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Post by Jen on Jan 16, 2005 23:11:32 GMT -5
When the alarm clock buzzed early the next morning, Gus rolled over and hit it to stop the dreadful noise but stayed on his stomach, with his face down in the pillow. Harley stirred and rolled onto her back, opening her eyes, hoping the noise didn't wake up the baby. When she didn't hear any screaming, she let her heavy eyelids close again. She stirred again about fifteen minutes later and noticed that Gus had fallen back asleep. She rolled onto her side and rubbed her hand up and down his back as she nuzzled into his neck.
“Gus, sweetie, you have to get up," she said quietly as she kissed his cheek. Gus groaned in response and she continued to rub his back. "Come on, you already slept in. I told you not to stay up with her last night," she added as she laid back down. "I'm calling in sick," he mumbled.
"You can't call in sick and you know it. Get up," she replied as she poked at his side.
"What will you do if I don't?" he teased.
"Torture you. Mercilessly," she answered.
"Will you use the cuffs?" he asked.
"Would you get up?" she laughed.
"Alright, alright," he sighed as he leaned over and kissed her then finally got out of bed.
On his way to the bathroom, he stopped and kissed Katie good morning and eventually pulled himself away to get a quick shower. When he came back into the bedroom in a towel, Harley had Katie in bed with her, feeding her. He crawled into the bed beside them and kissed Katie on the top of her head then kissed Harley on the lips. "I should have taken a few days off. I just want to stay home with my girls," he said. "Your girls will be here when you get home. Someone needs to be the breadwinner until I can go back," Harley smiled as she put Katie over her shoulder to burp her. "What are you going to do all day?" he asked.
"That depends on what she does all day," Harley answered. "If she sleeps, I'll probably try to get some cleaning done. If she's crabby, I'll be pulling my hair out by the time you get home," she teased.
"Do you want me to get Zach up and take him to his playgroup? I can go in a little late," Gus offered as he got out bed and put on a pair of pants. "No, go in now so you can get home sooner," she replied. "We're going to lay here for a little while until she falls asleep, then I'm going to get Zach up and ready and get myself then Katie ready so we can go for a little car ride."
"Okay," Gus replied and headed back into the bathroom to finish getting ready. "I guess you won't have to worry about getting Zach awake," Gus observed a few minutes later when they heard him running down the hallway towards their bedroom followed by a quiet knock on the door. "Come in, Zach," Gus called out and Zach rushed into the room and jumped on the bed beside Harley.
"Good morning sweetheart, what are you doing up so early?" Harley asked as she kissed him. "I don't know," he shrugged, "I just woke up. Did Katie cry last night?" he asked after a long pause. "Yeah, a little bit. Why, did she wake you up?" Gus asked as he buttoned up his shirt and searched for a tie. "No," he answered. "But Cameron told me his little sister cries all the time and she's so loud at night that he can't sleep. But my sissy isn't loud," he said proudly as he played with Katie's toes. "No, not yet she hasn't been too loud," Harley said as she finished burping Katie and laid her down in front of her. "Morning sissy," Zach whispered as he bent over and kissed her cheek. "You are such a good big brother," Harley gushed as she pulled Zach to her side and kissed the top of his head. Zach looked up at her and beamed, then looked down at Katie and started talking to her as she looked up at him with bright eyes.
"Mommy says I'm a good brother, so I'm gonna teach you a whole bunch of stuff. And me and Daddy are going to teach you how to play baseball, huh Daddy?" Zach asked as he looked up at Gus. "Absolutely," Gus smiled.
"And I'll teach you how to ride a bike, cause I can ride a two- wheeler all by myself. And I'll even teach you how to get seconds on desserts from Daddy," he whispered then giggled. "Well it's not going to work now that Mommy knows!" Gus teased as he joined them on the bed. "Oops," Zach said, covering his mouth, giggling. "Daddy, are you going to work?"
"Yep. Unfortunately, I have to," Gus answered as he looked at his watch. "And if I don't go now, I will be late."
"I love you, I love you," he said as he kissed Katie and Zach. "And I really love you," he added as he kissed Harley. Gus tried to break the kiss, but Harley pulled him closer and continued the kiss a little longer, "I love you too," she replied. "Call me if you get bored," Gus said as he grabbed his jacket and headed out of the room. "Bye honey," Harley called out. "Bye Daddy," Zach added and Gus came back to the doorway and blew them both kisses. "How about we get you dressed since you're awake while Katie is being good. And then after I get ready too, if we have time, I'll make you some pancakes for breakfast," Harley suggested. "But I only like Daddy's pancakes. Can we have French Toast instead? You make better French Toast." "Alright, French Toast it is, but only if we have time," Harley agreed as she laid Katie in her bassinet, turned the baby monitor on and took the other one to Zach’s room to get him ready.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Later that morning, while Zach was at his playgroup and Katie was sound asleep, Harley took a moment for herself and sprawled out on the couch. She had just closed her eyes when the phone rang.
“Hello?” she answered after she grabbed it before the ringing woke Katie.
“Hey baby,” Gus said on the other end.
“Hello…for the fourth time this morning,” she teased. “I thought you were supposed to be working.”
“I am working, I was just checking on my girls,” he replied.
“Your girls are fine. Katie just went back to sleep and I just laid down on the couch myself.”
“I’m sorry, did I wake you up?”
“No, it’s fine,” she answered. “And sweetie, you know I love you and love when you call to see what I’m up to and stuff, but I would love it even more if you would do work instead of calling so you could get home faster.”
“I can do work and talk to you at the same time!” he argued. “But fine, if you don’t want me to call you, I won’t. I’ll see you in a few hours,” he added with a hint of annoyance.
“Gus, honey don’t do that, you know what I mean,” she countered.
“I’m sorry, I’m just tired and I really wish I was at home. I talked to Franklin and we decided that I can do most of my paperwork at home, so I can spend more time with you and the kids,” he replied.
“That’s great sweetie. It is weird not to be with you all the time and all Katie does is sleep so I’m really bored here all by myself.”
“Well, I should be done here in like an hour, so I will pick up Zach on my way home and then we can all have lunch together,” Gus suggested.
“Sounds good. Why don’t you pick up a pizza on the way home? We can have that for lunch,” she replied.
“I can do that. Any special requests?”
“Nope.”
“Okay, kiss Katie for me and you can just imagine the kiss I will give you when I get home,” he teased.
“Can’t wait,” she smiled.
“I’ll see you in a little bit. I love you,” Gus said and she replied before they both hung up and Gus went back to his work.
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Post by Jen on Jan 16, 2005 23:13:40 GMT -5
“Oh! Hold on!” Harley said as she rushed down the stairs to answer the door before the doorbell woke up Katie. She had just put the baby down in her and Gus’s bedroom and was hoping to get a little nap in herself when she was interrupted by the door. She grabbed the baby monitor and ran downstairs, hoping to get rid of whoever it was.
When she opened the door, she did not expect to see the person on the other side.
“John, hi,” she greeted and he smiled shyly.
“Hi, am I interrupting?” he asked.
“No, no come on in,” she offered and welcomed him into the living room.
“I’m sorry for just dropping by like this, I was just hoping I could see Katie for a few minutes,” he said.
“Oh of course, she’s upstairs, but I will go get her. Make yourself at home,” Harley replied and rushed back upstairs.
“Come on sweetie, Grandpa’s here and wants to see you,” she said quietly then picked Katie up out of her bassinet and headed back downstairs.
“Uh, Gus is at the station, but he should be home soon,” Harley said as she returned to the living room and handed John the baby.
“Oh, okay,” he replied absently as he stared down at his granddaughter.
“Are you sure I’m not interrupting?” he asked again.
“I’m sure, I’m glad you stopped by. Gus and I both want you to be a part of Katie’s life,” she assured him.
“Really? I mean, I wouldn’t blame Gus if he wanted nothing to do with me,” he replied regrettably.
“Well, I’ll be honest with you, Gus still is upset over what happened, and he’s not really sure how things will be between the two of you, but he wants our daughter to know her grandfather. We both do. I don’t think you really understand how much you meant to Gus.”
“What do you mean?” John asked.
“He idolized you. He spent most of his life trying to avenge your death. He didn’t do it the right way, but his heart was in the right place. You were his every thought, your death is what made him wake up in the morning. He became a cop because of you. Everything he does as a father and a husband is his way of honoring what he thought was your memory. To find out after twenty years that you chose to leave him…that was devastating to him. It’s going to take him a while to work through everything he is feeling, but he will,” she explained.
“How is he?” John asked. “I mean…is he good to you?”
“He is…amazing,” Harley smiled. “Really, he is. He is a great husband and a great father to Katie and to Zach and Susan. You should be very proud of him.”
“You know, as a parent, all you really want is for them to be happy and healthy and good people,” John said.
“I know,” she nodded. “Well, he is a good man, and I think he’s happy and I did break him of that stupid smoking habit, so he’s almost healthy,” she laughed.
“I think he’s very happy. He never stops talking about you. He really adores you," John said.
"Well, the feeling is mutual," Harley smiled. “So, have you had a lot of visitors?” John asked as Katie opened her eyes. “Hey beautiful,” he smiled down at her when he felt her move in his arms.
“My dad and Frank were over last night with Amanda and Marina, but we have some people coming tonight. We appreciated the quiet last night though,” she answered.
“Did she sleep well?” he asked.
“Well, I think so. She woke up around two and Gus fed her but I fell back asleep. When I woke up around four he was still up with her, but said she fell right back to sleep after her bottle,” Harley explained.
“Just couldn’t put her down, huh?”
“No, he couldn’t. It’s actually very sweet, until he didn’t want to wake up this morning.”
“Well, I was the same way with him. Give him a few days to adjust to having this gorgeous little girl in his arms. Or make him change all the dirty diapers- he’ll get over it soon,” John teased as the front foor opened and Zach bounded into the living room with Gus following him.
“Hi sweetheart,” Harley greeted her son as he jumped up onto the couch beside her and she helped him take his coat off. “How was your play group?”
“Good,” he answered and snuggled into her lap.
“How are my girls?” Gus asked after he put his coat in the closet and came into the living room. “Hi,” he greeted John with a pat on his shoulder then leaned down and kissed Katie. “She’s so gorgeous,” he sighed.
“I hope you don’t mind me dropping by,” John said quickly.
“Not at all. I’m glad you’re here, you hungry?” he asked as he set the pizza on the coffee table. “As soon as I kiss my wife, I’ll go get some plates,” he continued then pulled off his jacket and tie and sat down beside Harley.
“Hey baby,” he greeted and kissed her cheek as he put his arm around her. “Close your eyes, Zach,” he instructed.
“Why?” he asked and Gus covered his eyes with his hand then kissed Harley deeply.
Zach wrestled Gus’s hand off of his face and giggled as Gus put his hands on Harley’s face as he kissed her.
“Wow, you did miss me, didn’t you,” she teased after they broke the kiss.
“You have no idea,” he smiled and kissed her quickly. “Alright, drinks? Zach what do you want to drink?” he asked.
“Kool-aid!” Zach answered.
“Honey?”
“Water.”
“John? We have water, tea, milk, coffee, Mountain Dew, beer…”
“Mountain Dew,” John answered and Harley laughed.
