. But now she had them, she had Alexis.

She softly began to hum a tune to him, lulling him into a light slumber. His eyes closed and he drifted into dreamland. Kate kissed the top of his head, and didn't move her lips from his skin for a while. She softly rubbed his back, making tiny circles on his little onesie, soothing him to sleep, her hands warm against him.

It was crazy how much she loved touching her babies. She always wanted to be holding them, and that attachment just grew stronger by the day. She knew it would only make letting go off them every morning, more difficult. But right now she didn't care.

She had waited all day to come home to her angels and she was going to make the most of it.

It had been 45 minutes since Rick left Kate with the kids in their bedroom and she was till upstairs.

He had been waiting for her to come downstairs after putting Nate to sleep, so that they could have dinner together. He went back upstairs in search of her.

On opening their bedroom door, he found Kate lying on their bed, on her side, facing the tiny little babes that she had placed beside her. Nate lying closest to her and Jo on his other side. Kate's hand was outstretched over them and she was lightly tracing Jo's cheek, staring at them in complete wonder and awe.

The sleeping babies, completely oblivious to the amount of love pouring out from their mommy's gaze over them. But they could surely feel it, he thought to himself.

Rick walked in and stood at the foot of the bed.

"I thought I had put one of them in the cradle. Did I miss her first steps?"

Kate chuckled softly and then looked at him "I'm sorry, I just needed this… so I took her out of the cradle too. But don't worry, I didn't disturb her sleep"

"I can see that. She's completely out. Both of them are"

"It didn't take long for Nate to fall asleep"

"That's because you were here. He was just not willing to fall asleep when I tried. He kept trying to say things to me. He's going to be the talkative one from the two I think"

Kate turned to look at Nate, then back at Rick "Just like you"

"Hey!"

"Shhh"

Rick stood there for a moment, and watched Kate kiss both of her children goodnight. She then got off the bed and carefully picked Jo in her arms and took her to the cradle. Rick followed her and placed Nate in the cradle beside hers.

Rick put his arm around Kate's shoulder and she wound her arm around his waist and he said "Come on, dinners ready. I'm surprised I can't hear your tummy growling. You must be hungry."

She chuckled and leaned her head against him.

"I am. Come on"