“So that’s where he gets it from,” she teased as she pinched Gus’s side.
“Yeah, see, so when Katie is addicted to it too, you can blame him,” Gus replied and the room suddenly got quiet. “Okay, kool-aid, water and a dew,” he said then went into the kitchen.
When he opened up the freezer to get ice, an envelope of pictures fell and he leaned over to pick them up. He flipped through them and saw that they were pictures from the hospital on Thanksgiving. He got to a picture of Harley holding Katie over her shoulder, looking over at him, smiling and a huge smile crossed his face as he ran his fingers over the picture. He stuck the picture to the refrigerator and got the drinks out as he heard the baby start crying. While he was pouring the drinks, Harley came in and grabbed an empty bottle for Katie.
“John is getting his first taste of hungry baby in thirty years,” she teased as Katie’s cry turned into a scream and she dumped some formula into the bottle then passed it to Gus who was ready to fill it with water.
“Are you really okay with him being here?” she asked.
“Yeah, I really am,” he answered as he shook the bottle. “I want Katie to know him – I want to know him.”
Harley smiled and hugged him, “I’m very proud of you,” she said as she looked up at him lovingly. “I know how hard this has been on you, but you’re doing the right thing.”
“Yeah, just so you know you’re stuck with me through all of this – like it or not,” he warned.
“There’s no one I’d rather be stuck with,” she replied and he leaned down and kissed her before squeezing her in another embrace.
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Post by Jen on Jan 16, 2005 23:14:04 GMT -5
They stood together in silence, enjoying the rest until they heard Katie let out another piercing scream.
“I’ll take this out be right back,” Gus said and took the bottle into the living room.
“Do you want to feed her?” he asked and held the bottle out to John.
“No, why don’t you? I hear it’s your favorite part,” John replied and stood up to put Katie in Gus’s arms.
Gus smiled as Katie settled against his chest and he gave her the bottle, “Thanks,” he said as held out the envelope of pictures. “Pictures from Thursday,” he added and John took them from him. “Come on Zach, let’s eat in the kitchen,” he said and Zach ran into the other room.
“I’ll get the pizza,” John said and Gus followed him into the kitchen.
“This is a great picture,” John said as he opened the envelope and saw the picture Gus had put up on the refrigerator.
“Aren’t my girls beautiful?” Gus smiled as he kissed Harley’s cheek and she went over to see the picture.
“Oh I look horrible,” she laughed. “I have no make-up on and I just gave birth.”
“I know, and you’re gorgeous,” he repeated and she smiled at him as she helped Zach get settled in his chair.
“John, please help yourself,” Harley said as she sat between Zach and Gus.
“I’m fine,” he declined, not wanting to impose anymore than he already had.
“You working tonight?” Gus asked and John nodded, “then you have to eat. Sit down,” he instructed and John had to hold back a smile as he sat next to Zach.
“So, anything interesting going on at the station?” he asked as Harley put a piece of pizza on a plate and pushed it over to him.
“Not really. I was just meeting with Franklin and getting ahead on some paperwork so I can spend more time at home the next few weeks,” Gus replied as the doorbell rang. “Who’s that?” he asked.
“I have no idea,” Harley replied as she wiped her mouth then went to get the door.
When she opened the front door, she was bombarded by three little kids who ran past her legs and looked up at their mothers.
“Hi,” Blake said innocently.
“We thought we’d come this afternoon so you can have a quiet evening,” Cassie added. Are we interrupting?”
“No, we were just having lunch, come on in,” Harley said and they followed her into the kitchen with Clarissa, RJ and Will.
“Hello ladies,” Gus greeted when he saw who their guests were.
“Hi,” they both said then gushed over the baby in his arms.
“She’s almost done eating, then you can have her,” Gus said and they backed off so he could finish feeding her.
“Pictures?” John offered and held out the envelope for them.
“You guys remember John, right?” Harley asked and they nodded.
“Blake and Cassie, right?” he asked.
“You got it,” Blake replied then gave Harley a questioning look.
“Do you guys want to see the nursery?” Harley asked and they nodded before following her upstairs.
“Is he Gus’s partner now?” Blake asked.
“No…ugh, it’s a really long story, come on,” Harley replied and opened the door to Katie’s room.
“Wow. This is beautiful,” Cassie breathed. “When did you do this? I thought it wasn’t done before she was born.”
“It wasn’t. Gus did it Thursday night,” Harley answered.
“He did a fabulous job,” Blake agreed. “Now, what’s the long story?” she asked, always ready for gossip.
Harley sighed. “Alright, John is…well, he’s Gus’s father,” she finally said.
“What?” Cassie and Blake both asked in unison.
“Yeah, Joe August faked his death and went into Witness Protection and now he’s back.”
“Oh my god, are you sure it’s him?” Blake asked.
“That’s what the blood tests say,” Harley nodded.
“I can’t believe this,” Blake breathed.
“How is Gus taking all of this? How long has he known?” Cassie asked.
“Umm. We found out the end of August, and Gus did not take it well at all. But they talked at the hospital after Katie was born and they’re working through it. Gus wants him to be a part of Katie’s life and all of our lives. But it’s hard, you know?”
“This is unbelievable!” Blake replied.
“Yeah, no kidding. So that’s why he’s here. I could tell you were both wondering,” Harley laughed.
“Well, this is good right?” Cassie asked.
“Yeah, I think it’s really good,” Harley nodded and they went back downstairs.
When they got back to the kitchen, Katie was fed and Zach was begging Gus to take the kids outside to play on the swings.
“Who wants her first?” Gus asked and Blake reached for the baby. “Go get your coat, I’ll take you out for a little while,” he told Zach who went running for the living room.
“You haven’t seen the backyard yet, have you John?” Harley asked as she sat back down.
“No…” he replied.
“Gus built a huge swing set for Zach and a bench swing for us,” she added.
“No kidding?”
“I’m serious, he’s becoming very domestic,” she teased as Gus and Zach came back into the kitchen all bundled up.
“I’m not becoming domestic,” he argued. “What are you talking about?”
“The swing set.”
“Oh. Hey, I’m pretty proud of that. You didn’t think I could do it,” he replied.
“I know and you proved me wrong,” she nodded.
“I love when I can do that,” he teased to John. “You coming out with us?” he asked.
“Sure, let me get my coat,” John answered and went in the living room to get his coat, then joined Gus and the kids in the backyard.
“It looks great, Gus,” John said when he saw swing set.
“Thanks, check this out,” he replied as he headed over to the bench swing. “I put Zach and Susan’s handprints on stones,” he pointed out. “I’m doing another one of Katie’s hand and footprints for Harley for Christmas.”
“She’ll love that,” John smiled. “You have some more blank stones there. Do you think you two will have more kids?” he asked.
“Oh...wow, I haven’t even thought about that,” Gus laughed. “I don’t know. We had a pretty hard time getting Katie, so another one…”
“Didn’t mean to pressure you,” John laughed. “So, how are you doing?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean…with everything. Being a father and a husband and everything else.”
“I think I’m doing pretty good. I mean, it’s only been two days, so I guess we’ll see how well I’m really doing in a month or two,” Gus laughed. “It’s pretty amazing though, isn’t it? Being a parent.”
“Yes, it is,” John nodded and the two stood in an understanding silence until the kids were ready to go back inside.
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“Are you going to sleep tonight?” Harley asked as she and Gus crawled into bed later that night after Katie was asleep.
“Oh yeah, ‘cause you’re getting up with her tonight,” he teased and she laughed as she snuggled into his chest.
“So it was nice having John here today, wasn’t it?” she asked cautiously.
“Yeah, it was,” he answered. “He asked me if we were going to have any more kids.”
“Really?”
“Yeah…I told him we hadn’t even begun to think about that yet,” he replied.
“Yeah, I think it’s a little soon to talk about that,” Harley agreed. “But we can talk about it…in a few months, maybe,” she added.
“Yeah…” he said and kissed her forehead.
Harley smiled and rolled over so that she was on top of him, “We do make beautiful babies,” she said.
“We sure do,” he nodded and ran his fingers through her hair. “I love you,” he said then kissed her deeply.
“I love you too, Gus,” she replied after they broke the kiss and she settled back into his arms for the night.
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Post by Jen on Jan 24, 2005 23:03:21 GMT -5
The week before Christmas…
“I give up,” Harley said, frustrated, “Let’s go downstairs and hope Daddy gets home soon.”
Katie had refused to fall asleep all morning long and Gus had been at the station since noon the day before, working on a case, so Harley had been up with the baby by herself all night.
As she was walking down the stairs, the front door opened and Gus and John walked in.
“Hey baby,” Gus greeted as he met them at the bottom of the stairs with a kiss for each of them.
“Hi,” she replied, “Hi John. You guys done for the day?” she asked.
“Yes, finally,” Gus answered.
“Good, then I’m going to take a shower. Take your crabby daughter, please,” Harley said and Gus quickly shrugged off his coat and suit jacket before he took Katie in his arms.
“Are you okay?” he asked Harley.
“Yeah, I’m just tired and I know you are too, but if you could watch her so I can get a shower.”
“Of course,” Gus said as he kissed her forehead.
“I’ll be back down in a little bit,” she said, then turned and made her way back up the stairs.
“Take your time,” Gus said, “Hey, does Zach need picked up?” he asked.
“No, Phillip is getting him, but he’s bringing him here.”
“Okay,” Gus replied then took Katie into the living room and joined John.
“So what’s wrong, babygirl, you don’t want to go to sleep for Mommy? Did you miss me? Cause I missed you,” he said as he kissed her cheek and she stared up at him and yawned.
“Does she sleep good usually?” John asked as he sat down on the couch.
“Yeah, usually. She gets up a few times during the night, but it’s not unbearable. We usually take turns getting up with her though, so Harley was probably up most of the night,” Gus answered as the doorbell rang and he turned to open the door, where Phillip and Zach were on the other side.
“Hi Daddy!” Zach exclaimed when he saw Gus and ran right to him for a hug.
Gus crouched down on the floor with Katie still in his arms and hugged Zach.
“Hey buddy, how was your last day of school?” he asked.
“We had a party!” Zach answered excitedly.
“You did?”
“Yeah, I got lots of cool stuff,” Zach replied. “Hi sissy,” he greeted Katie with a kiss on her head- he loved doting on his little sister- then he went over and put his coat and backpack on the couch by John, whom he knew well and immediately began a conversation with.
“Thanks for picking him up. I just got home a couple of minutes ago,” Gus told Phillip.
“It was no problem. I’m going out of town this weekend- we’re going skiing, but I’ll pick him up Monday night?” Phillip asked.
“Yeah, that’s fine. I’m sure we’ll be here all night,” Gus replied.
“Good. Zach, come here and give me a hug,” Phillip said and Zach came over and jumped in his arms. “I’ll see you Monday night, okay? I love you.”
“I love you too,” Zach replied with a hug then jumped down and went back to show John all the stuff he brought home from school.
“Where’s Mommy?” he asked when Gus sat down to rock Katie.
“She’s taking a shower,” Gus answered. “So what did you do at this party?” he asked.
“We played games and Santa was there!”
“He was? Did he bring you a gift?” Gus asked.
“Yeah, I got this for my Leapster,” Zach replied as he held out a small cartridge. “Can I play with it now?”
“Sure. Do you know where your Leapster is?” Gus asked and Zach nodded as he went over to the entertainment center and pulled out the game.
“What’s a Leapster?” John asked Gus while Zach fumbled with the new cartridge.
“You know the Leap Pad things for kids? It helps them learn how to read and do math and stuff. This is kind of the same thing, except it doesn’t use books- everything’s on the little computer. We got him one for his birthday,” Gus explained.
“And look- it’s for first graders!” Zach exclaimed proudly.
“But you’re only in Kindergarten,” John replied.
“Well this way, he can be all ready for first grade next year, huh Zach?” Gus asked.
“Yeah,” he replied, thoroughly absorbed in his new toy.
“I’ll be right back,” Gus said then went upstairs and into their bedroom. “Honey,” he called out as he walked into the bathroom and saw her in the tub taking a bath.
“You okay?” he asked as he sat on the edge of the tub and took her hand that was hanging over the side in his.
“Yeah, I’m just really tired,” she answered with a weak smile.
“I’m sorry. I should have been home last night,” he apologized.
“No, you were working, it’s fine,” she replied and pulled their hands to her mouth and kissed his. “I missed you though.”
“I missed you too,” he smiled.
“Was that Phillip with Zach? I heard the doorbell,” she asked.
“Yep. He’s home and thrilled with the gift Santa brought him,” he winked.
“You did good…Santa,” she teased as Katie started crying again.
“She hungry?” he asked.
“Yeah probably. Or will be soon at least,” Harley answered.
“Alright, I’ll go feed her. Take your time,” he said and she sat up to kiss him before he took Katie back downstairs and into the kitchen to get her a bottle.
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Post by Jen on Jan 24, 2005 23:04:09 GMT -5
“I wanna feed Sissy!" Zach exclaimed when he saw Gus come into the living room carrying Katie and a bottle.
"Alright, come over here," Gus said as he sat down on the couch and Zach crawled up beside him.
He laid Katie in Zach's open arms and reminded him to support her head and helped him get Katie to take the bottle. After she drank her milk for a few minutes, Zach looked up at Gus and beamed. Gus kissed the top of his head as Harley and Susan came down the stairs into the living room.
"Susan, if you want to invite your new boyfriend to one of our dysfunctional family gatherings, he's more than welcome here Christmas Day," Harley said as she collapsed in a chair, enjoying the rest that came when both children were occupied.
"Don't worry Sus, they didn't scare me away," Gus said.
"That's because you're crazier than we are," Harley replied.
"Oh baby, I just love it when you sweet talk me," Gus teased as he crawled off the couch and attacked her neck with kisses.
"Oh god," Susan groaned.
Harley laughed and playfully pushed him off of her, "Get back over there," she said and after he pouted, she gave him a kiss and pushed him off again.
"Look Mommy, I'm feeding Sissy," Zach said proudly.
"I see that. You're doing such a great job, baby," she replied with a smile.
"So Sus, what's this new boyfriend's name and why haven't we met him yet?" Gus asked.
"His name is Marcus," she answered, although only one part of his question.
"And we haven't met him because…?" he asked again.
"Because she's horribly embarrassed by our public displays of affection?" Harley guessed.
Susan laughed, "No. Well, there are some times I think you guys should walk around with a PG-13 rating around your necks, but I just haven't brought him by because we haven't really gone out on any dates where he came to pick me up. We've done a lot of group stuff or we just went to dinner after classes. It's nothing personal. You'll get to meet him on Christmas."
"I can't wait. My first chance to be the threatening step-father," Gus teased and Susan shot him a dirty look.
"You better not. Mom, make sure he leaves his gun upstairs," she replied and Harley laughed.
"He'll behave himself," Harley assured her as Gus reached for Katie and burped her.
When he tried to give her back to Zach, he thrust the bottle in Gus's face.
"I'm done," he said and got off the couch to play with his toys.
"The novelty wears off quickly," Harley told John who laughed.
"Can I finish feeding her then?" he asked and Gus passed Katie and her bottle over to him then pulled Harley out of her chair and onto the couch beside him.
“I’m going to Jessica’s,” Susan said and got her coat on. “I’ll be back for dinner,” she added then left.
Gus and Harley waved goodbye and settled into the couch while Zach played in the corner and John fed Katie. They both let out a sigh at the same time, grateful for the break, no matter how small it would end up being.
"Let's run away, maybe they won't notice we're gone," Gus whispered into Harley's ear, followed by a few sucking kisses to the sensitive skin below it.
"I doubt it," she laughed.
"I missed you today," Gus said quietly as she cuddled into his arms. "I cannot wait until you're back by my side at work."
"Me too," she nodded. "I miss it, I miss working with you."
"I miss doing a lot of things with you," he whispered as he went for her neck again.
"Soon, baby," she replied as she lifted his head up to hers and kissed him.
“Why don’t you two go upstairs and take a nap? I can watch Zach and the baby,” John offered.
“No, we’re fine,” Harley replied.
“No, come on. Gus hasn’t slept in 36 hours, you were up with the baby. Listen to me, take advantage of this and go take a nap,” he insisted.
“You’ve been up all night too,” Gus argued.
“Yes, but I’m not going to have to get up with a baby all night. She’ll be asleep in a few minutes anyways and Zach and I will play a game or watch a movie, right Zach?”
“Yeah!” Zach exclaimed.
“Okay, but when you’re ready to go, just come get us,” Gus said.
“No, you guys sleep and whenever you wake up, that will be fine. I don’t care if it’s not until seven o’clock. I think we could find something for dinner,” he teased. “Go sleep, please.”
“Thank you,” Harley said as she kissed John’s cheek, then kissed Katie before taking Gus’s hand and leading him up to their bedroom.
“Do you think this is okay?” Gus asked as Harley crashed on their bed.
“What?”
“Us leaving Katie and Zach with John while we sleep.”
“Yeah, sure. He offered. Why? Do you not trust him?” she asked.
“No, it’s not that, I just feel bad,” he shrugged and she pulled him down next to her.
“Honey, you’re new at this. You’ll quickly learn that when you have an infant and a chance to sleep, you take it.”
“You’re right. Let’s get some sleep. But can we fool around a little first?” he asked playfully.
“No!” she laughed and he ran his hand up under her shirt. “Well, maybe just a little,” she submitted and crashed her lips onto his.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Two hours later, Harley woke up and snuggled in closer to Gus when she saw that he was still sleeping. She had just closed her eyes again when she felt his fingers pressing into her side. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, his eyes open and smiling down at her.
“Hi,” he said. “Nice nap.”
“Yeah, it was,” she replied and kissed him.
“Should we go back downstairs?” he asked.
“No, let’s just lay here for awhile,” she shook her head.
“Okay,” he agreed and kissed her forehead.
After about a half hour, they finally got up and went back downstairs. When they got to the living room, they saw Katie asleep in her bassinet and Zach out on the couch beside John who was watching a football game and struggling to keep his eyes open.
“Looks like it’s nap time for everyone,” Gus said quietly as he sat in the chair next to the couch and Harley went to check on Katie.
“Did you guys get some sleep?” John asked.
“Yes, thank you so much,” Harley answered as she sat in Gus’s lap. “How were they?” she asked.
“Perfect little angels. Katie went right to sleep and Zach fell asleep while we were watching a movie,” John replied.
“Well, thank you again,” Harley repeated.
“Anytime,” he said. “And I mean that. If you ever need a sitter, please call me.”
“Okay,” Harley smiled.
“Alright, I’m going to go home and take my nap now,” he teased and Gus got up to walk him to the door.
“Thanks,” he said as John put his coat on.
“Sure, have a good night,” John replied and opened the door.
“Oh!” came the surprised voice of Blake Marler who was on the other side of the door with Ross.
“Hi Blake, Ross,” John greeted.
“Hi John,” Blake replied.
“Hey guys, come on in,” Gus said as he peeked out from behind John and they joined Harley in the living room.
“Hey,” Harley greeted as she sat beside Zach on the couch and pulled him into her lap as Gus joined her on the couch.
“Can I hold her?” Blake asked and Harley nodded so she picked Katie up out of her bassinet.
“What’s up?” Harley asked.
“Well, we brought you guys something,” Ross began.
“And we are taking something from you,” Blake added.
“What?” Gus asked, confused.
“We got you two tickets to the Nutcracker tomorrow night,” Ross answered.
“And we’re watching the kids,” Blake finished.
“You guys…” Harley began, shaking her head.
“No, we don’t want to hear it,” Blake interrupted. “We’re coming to get these two at three and then you two are going to relax, then get all dressed up and go to dinner, followed by the ballet and then…”
“A night at the Springfield Inn,” Ross continued.
“No…” Harley argued.
“Yes! Harley Aitoro, don’t you dare argue with me,” Blake protested, “You two need a night out and alone.
“Honey, what did you just tell me? You get chance for someone else to watch the kids, you take it,” Gus said. “Thank you guys, but we’re paying you for the tickets and the room.”
“No you’re not,” Ross replied quickly. “It’s an early Christmas gift. But you do have to pay for your own dinner,” he teased.
“Deal,” Gus laughed and shook Ross’s hand.
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Post by Jen on Feb 10, 2005 20:56:12 GMT -5
“Ugh, go away!” Harley whispered as she continued rubbing Katie’s back while she got up to answer the door.
It was the first Saturday in a while that Zach didn’t have something to be at or Gus didn’t have to work and she was looking forward to spending the day relaxing and with her husband and kids until Blake and Ross picked them up that afternoon.
“Blake,” she sighed when she opened the door and saw her on the other side. “You’re a little early,” she added as she walked back into the living room and Blake followed her.
“I know. What are you wearing tonight?” Blake asked.
“What?” Harley asked confused as she sat back down. “I don’t know…something from my closet I guess.”
“Uh no. This is your first night out with your husband since Katie was born, you can’t just pull an old rag out of the closet!”
“I don’t have any old rags. You know I’m not a big cleaner,” Harley teased.
“Where’s Gus and Zach?” Blake asked, rolling her eyes at the lame joke.
“They’re still sleeping.”
“Great. Then why don’t you get Katie ready, I see you’re already showered and dressed, get her all bundled up and get the stroller out- we’ll take her on her first shopping extravaganza. Let Gus and Zach sleep,” Blake suggested.
“Oh Blake, I was really looking forward to not doing anything this morning,” Harley argued.
“Come on, it will be fun. Harley, we haven’t been out in so long!” Blake whined.
“I know…alright. Let me get her dressed and tell Gus. I’ll be back down in a few minutes,” she finally agreed and went upstairs with Katie.
She got Katie ready and packed a diaper bag before going into their bedroom and laying Katie in her bassinet before she crawled into bed beside Gus.
“I’m so glad you came back to bed,” he mumbled as he pulled her close and kissed her forehead.
“I’m not,” she said regrettably. “Blake is downstairs. We’re going to go shopping and we’re taking Katie. That okay?”
“Yeah, sure. You can leave Katie here though, so you can have a break,” he said, hugging her.
“That’s okay. I want to get her started on shopping early,” she teased and Gus laughed. “Zach is still asleep. But don’t let him sleep too late, I don’t want him to be wired for Blake and Ross tonight.”
“Okay. Have fun. Don’t go crazy with the credit cards,” he warned.
“I won’t,” she smiled and kissed him. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” he replied before she picked up Katie and left the room.
“Alright, I just have to get her in her car seat,” Harley said as she got back to the living room.
“Yay!” Blake exclaimed and in a matter of minutes, they were headed to the mall.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Look at her. I think she likes it- she’s smiling!” Blake said when Harley came out of a dressing room later that morning.
“She’s not smiling, she’s only three weeks old,” Harley rolled her eyes.
“Well, at least she’s not crying,” Blake replied.
“That’s true,” Harley laughed. “Well, Mommy likes it and I think Daddy will too,” she added as she turned around and surveyed the dress in the three way mirror.
“And Aunt Blake is disgusted by the fact that Mommy just had a baby three weeks ago and can look that hot in that dress!” Blake sighed.
“Okay, enough with the third person. I do look pretty hot, don’t I?” she smiled and ran her hands down the sides of the dress. It was a black cocktail dress with a tiered, asymmetrical hem. The delicate spaghetti straps complimented the feminine, red and silver floral print that cascaded down the dress. “And I love the price!” she practically squealed when she saw it was on sale.
Blake got up and looked at the price tag and groaned, “You are so lucky – you always find the sales and everything looks great on you. Only the obscenely priced stuff looks good on me.”
“You just like to spend Ross’s money,” Harley teased.
“Well, that too,” Blake replied with a sly smile and Harley went back into the dressing room.
The second Harley disappeared, Katie started crying.
“You jinxed us!” Harley said from inside.
“It’s not my fault she’s a mommy’s girl!”
“Her pacifier is in the side zipper of the diaper bag, give that to her,” she instructed and Katie quieted down after Blake gave her the pacifier, but she still whimpered.
“She’s not used to being awake and not being held,” Harley said when she came out with the dress in hand. “She’s so spoiled. But she probably needs changed so let’s get this and find a restroom.”
As they got in the back of the line, Katie spit her pacifier out and started screaming again, so Harley handed the dress to Blake and gave in, picking Katie up out of her stroller. Two seconds after settling into Harley’s arms and getting her pacifier back, she was silent again. After Harley paid for the dress, she flung it over the stroller and Blake pushed it out of the store.
“Alright, let’s get her changed and then I need accessories for this outfit, including shoes,” Harley said and it was Blake’s turn to squeal.
“You know how much I love shoe shopping!” she said and Harley laughed as they continued down the corridor of the mall.
Two hours later, Harley had new shoes, earrings, perfume, and lingerie to go with her new dress for the evening and she was ready to go home and spend some time with the rest of her family before Blake and Ross took the kids for the night.
“We’ll be back at three,” Blake said after she helped Harley bring all of her bags into the house and handed them off to her after Gus pulled the stroller away and scooped Katie up into his arms the second they walked in the door.
“Thanks Blake,” Harley said and Blake left the house.
“I’m so glad you guys are home,” Gus said as he settled into the couch with Katie snuggled into his chest. “We missed you,” he added as Harley kissed him quickly and he tried to peek into her bags. “What did you buy?”
“You’ll just have to wait until tonight,” she teased and he groaned while she took the bags upstairs.
The spent a quiet afternoon with the kids until Blake and Ross came to pick them up, then spent a few hours snuggled up on the couch in each other’s arms watching a movie until they had to get ready to go.
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Post by Jen on Feb 10, 2005 20:56:50 GMT -5
“Baby, come on, get dressed out here,” Gus from the bedroom through the bathroom door where Harley had locked herself in.
“No! I want you to see the whole thing at once,” she replied and Gus sighed before falling onto the bed.
He loved watching her get dressed – almost as much as he loved watching her get undressed. He loved to watch her walk around in slip, fixing her hair and putting on her jewelry. It was one of the few moments of the day where she was just Harley. She was just a soft, sexy woman getting ready for her day. It was a drastic contrast from the cop that was at the station or the mom who cleaned up after her kids and Gus enjoyed anytime he just got Harley.
"Harley, we have reservations!" Gus reminded her fifteen minutes later.
"I'm ready, keep your pants on," she yelled back and he scoffed as he backed away from the door.
"Are you ready?" she asked.
"Yeah," he answered as he turned towards the bed, "I'm dressed and I have the bag all packed."
"No, I mean are you ready for this?" she asked as he turned around and saw her standing in the doorway of the bathroom.
"Whooooo," he breathed and reached for her hand and she twirled around giving him a full view. "Baby, you look gorgeous," he said as he pulled her close and kissed her.
"You like?" she asked.
"Oh yeah," he nodded as he ran his hands over her body. "Can we skip dinner and the ballet and go straight to the hotel?" he asked quietly as he kissed her bare shoulder.
Harley laughed and wrapped her arms around him tighter, "I don't think so. I'll be right back, I just need to throw a few things in here," she said and grabbed the overnight bag off their bed before going back into the bathroom.
When she returned, he took the bag from her, took her hand and they headed downstairs. Susan had just gotten home and passed them on the stairs, grabbing Harley's other hand to stop her.
"Mom, you look hot!" she complimented. "Gus, you better hold onto her tight tonight, someone might steal her away," she teased.
"Not a chance," Harley said as Gus let go of her hand and went to get their coats.
"Seriously, you look amazing! I think somebody's gonna get lucky tonight," she added, raising her eyebrows.
"Well, that is the plan," Harley replied and kissed her cheek. "We're going to dinner at that new place by Towers, then the ballet, then the Springfield Inn. We both have our cells and Gus has his pager if we're at the show and can't have our phones on. Call if there is an emergency- and Blake and Ross have the numbers too. We're picking the kids up in the morning, then we'll be home."
"Okay, have a great time," Susan said and Harley went over to Gus who helped her with her coat. "Hey, is it okay if Marcus comes over tonight?" she asked and Harley looked back at Gus who raised his eyebrows.
"Yeah," she agreed. "But...not all night," she warned and Susan nodded.
"We're just watching a movie," she struggled not to roll her eyes.
"Uh huh," Gus said.
“Just…be responsible, okay?” Harley asked.
“Mom…”
Harley pulled away from Gus and joined Susan back at the staircase. “Sweetie, I’m not trying to be a nagging mother, I just want you to think things through before you act. I know what it’s like to be young and think you’re in love with this great guy…”
“Mom, I’m not in love with him,” Susan argued. “We’re not even officially dating. I promise you, we’re not having sex,” she assured Harley. “Besides, I don’t think the result of you thinking you were in love with Dylan was that bad.”
Harley laughed, “Of course not sweetie, and I wouldn’t trade having you for anything in this world, but I do wish I was older and more prepared for the responsibility that I was.”
“Mom, trust me, living with a newborn and a five-year-old is more than enough birth control for me,” Susan teased. “Now, would you guys get out of here? Enjoy your night off.”
“Listen to her,” Gus said from the door, waiting impatiently.
“Good night sweetie,” Harley said and kissed Susan’s cheek before Gus finally got her out of the house and they were on their way to dinner.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Your waitress this evening will be Alexis, she’ll be right with you. Enjoy your meal,” the hostess said after leading Gus and Harley to a small round booth.
“This place is awfully romantic,” Gus said as he observed the dim lights and close seating arrangement.
“I like it,” Harley replied as she slid her hand into Gus’ and squeezed it.
“I like it too,” he said as he kissed her neck. “I can kiss you without getting my tie in my plate,” he teased and she laughed as the waitress approached their table.
“Hi, my name is Alexis. Can I start you out with the wine list? Or champagne?” she asked and held out a menu for Gus who took it and looked over it.
“What do you want, babe?” Gus asked and Harley shrugged.
“Whatever you want to get.”
“Okay, we’ll take a bottle of the chardonnay,” Gus answered and handed the menu back to the waitress.
“That’s exactly what I was thinking!” Harley laughed.
“Why didn’t you say that?”
“Because I wanted to let you pick,” she said as she took his hand in hers.
“See, this is why we’re perfect for each other,” he replied with a smile.
The waitress smiled at them and excused herself, leaving them to look over their menus.
“So what are you going to get?” Gus asked.
“Hmmm…I think I’m going to get the grilled portabella mushrooms,” she answered.
“Mushrooms? That’s the meal?” he asked, his mouth watering for a big juicy steak.
“No, it comes with garlic mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus, carrots, and zucchini,” she replied. “Although, I was also thinking about lobster. But I think I’ll go with this. What about you?”
“Steak,” he answered quickly. He and Zach had a small lunch earlier that day before Harley and Katie got home and that was the last he had eaten – he was starving. “If I get the steak and lobster, will you eat some of the lobster?”
“Sure,” she nodded.
When the waitress came back, they ordered their meals and tasted the wine Gus had ordered.
“Good?” he asked.
“Very good,” she said and kissed him softly.
“Do you want to go dance?” he asked, motioning to the filled dance floor with his head.
“No, I want to talk to you about some things,” she answered.
“Uh oh.”
“Don’t uh oh,” she laughed, “it’s not bad. It’s just, you know with the baby and Zach and you working, by the time we’re actually alone we’re both too exhausted to talk much. And I miss talking to you,” she said as she put her hand on the back of his neck and ran her fingers through his hair.
“Me too,” he smiled, “What do you want to talk about.”
“Whatever you want,” she replied, “We can talk about work or Katie or John or…whatever.”
“Well, you obviously have something to say, so go ahead and say it,” he said, probing her.
“No, it’s nothing in particular, but you’ve been working a lot with John since I’ve been off and I was just wondering how you feel about that…”
“I love you,” he said and kissed her softly.
“I love you too,” she replied. “Talk to me.”
“I wasn’t trying to not talk to you. It’s…nice, okay?” he finally answered. “I mean, god my entire life I wished that I had a chance to work beside my father, but I thought that could never happen. And now it has, and it’s great. But…I’d still rather work with you,” he finished as he brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed her palm.
“You keep kissing me and we will be skipping the ballet,” she teased and he continued his kisses up her arm and finally his lips found hers in a gentle kiss.
“Is that a promise?” he asked when they broke the kiss and she smiled.
“Okay, new subject,” she said and he took a drink of his wine. “Remember what we talked about after Katie was born?”
“Hmmm, you’ll have to be more specific,” he answered.
“Well, we didn’t really talk about it, but I thought maybe we could now,” she replied and Gus waited for her to finish. “Us having another baby.”
“Oh, that subject, yeah I remember,” he nodded.
“Yeah, what do you think about that?” she asked.
“What do you think about it?”
“I asked you first,” she replied and laughed.
“Well…I love Katie, I mean I love being a father – to her and Zach and Susan, and you know I think of Susan and Zach as my kids, I love them like they were my own, but I love looking at Katie and knowing that she is a part of me,” he began and Harley nodded. “I loved going through all of that with you, getting pregnant, and then you being pregnant and the delivery and everything, and I would be so blessed if we had another child together. But, I am more than content with what we do have. I mean, I have a wife who I just love more than life itself and three amazing kids, I don’t need another baby to be happy. Okay, you go.”
“Okay…I would love to have another baby. Period. I would. I don’t care that I already have three kids, I don’t care that we would have three kids under the age of like six. I love having children and I love having them with you. I want another baby, I want us to have another baby,” she replied.
“Wow, you seem awfully determined,” he smiled.
“Well, I am, I guess. I mean, I realize that it may not happen, and if it doesn’t, I’m fine with that, but I would love to have another baby.”
“So, we’re going to try?” he asked.
“Well, maybe not yet, I would like Katie to be a little older. By summer maybe we start trying, I don’t want to wait too long, I mean I’m not getting any younger,” she replied. “But…we can start practicing tonight,” she added and kissed his neck.
“Now that sounds like a good idea,” he said quietly as the waitress brought their food to the table.
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Post by Jen on Feb 10, 2005 20:57:18 GMT -5
“Honey, I am so proud of you for not falling asleep!” Harley said as she slid her arm through Gus’ as they went out into the lobby for intermission.
“Hey, I can appreciate the ballet and still be masculine,” he replied.
“Yes, you can,” she nodded.
“Plus, I didn’t say I enjoyed it…” he added and she kissed his cheek.
“I’ll go get us something to drink, why don’t you stay here, it’s pretty crowded up there,” Gus said and he left her and pushed his way up to the bar.
Harley took the opportunity to call Blake and Ross to check on the kids while Gus was getting them drinks and Blake assured her that Katie was fast asleep already and Zach was happily watching a movie with Clarissa. When Zach figured out who Blake was talking to, he wanted to talk to Harley so Blake put him on.
“Hi Mommy,” he said and she could practically see him smile through the phone.
“Hi sweetie, are you having fun?” she asked.
“Uh huh! We’re watching a movie!”
“That’s what I heard. Why don’t you go back to the movie, okay? We’ll see you in the morning.”
“Okay Mommy.”
“Good night sweetie, I love you,” Harley said.
“I love you too,” he replied before they both hung up.
As she put her phone away, she smiled. She adored her children, and always missed them when they were away, but she was looking forward to a night alone with her husband.
“Harley?!” she heard off to her right and she turned to see who was calling her name.
“Oh my god, Julie?” she was shocked to see her former sister-in-law back in Springfield.
“How are you?” Julie asked as she hugged Harley.
“I’m great, how are you?” Harley asked. “What are you doing in Springfield?”
“I’m just here visiting my friend, this is Dana,” she introduced Harley to the girl who was with her.
“Where are you living now?” Harley asked.
“I’m in Florida with Tony,” she answered.
“Oh, cause last I heard you were in Canada…”
“Yeah, that didn’t really work out the way I hoped,” Julie said as Gus came up and handed Harley a martini.
“Here baby,” he said and put his arm around her. “Hi,” he said to the strangers talking to his wife.
“Oh sweetie, this is Julie Camaletti,” Harley introduced him and his eyes grew wide at the last name. “Mallet’s sister and her friend Dana. This is my husband, Gus.”
“Hi,” Julie and Gus both said in unison as they shook hands.
“I didn’t know you got married. That’s great. How long have you been married?” Julie asked.
“Two years in May,” Harley smiled and put her arm around Gus’s waist.
“That’s great, congratulations. Do you have any kids?”
“Yes, we actually just had a baby on Thanksgiving, her name is Katelyn,” Harley answered and both Julie and Dana cooed at the mention of a newborn.
“Aww! Do you have a picture?” Julie asked and Gus pulled out his wallet, always ready to show off the kids.
“That’s the most recent one of Katie, and there’s one with her, Zach and Susan,” Gus said.
“You know Susan, and Zach is my son from umm…a previous marriage. With Phillip Spaulding,” Harley explained.
“Really? Well, they are all beautiful,” Julie said and Dana nodded.
“Thank you,” Harley smiled. “So…how is Mallet?” she finally asked about the elephant in the room.
“He’s good,” Julie answered.
“Good,” Harley nodded as the light flickered. “Well, I guess that’s our cue. It was really nice to see you again.”
“You too and it was nice to meet you Gus,” Julie replied.
“Tell Mallet I said hello,” Harley said and Julie nodded before she and Dana went back to their seats.
“Well that was awkward,” Harley let out a breath and gulped her martini.
“Oh good, I thought I was the only one who was uncomfortable,” Gus laughed.
“I haven’t even talked to Mallet since the divorce, let alone his sister!”
“I know sweetie, come on, let’s go back to our seats,” Gus said and he led Harley back into the theater.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Gus pushed Harley’s hair away from her neck and placed soft kisses on her flesh as the elevator ascended to their floor.
“Gus…” she moaned quietly as he sucked on her neck and she turned around in his arms. “There are other people in here,” she whispered.
“So? Can’t I kiss my wife?” he asked and placed a soft kiss on her lips as the elevator doors opened and the other couple got off and they followed them.
“Here we go, room 342, aka Gus and Harley’s love nest for the next twelve hours,” he said as he slid the room key into the door and opened it.
“Sounds good to me,” Harley said as she stepped into the room and gasped.
There was a fire lit in the fireplace, lit candles all over the room and soft music playing on the radio.
“You spoil me, I swear,” she said as he tossed the bag into the closet and took Harley’s coat from her.
“I prefer to think of it as pampering, appreciating, loving,” he added as a whisper into her ear after he got rid of their coats.
“Will you dance with me now?” he asked and she nodded so he took her hand in his and pulled it to his chest and he wrapped his other arm around her.
The stood in the middle of the room in each other’s arms, barely moving with the music, just enjoying the feel of holding the other and kissing and touching whenever they felt like it.
After a few minutes, Harley pulled her hand away from Gus’s and wrapped both of her arms around his neck, embracing him tightly. He sighed as he held her and looked at her funny when she pulled away from him until she unbuttoned his jacket and pushed it off his shoulders before going to work on the buttons of his shirt.
“I just to feel you,” she said quietly and when his shirt was gone, she stepped back into his embrace and ran her hands down his bare back, enjoying the feel of his hot skin against her.
It wasn’t long before Gus’s lips found hers and their tongues mingled in a passionate kiss. He slid a finger under one of the straps on her dress and pulled it down her shoulder. He pulled away from her lips and kissed her bare shoulder as she ran her hands through his hair.
Between the taste of her skin and her fingers in his hair, Gus was beginning to lose control and knew he needed more of her. He moved his hands to the back of her dress and pulled the zipper down slowly. As soon as Harley felt the zipper down, he stepped back and let the dress fall off of her to the floor. Gus smiled at her impatience and tried to reach over to touch her but her hands went straight to his pants and they were soon on the floor with her dress and the rest of his clothes.
“You’re being impatient,” he said softly as he ran his hands down her arms, trying to slow her down.
“It’s been a long time,” she laughed.
He took her hand and led her over to the bed, “Slow down, lay down, and let me love you,” he said and urged her onto the bed, crawling on top of her.
“Okay,” she whispered and he placed a deep kiss on her lips before he moved down her body, kissing and touching her in all of the places he knew drove her crazy.
When their bodies finally joined as one, Gus covered her mouth with his and her legs held his body tight to hers, their pace starting out slow and gradually increasing when their bodies knew they needed more of each other. After they both found their release, Gus slid beside her, pulling her with him and she snuggled into his side. They both let out a contented sigh and Gus kissed her forehead.
“I love you, Gus,” she said and kissed his chest.
“I love you too,” he replied and hugged her.
“Why don’t we have a fireplace in our bedroom?” he asked a few minutes later.
“Well, I don’t know, but I don’t think it would be a good idea with the two young children that are constantly in our room,” Harley replied and rolled over on to her side, facing the fireplace with her back to Gus.
He wrapped his arms around her and settled his head in the crook of her neck, “I guess we’ll just have to enjoy this one while we have it.”
“Yeah…let’s enjoy everything here while we have it. The fireplace, this bed, quiet…” she added.
“I’m all yours for the rest of the night and the rest of our lives,” he replied and kissed her cheek.
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Post by Jen on Feb 20, 2005 19:27:54 GMT -5
"Wake up, wake up, wake up!" Zach exclaimed as he jumped on Gus and Harley's bed early Christmas morning.
"Zach, don't you dare wake your sister up! We just got her back to sleep," Harley reprimanded quietly. "Sit down."
"But Mommy, it's Christmas!" he whined.
"That doesn't mean you can jump on our bed," she replied.
"I wanna open presents."
"Sweetie, I told you we have to wait for everyone to get here," Harley said, yawning.
"Who's everyone?" he asked.
"Grandpa Buzz, Uncle Frank and Aunt Amanda, Marina and Matthew, John, and we have to wait for Susan to wake up," Gus rattled off names.
"I hope they come soon- I have toys to play with."
"What makes you so sure you're getting toys, huh?" Gus asked. "I think you're getting a big lump of coal!" he added as he pulled Zach down beside him and tickled him, making him squeal.
"Gus, the baby," Harley warned and Gus covered Zach’s mouth to stop the giggling.
"Go back to bed, it’s still dark outside,” Gus said as he sat up and Zach jumped on his back.
“Will you give me a ride?” he asked.
“Aren’t you a little big to be carried around?”
“No!” Zach giggled and clung tightly to Gus’s neck.
“Come on,” Gus sighed and took Zach back to his room while Harley rolled over on her side and tried to go back to sleep.
He came back a half hour later and crawled into bed next to Harley, who had her back to him.
“He’s out again. Hopefully he has another three hours of sleep in him. Everyone’s coming at 9, right? You know, it’s pretty cruel of us to make him wait so long to open his gifts though. I was always up at the crack of dawn on Christmas morning too,” he rambled until Harley rolled over and glared at him.
“Gus! Go back to sleep or go somewhere else so I can,” she complained.
“Sorry baby,” he apologized and put his arm across her pillow, beckoning her into his arms. “Come here,” he said and she snuggled into his body, asleep in his warmth after a few seconds.
Two hours later, Katie was awake and ready to be fed.
“I’ll get her,” Gus said and Harley rolled out of his arms so he could get out of bed.
He fed her and when she was back to sleep, he took a shower and got dressed. By the time he was ready, Harley had woken up and met him in the bathroom as he was running some gel through his hair. She reached up and ran her hairs through his hair, massaging his head with her fingers.
“Mmm, that feels good,” he moaned and she kissed the back of his neck.
“I thought you were going to come back to bed after you fed Katie,” she said as she washed the gel off of her hands then Gus did the same.
“I figured I would just get ready and make the process quicker this morning. Zach will probably be up soon and he’ll be easier to control if one of us is ready,” he answered.
“I am exhausted,” she sighed. “I’m gonna need a long shower to wake me up this morning.”
“Well, take your time. It’s only eight o’clock,” he replied as she climbed into the shower. “Hey,” he called and she stuck her head out of the curtain. “Merry Christmas.”
Harley smiled at him and he kissed her, “Merry Christmas,” she repeated with another kiss.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Okay Miss Katie, do we go with the Santa suit or the pretty pink snowflake outfit today?” Gus asked as he stood in front of Katie’s closet with her nestled into the crook of his arm, awake again. “I guess we should put on the Santa one, considering it’s Christmas. What do you think?”
He grabbed the little red and white Santa suit out of the closet and laid Katie on the changing table. He changed her diaper and talked to her.
“I don’t know Katie, this looks kind of big, but we’ll try it anyway,” he said as she looked up at him, her eyes wide, mesmerized by her daddy’s voice. “Do you want to play for awhile?” he asked and let her lay half-dressed while he reached for a black and white stuffed puppy and held it above her. “Can you say puppy? No? Well, that’s okay, because I know as soon as you can talk, you’ll be talking back to me and mommy and we get enough of that from your big brother. So you just stay teeny tiny for as long as you want, okay?” he rambled and Katie’s eyes darted back and forced from the puppy in his hands to Gus’s face.
He set the puppy down beside her and grabbed her feet, kissing the bottom of them. He moved up and kissed her cheek, then her forehead.
“I love you so much sweetheart,” he gushed, his face close to hers and she reached up, touched his cheek and cooed. “You love me too, huh?” he asked and kissed her cheek again.
“Let’s get you ready. Mommy will be out of the shower soon,” he said and got her into the Santa suit.
When he picked her up, the pants fell right off her, “I think this is too big,” he repeated and laid her back down before he took the outfit off. “Six months? What goofy person bought this for my little peanut?” he asked, looking at the tag. “I bet it was Uncle Frank. He’s the goofiest guy I know besides your old man. That just means you get to wear the pink instead.” He picked her up and grabbed the pink fleece one-piece from the closet, then took her back to the changing table and dressed her.
“This fits much better!” he said as he saw Zach sneaking past the door out of the corner of his eye. He cleared his throat loudly and Zach stopped dead in his tracks.
“You wouldn’t happen to be sneaking downstairs to see if Santa came, are you?” he asked and picked up Katie before turning towards the door.
Zach shook his head, “I was going to see Mommy,” he answered.
“Mommy’s that way,” Gus said, pointing in the direction opposite the stairs. “We told you that we’re not going downstairs until we’re all awake and dressed. Grandpa and Uncle Frank will be here soon, so we all have to be ready. Come on, Mommy’s in the shower now,” he said and nudged Zach off in the direction of their bedroom.
He sprawled across the bed and laid Katie down beside him. He propped himself up on his elbow while Zach ran and car up and down his body, complete with sound effects. Katie was wide-awake for the moment and her eyes followed the source of the animated sounds coming from her brother and she stared up at him.
“Your sister is watching you,” Gus told Zach and he stopped rolling his car and reached over and tickled Katie under her chin.
“How come she’s not laughing?” he asked.
“She’s a little too young for that, but in a few weeks, she should be smiling,” Gus answered.
“Cool,” he replied and continued playing with his car.
A few minutes later, Harley came out of the bathroom in her robe, drying her hair with her towel.
“What are you lazy bums doing?” she teased. “Merry Christmas,” she greeted Zach with a kiss to the top of his head.
“We’re waiting for you!” Zach answered and Harley knelt beside the bed and kissed Katie’s cheek.
“She looks adorable, but why didn’t you put the Santa suit on her?” she asked.
“Well, I did, but it fell right off of her. It was 6 months, who got that for her?” Gus asked.
“Oh, Frank. Someone bought it for Matthew, but it was too small,” she answered.
“Well, it’s too big for her,” he said as she kissed him and Susan came into the room.
“So when are we going to get this show on the road?” she asked.
“As soon as we’re all dressed,” Harley answered.
“Well, I’ll get Zach dressed, you get yourself dressed,” Susan replied and motioned Zach over to her.
“Hey cutie, you want to come with me?” she asked Katie and picked her up off the bed before leaving the room with her and Zach.
“So we get to meet the boyfriend today, huh?” Gus asked as Harley took off her robe and got dressed.
“Yes. And please don’t scare him,” she warned.
“I wouldn’t do that,” he argued. “I just want to make sure he’s treating her good.”
“I know, but do it subtly, okay?” she suggested as they heard the doorbell.
“Grandpa’s here!” Zach exclaimed from his room.
“Better dry your hair fast,” Gus said as he kissed her and left the room to answer the door.
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Post by Jen on Feb 20, 2005 19:28:55 GMT -5
When he got downstairs, he opened the door and found John on the other side with armfuls of gifts.
“Hi,” he said. “Sorry I’m a little early.”
“That’s okay, come on in,” he said. “What’s all this?” he asked, pointing to the gifts that John added to the pile already under the tree.
“Just some gifts for everyone.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” Gus said.
“I wanted to,” he shrugged. “So where is everyone?”
“Harley’s getting dressed and Susan is getting Zach dressed and she has Katie. They should all be down soon,” he said. “I’m going to make some coffee, you want some?” he asked and headed towards the kitchen.
“Sure,” John said and followed him.
“Hi John,” Harley greeted a few minutes later when she came into the kitchen with Katie.
“Good morning. Merry Christmas,” he greeted and kissed her cheek. “Can I?”
“Of course,” she said and passed Katie to him.
“I made some coffee,” Gus said and held up a cup for her.
“I love you,” she sighed and took the cup after kissing him.
“Where are Susan and Zach?” he asked.
“Still getting ready. Susan was having a little trouble holding Katie and trying to get Zach to calm down enough to get dressed,” Harley explained. “I hope everyone else gets here soon.”
As if on cue, the doorbell rang again.
“Speaking of the devils,” Gus teased and Harley went out to the living room.
Harley let in Buzz, Frank, Amanda, Marina and Matthew and the pile of gifts became a mountain. Finally, Susan and Zach came downstairs and he got his first look at his presents.
“Hey, did you guys get a card from Alan-Michael and Lucy?” Buzz asked Harley and she shook her head. “Oh, I forgot, I got the mail yesterday and took it in my room. We got a ton of Christmas cards, I’ll go get them,” Susan said and went to her room while Zach went through his packages, shaking them to guess the contents.
“Zach, please wait for your sister,” Harley said as Gus followed John out of the kitchen with Katie and a cup of coffee.
“Here,” Susan said when she returned and handed Harley a stack of Christmas cards.
“Oh, here it is - Alan-Michael and Lucy,” Harley said as she opened the first card. “Did you guys know they were coming here in a few weeks?” she asked Buzz and Frank.
“Oh yeah, that’s what I wanted to tell you,” Buzz said as he set down his cup of coffee.
“That’s great – they have a lot of new family members to meet. They’ve only ever seen pictures of Zach, and they’ve never seen Katie,” she replied then continued reading. “They said they can’t wait to meet you and their nephew and niece,” Harley told Gus, smiling as she passed him the card and moved on to the next one.
Gus read the card and tossed it into the basket on the coffee table. He looked over and saw Harley reading the next card intensely. When she was done, she smiled and passed it to Gus. He looked at the return address and raised his eyebrows when he saw the Florida address. He opened the card and read it:
Hey Cooper,
I hope I’m not crossing some unspoken line between us, but Julie told me she ran into you and your husband, so I felt I needed to send my congratulations. She told me that Gus seems like a good man, and that your children are beautiful. You deserve all the happiness in the world, Harley and I hope that you have found it.
Take care, Mallet
“Well, that was…nice,” Gus said and added the card to the basket with the rest.
“What was nice?” Frank asked.
“Your ex-brother-in-law sent us a Christmas card,” Gus answered.
“Alan-Michael? Yeah…” Frank said, wondering what the big deal was.
“No, not Alan-Michael,” Gus replied.
“Mallet,” Harley finally said.
“Mallet?” Buzz and Frank both asked in unison.
“We ran into Julie last week at the ballet, she told Mallet that we got married, he sent his congratulations, that’s all,” Harley explained and Frank raised his eyebrows at Gus. “Come on! It was perfectly appropriate,” she added, looking from Frank to Gus.
“I didn’t say it wasn’t,” Gus said and leaned over and kissed her quickly. “Can we let this kid open his presents now?” he asked, pointing to Zach who was shaking all of his boxes.
“Yes, yes,” she agreed and he dug into his presents.
When Zach was done opening all of his gifts from everyone, the rest of them took turns exchanging gifts, but Gus and Harley kept their gifts for each other for later when they could get a few minutes alone. They had agreed only to get each other one thing, but of course they both got something little extra for the other.
Everyone collapsed on the various pieces of furniture around the living room, exhausted from the rushed morning and enjoying the small break before they would have to start getting dinner ready.
“Where are Susan and Marina?” Amanda asked as she looked around the room and saw everyone but them
“Oh Susan’s getting ready. Her boyfriend is coming over for dinner,” Harley answered.
“He’s not my boyfriend!” Susan yelled from the bathroom. “Yet!” she added then they came back out into the living room.
“We’re not official, we’re just talking,” she explained.
“Talking? What does that mean?” Frank asked.
“It means they’re just talking about being a couple, but not really calling themselves a couple yet,” Gus said.
“How do you know that?” Susan asked, surprised.
“Hey, I did my fair share of talking in my day,” he replied, “Well, I did a little more than talk,” he laughed and Harley rolled her eyes as the doorbell rang.
“That’s him. Gus, Grandpa, Uncle Frank, please don’t embarrass me!” Susan pleaded and rushed over to the door.
“Hi,” she said as she opened the door and saw Marcus.
“Hi,” he replied shyly and she leaned over and kissed him.
“Just talking, huh?” Gus asked and Harley hit his arm as Susan led Marcus into the living room.
“Everyone, this is Marcus. Marcus, this is everyone,” Susan said and Gus and Harley stood up.
“This is my mom,” Susan introduced them.
“Mrs. Aitoro, it’s nice to meet you,” Marcus said as he shook Harley’s hand.
“You too, but call me Harley,” she replied.
“And this is my step-dad…”
“Gus,” he replied as he shook Marcus’s hand and Marcus smiled. “What?” Gus asked.
“Oh, nothing, I was just waiting for the gun threat Susan told me you would say,” Marcus answered.
“Oh, I was going to leave that to Uncle Frank, he’s actually on duty today, so he can shoot you without getting into too much trouble,” Gus replied seriously and Harley rolled her eyes.
“He’s kidding,” she assured Marcus. “This is our daughter Katie,” she added as she put her hand on Gus’s arm that Katie was snuggled into, fast asleep. “And that’s Zach,” she pointed to him playing over in the corner of the room.
“Hey Zach,” Marcus said as he went over and crouched down beside him. “Your sister talks about you all the time. She said you are one cool little dude,” he added and Zach beamed up at him.
“Wanna help me build my plane?” Zach asked.
“Tell you what, after I meet the rest of your family here, I will definitely help you out,” Marcus answered and Zach nodded.
Gus and Harley looked at each other, impressed, as Marcus stood back up and Susan introduced him to everyone else then they sat on the couch so he could be interrogated by Frank and Buzz. Gus passed Katie off to John and pulled Harley into the kitchen so they could exchange gifts.
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Post by Jen on Feb 20, 2005 19:29:37 GMT -5
When they were finally alone, Harley sighed. “It’s only a little after noon, and I’m exhausted,” she said and he pulled her into his arms in an embrace.
“Honey, just relax. That’s why we’re having dinner here, so we didn’t have to drag Katie all over the place and so you could relax.”
“I just needed a hug from my favorite person in the whole world,” she said as she looked up at him with a big smile on her face.
“Well, you can get one of those anytime,” he replied and kissed her forehead. “Ready to open your gifts?”
“Yeah,” she nodded and sat down in one of the chairs while Gus handed her a neatly wrapped box.
She unwrapped it slowly and pulled out a bracelet with 5 different colored gemstones between braids of platinum.
“Sweetie, it’s gorgeous,” she said and Gus helped her clasp it around her wrist.
“Obviously, it’s all of our birthstones. The first is ruby for your birthday, then sapphire for Susan, peridot for Zach, citrine for Katie and a diamond for me,” he explained as he held her hand in his and ran his fingers over the top of it.
“I love it, Gus, thank you,” she replied and kissed him softly.
“You’re welcome, but you have one more thing,” he said.
“I thought we agreed on one present,” she argued.
“We did, but I don’t care. Plus, I see two boxes over there for me,” he teased and slid the second box across the table.
“Oh this one is heavy!” she laughed and left it on the table as she unwrapped it. She opened the box but left the present in it. It was a stepping-stone for the backyard that had Katie’s name, birth date, hand and footprints. “Gus, I love it. Thank you,” she replied and kissed him.
“As soon as the ground isn’t frozen, I’ll put it out back,” he said.
“I can’t wait,” she smiled. “And I can’t wait until Katie can use that swing that we got her. I can’t wait until she can walk and talk and run around with Zach,” she sighed, “But I don’t want her to grow up either. Think I can have it both ways?”
“I don’t think so honey. I was talking to her this morning and she was just making all kinds of noises. It’s hard to believe she’s a month old already,” he replied.
“Today,” she nodded. “She’s growing up too fast.”
“You just said you couldn’t wait for her to walk!” Gus laughed.
“Well, I’m allowed to change my mind!” she argued and handed him one of his gifts. “Would you just open your presents?” she said and he started unwrapping the bigger box.
“Alright,” he replied and pulled the lid off of the box and lifted a black leather jacket out of it.
He stood up and slid him arms into the coat before zipping it up, “It’s perfect. I was wanting a black one, because I know you hate when I wear my brown one with black pants.”
“I sure do,” she laughed. “Does it fit?” she asked as she pulled and tugged at it.
“Perfectly, thank you,” he nodded and pulled her in for a hug then opened the other box.
Inside the second box was a cream-colored picture frame. Along the edges of the frame were pink footprints and handprints and at the bottom it read “Daddy’s Little Girl”. It held four pictures, one of Katie alone that was taken just a few days before, one of Gus holding Katie the day she was born, a more recent picture of the two of them and the last was a picture of Gus, Harley and Katie.
“This…is the best gift you could have given me,” he finally said after he ran his fingers over each of the pictures. “And it’s going right on my desk as soon as I get to the station tomorrow.”
Harley smiled and unzipped his coat before sliding her arms around his waist, “Merry Christmas,” she said and kissed his clean-shaven chin.
“Merry Christmas,” he replied and traced her lips with his fingertip before he kissed her deeply and tightened their embrace.
“Where are you going?” Susan asked Gus as she and Marcus came into the kitchen interrupting them.
“Nowhere. Just trying on my Christmas present,” Gus answered, his arms still around Harley.
“It’s nice,” she replied and ignored them as they kissed again. “Do you want water, iced tea, we have Pepsi, Mountain Dew, milk, Kool-Aid…beer,” she offered Marcus as she opened the refrigerator.
“No!” Gus and Harley both replied in unison, and Susan laughed.
“I knew that would get your attention,” she said and handed Marcus a can of Pepsi. “You just have to ignore them when they get that glassy look in their eyes. They think they’re still on their honeymoon,” she explained and rolled her eyes.
“We are,” Gus said and kissed Harley again.
“They’re disgustingly in love,” Susan sighed.
“It’s better than screaming at each other all the time,” Marcus replied quietly and Gus and Harley both looked at Susan for an explanation.
“Come on,” she said and took Marcus’s arm, “you promised Zach you would help him with his plane and he won’t let you forget that,” she teased and they went back into the living room.
“Sounds like an unhappy home life,” Gus sighed and ran his hands up and down Harley’s arms.
“Susan said he was working and going to school so he could save up to get his own place…that must be why. I’ll talk to her later and see if there’s anything we can do,” she replied.
“Guess we should get back out there. Buzz will be taking over the kitchen soon,” Gus said and she nodded as he took off the jacket and they headed back to the living room.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Gus, pass me the potatoes, will you?” Frank asked and Gus passed the bowl to the other end of the table.
“So Marcus, what are you going to school for?” Amanda asked him.
“Architecture. It’s a 5-year program,” he answered.
“Wow, that’s great,” Harley replied. “How’s that going?”
“It’s good. It’s really hard, and sometimes it’s a struggle with working at night and trying to find time to get all of my projects done, but it will all be worth it when I’m done,” he said.
“You’re working and going to school?” John asked.
“Yeah, I’m trying to save up for my own place,” Marcus answered, noticeably uncomfortable with this part of the conversation and Gus and Harley remembered the comment from earlier.
“Well, good luck with that,” Buzz said. “It can’t be easy.”
“No, it’s not, but that’s okay,” Marcus smiled.
“Well, if there is ever anything we can do to help, let us know,” Harley said.
“Thanks,” Marcus replied and passed the carrots down the table.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Why don’t I take Katie? It’s going to take both of you to get him to sleep tonight,” Susan said and took the baby from Gus.
“Hey Sus, you going anywhere tonight?” he asked as she turned to leave Zach’s room.
“No, why?”
“We wanted to talk to you about Marcus,” Harley answered.
“Oh okay,” she nodded and then left.
Twenty minutes later, Zach was asleep and Gus and Harley came back downstairs. Susan had put Katie to sleep in their room and was in the living room watching TV with the baby monitor.
“She’s asleep?” Harley asked.
“Yep,” Susan nodded. “So what’s up?”
“Well, we want to start out by saying that we really like Marcus,” Harley started. “He’s very nice and seems very smart and hard-working and he’s good to you, which is the most important thing. And taking the time to play with Zach, well, that gave him major bonus points…”
“But…?”
“But…we got the impression that his home life isn’t so good,” she finished.
“Yeah…well, his parent don’t really get along and he gets stuck in the middle sometimes,” Susan explained.
“Is that why he wants to move out?” Gus asked and Susan nodded.
“Yeah, it’s a lot of added stress on top of work and school. He just wants to get away from it.”
“Well, that’s understandable. Are his parents getting a divorce?” Harley asked.
“No. And he doesn’t really know why. His dad has a girlfriend, they have separate bedrooms, but they won’t get a divorce.”
Harley shook her head in confusion. “Well, just let him know that if he ever needs to talk to someone or needs anything to let us know. Whether you two ever become ‘official’ or not.”
“Oh we already are,” Susan said.
“Oh, since…?” Gus replied, surprised.
“Since right before he left,” she answered with a sly smile.
“Well, that’s great. He’s a good kid and he’s welcome here anytime,” Harley said and kissed the top of Susan’s head. “Good night sweetie.”
“Good night,” Susan replied before Gus and Harley went back upstairs to bed.
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Post by Jen on Mar 1, 2005 21:26:41 GMT -5
“Honey…” Harley began as she crawled to the end of the bed while Gus set Katie in her bassinet.
“Hmm?”
“I think it’s time we put Katie in her room at night,” she said as she wrapped her arms around his chest.
“What? Why?” he asked.
“Well, she’s getting older, I think she will be fine in the crib,” she answered.
“What if she wakes up?”
“That’s what the monitor is for.”
“What if she’s like choking or something?”
“Gus…”
“I just don’t see anything wrong with her sleeping in here,” he argued.
“There isn’t. But she sleeps good at night, she’ll be fine in her crib,” she assured him again.
“Well, when do you want to do this?” he asked.
“Why not start tonight?” she suggested.
“She’s already asleep.”
“Right, so it’s probably the best time to get her accustomed to the new surroundings. Look, if you’re not ready to move her to the other room, that’s fine. It was just a suggestion,” she said, seeing how hesitant he was about the decision.
“It’s just…I knew we were going to move her eventually, I guess I forgot that she’s a month old already,” he replied. “We…we can put her in her room.”
“Gus, I’m serious. You’re obviously uncomfortable with it and that’s okay. We will just keep her in here until you’re ready,” she repeated and gave him a little squeeze before she laid back against the pillows.
Gus stayed at the end of the bed and watched Katie sleep for a few minutes. He stroked her closed fist with his finger and she gripped it tightly. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her hand, then stood up and picked her up.
“Where are you going?” Harley asked when she saw him heading to the door.
“I’m putting Katie in her crib,” he smiled back at her and left the room.
She decided to give him a few minutes alone with her, and when he didn’t come back after 5 minutes, she got up and walked down the hall to the nursery. He was sitting in the rocker, rubbing her back and Harley smiled at him from the doorway.
“She didn’t really like being moved,” he whispered.
“You don’t have to do this,” she said.
“No, I think you’re right. She’ll be fine,” he said as he stood up and Harley met him over by the crib.
“Alright Katie, are you ready to go in your pretty crib that we spent entirely too much money on?” Harley asked quietly and kissed her forehead.
“Only the best for our little princess,” Gus added as he kissed her before laying her in the crib.
Harley covered her up and switched the baby monitor on then came back and wrapped her arms around Gus’s waist. He kissed the top of her head and hugged her.
“I never thought I’d be having to let go after only a month,” he sighed.
“She’s just right down the hall,” she replied. “And she’s going to be here for the next eighteen years or so.”
“I know,” he nodded.
“I’m going to go back to bed, but take your time,” she said and kissed his neck before she turned to leave the room.
Gus reached out and grabbed her hand, and with one last look back at the crib, he left the room with her.
They were both asleep in a matter of minutes, their days of talking or making love long into the night gone for the moment, knowing they were lucky to get three hours of sleep at a time.
A few hours after they fell asleep, Harley woke up and realized Gus wasn’t in the bed with her. She rubbed her eyes and tried to remember if she heard Katie cry. It sure would destroy her argument about the monitor if she didn’t hear the baby. She finally forced herself out of bed and went to Katie’s room where Gus was standing over the crib, watching her sleep.
“Did she wake up?” Harley asked as she kissed his neck.
“No. Well, yeah, but after I came in here,” he explained. “Remember how I stayed up with her the first night we brought her home?” he asked and Harley nodded. “I feel like I need to do that again. Like I need to be watching her all the time, just in case, you know?”
“You are amazing, but you will be no good to her if you stand over her crib every night and never sleep,” Harley replied before kissing his cheek and going back to bed. At least one of them should get some sleep, she figured.
Gus finally came back to bed a little bit later, and rolled over and went back to sleep when Harley got up with Katie the second time that night.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
New Year’s Eve…
“Dad and Alexandra are saints for watching the babies tonight,” Harley said as the waiter poured glasses of wine for her, Gus, Frank and Amanda.
“I know. It may only be for a few hours but it is definitely appreciated,” Amanda nodded. “We haven’t been out in so long. So what’s up with you guys? We haven’t talked all week.”
Although she and Frank had only dated a few months before they got married, she and Harley became fast friends and usually talked at least once a day.
“Well, we took a big step this week,” Harley began. “We moved Katie into her crib at night.”
“Oh, I had a such hard time with that,” Amanda said.
“Me too,” Gus nodded. “Must be a new parent thing.”
“He’s doing pretty good though,” Harley said as she rubbed his back. “There were only a few nights when you spent more time in the nursery than in bed.”
“Any particular reason why you moved her now?” Frank asked.
“Well, we do want her to start falling asleep on her own, and in her crib. I’m going back to work in a few weeks and I don’t want the nanny to have to be holding her all the time,” Harley explained.
“You got a nanny?” Frank asked.
“No, not yet, we’re interviewing this week,” Gus answered hesitantly.
“You don’t sound too thrilled,” Frank observed.
“I’m not, really. I would love for both of us to stay home with the kids, but since we’re not millionaires, we can’t. I just hate the idea of a stranger raising Katie…” Gus replied.
“Honey…” Harley began and Amanda interrupted her.
“Well, what if it wasn’t a stranger watching her?” she asked. “I’m staying home with Matthew, I could watch Katie.”
“No, you have your hands full with Matthew. And it’s not just Katie, it’s Zach too,” Harley replied.
“So? Zach is in school most of the day, the bus can drop him off at our house. Katie sleeps all the time, and Matthew’s pretty good. Come on, you could pay an outrageous wage to a complete stranger or you could let your sister-in-law watch her nephew and niece. Doesn’t that sound more appealing?” she teased.
“Of course it does, but we would never impose on you like that…” Harley argued.
“Well, wait a second…” Gus started but Harley dug her fingernails into his thigh.
“If after we interview some people and don’t find anyone, then we will take you up on your offer until we find someone. But three kids is a lot to handle everyday, especially two infants!” Harley said.
“Harley, I meant what I said. I would be more than happy to watch Katie and Zach for you. You would not be imposing. So when you come to your senses, my offer still stands,” Amanda smiled.
“Thank you,” Gus said and Harley added her thanks.
“Let’s talk about you guys,” Harley said, changing the subject. “One year tomorrow, huh?”
“Yes, I can’t believe it’s been a year already. It seems like we just got married,” Frank said as he kissed Amanda’s cheek.
“I know. A lot of stuff has happened the past year,” Harley said.
“Yes, but at least it’s all been good,” Frank added.
“Yeah,” she nodded and slid her hand into Gus’s. “You were right,” she smiled.
“About what?” Amanda asked.
“Last year when we were getting ready for your wedding, both of us were really upset about not getting pregnant, but Gus said that this would be our year – when we got everything we’ve ever wanted. And it’s true,” Harley explained. “Look at all of the great things that happened this year. You guys got married, Marina and Susan both graduated. Matthew was born, Katie was born, Gus’s dad is back. It’s just been a really great year. And next year has some big shoes to fill- but I think it will be even better.”
“Here’s hoping,” Frank said as he held up his wine glass.
“The question is, how will it start out for you guys with a house full of eighteen year olds?” Amanda teased and Harley and Gus groaned.
“Hosting a party for Susan’s friends, we’re crazy,” Gus replied.
“Yeah, hosting, which basically means: we buy the pizza and the snacks and the soda and we clean up the next day while we’re banished to our bedroom the entire night,” Harley added.
“That’s not necessarily a bad thing if Katie cooperates,” Amanda winked and Harley laughed.
“That’s true…” she nodded. “Dad’s keeping Matthew tonight, right?”
“Yes. We’re picking him up tomorrow night,” Frank answered.
“That’s a nice little break,” Gus said.
“Sure is,” Amanda agreed.
“Speaking of breaks, ours is almost over,” Harley said as she looked at Gus’s watch. “We have to get Katie home and to bed before the house gets too loud.”
“Yeah, I think we’ve hogged this table long enough, there’s a lot of people out there waiting,” Amanda said and Gus motioned their waiter for the check.
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Post by Jen on Mar 1, 2005 21:27:36 GMT -5
Harley pushed open the front door of the house and almost knocked over an unknown classmate of Susan’s who was catching a football another guy had thrown to him.
“Uh, we prefer the punt, pass, and kick contests to be held outside,” she said as Gus came in behind her carrying Katie in her car seat.
“Sorry Mrs. A,” one of the boys said and Harley looked at Gus strangely.
“Did you guys order pizza?” she asked as Susan came in from the kitchen and took Katie from Gus while he hung up his coat.
“Yeah, it should be here any minute,” she said as she unzipped Katie snowsuit and pulled her out of it.
“Okay. Where’s Marcus? I thought he would be here,” Harley asked as she looked around the room and didn’t see him.
“He’s coming after work. He should be here soon,” Susan answered.
“Hey Aunt Harley,” Marina greeted as she came out of the kitchen. “Did you leave Gus at Grandpa’s?”
“No!” Gus yelled from the closet in the hallway.
“Although Dad might have appreciated the help with your brother tonight,” Harley laughed as Gus finally came into the living room.
“Oh right, he’s keeping him tonight,” Marina replied. “Tomorrow’s the big anniversary.”
“Your father is very happy,” Harley said.
“I know he is,” Marina smiled in response.
“Honey, I’m going to take her upstairs for her bath,” Gus said as he took Katie from Susan as the doorbell rang.
“Okay,” Harley replied as she turned to open the door and let in the pizza guy.
“Alright, I have five pizzas, three orders of cheesy breadsticks and two orders of buffalo wings. That’s $72.50,” the young kid at the door announced as the boys came over to take the food.
“Susan! Are you kidding me?” Harley asked, surprised at the amount of food she ordered.
“Well, there will be twelve of us,” she explained.
“Gus!” Harley called and caught him before he got upstairs. “I need some money.”
He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and tossed it across the room to her, “She’s your daughter! Loves to spend my money,” he teased and went upstairs.
“Thanks,” Harley said as she forked over eighty dollars and the pizza guy left.
“Crummy tip, Aunt Harley.”
“Empty wallet, Marina,” Harley shot back and went upstairs to join Gus.
As she walked up the stairs, she could hear him in the bathroom singing quietly to Katie as he gave her a bath. She stood in the doorway and watched him with their daughter. He was pouring water over her stomach and her eyes were focused directly on him the whole time. Harley walked over and stood beside him, kissing his bare shoulder.
“You’re so good at this,” she said quietly.
“Giving her a bath?” he asked.
“No, being a father,” she answered and he looked back at her and smiled.
“Well, I try,” he replied shyly.
“You do more than try. You’re wonderful,” Harley gushed.
“You’re a pretty good mom yourself,” he replied and she gave him a little squeeze before she got Katie’s towel ready for her.
“Alright, this one is ready to get out,” Gus said as he picked her up out of her bathtub and laid her on the towel, then wrapped her up and Harley picked her up.
“Dad said she wouldn’t be ready to eat for like another hour, so let’s try to keep her awake. Want to try out one of those play mat things?” she asked.
“Sure, they’re all down in the den, right?”
“Yeah, let’s just take her down there instead of dragging one up here,” Harley said and started towards Katie’s room to change her.
“Alright, I’m going to change when you get her ready,” Gus said and went the opposite way to their bedroom.
Before he was finished changing, Harley had Katie in pajamas and came to their bedroom. She laid Katie in the bassinet and changed into something more comfortable and suited for playing on the floor than the dress she wore to dinner.
“I want to call Zach before it gets too late,” she said as she came out of the bathroom, pulling her hair up into a ponytail and Gus tossed her the phone.
“Hey, it’s Harley. Can I talk to Zach?” she asked when someone answered the phone and waited for Zach. “Hi sweetie!” she greeted with a smile. “Are you having fun with Daddy? You did? You be careful okay? I just wanted to call and tell you that I love you and good night…We’ll see you in a few days…I love you…sleep tight,” she finished before they hung up.
“He went down a big hill on a sled today,” she imitated Zach’s excitement to Gus and he smiled.
“Ready?” he asked and she nodded before picking up Katie and following Gus downstairs to the den.
They laid on the floor with Katie while she looked at the toys hanging above her. She was fascinated with her reflection in the mirror and the music that played when Gus pressed a button. Harley ran her hand over a spot on the mat and it made a crinkling sound and Katie turned her head towards the noise and cooed.
“Do you like that?” Harley asked and made the noise again.
After a few more times, Katie was bored with the crinkling sound and Gus got her attention by swinging a stuffed ladybug back and forth above her that rattled as it moved. She reached her arms up and cooed like crazy, with a big smile on her face.
“Oh my god, she’s smiling!” Gus exclaimed and stopped swinging the bug.
“Well, keep doing that! She likes it!” Harley laughed and reached over to hit it again, but Gus lost interest and picked Katie up, gushing over her first smile.
He held her in front of him and made faces trying to get her to smile again, but she started whimpering, so he gave her a big kiss and laid her back down. As soon as Harley swung the bug again, she was smiling and making noise. They let her play for a little bit longer until it was time to feed her and put her to bed. Gus made her a bottle and handed it to Harley who went upstairs to feed her while he went into the kitchen and got a few things ready for him and Harley after the baby was asleep.
He got a few things ready in the kitchen then went upstairs to their bedroom. He took some candles into the bathroom and set them around the tub, which he started filling with water and bubbles.
Harley heard the water running as she fed Katie and she laughed, “Sounds like Daddy has some plans after you go to sleep.”
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Post by Jen on Mar 1, 2005 21:27:59 GMT -5
Harley was glad that by the time she was done with her bottle, she was almost asleep and went right out as soon as she laid her in her crib and turned on the mobile. She turned on the monitor, grabbed the other end and walked down to their bedroom.
“Gus?” she called out from the doorway and he popped out of the bathroom.
“Hi,” he smiled. “She asleep?”
“Yep. What are you doing?” she asked and he beckoned her to the bathroom.
“I thought we could have a little Gus and Harley time,” he replied. “Naked and wet,” he added as he kissed her.
Harley laughed as she set the monitor on the counter, “That sounds good,” she said as she slid Gus’s shirt up his chest and pulled it over his head.
In a matter of minutes, they were both undressed and settled into the hot, bubbly water. Gus kissed Harley’s cheek as she leaned back against him and found his hands under the water, threading her fingers through his.
“This is nice,” she sighed. “We haven’t done this for a long time. And Katie should be out for a few hours so we can have lots of Gus and Harley time.”
“Good. Cause I have some more things planned,” he said quietly as he ran his hands up and down her arms.
“Oh yeah? Like what?” she asked.
“Like a romantic little picnic right here in our own bedroom. Complete with wine and some fruit that we can dip into chocolate, using only our fingers,” he added with a nip to her earlobe.
“Sounds yummy and very sexy,” she replied.
“Or we could skip the food and just make love,” he said, running his hands over her stomach.
“Or we could do both,” she replied and he scoffed as if he was offended. “Sorry sweetie, but we didn’t get dessert tonight and that chocolate sounds really good.”
“That’s fine. We can have fun with the chocolate too,” Gus teased.
They spent another twenty minutes in the bath then Gus got dressed and went downstairs to get the food ready. He brought up a fondue pot of chocolate and a plate full of strawberries, raspberries, pineapple and bananas. Harley was in the bed with a sheet wrapped around her when he returned so he checked on Katie quickly, then got undressed and joined her under the covers. She had poured two glasses of wine while he was downstairs so their little picnic was complete.
Gus picked up a strawberry and dipped it into the chocolate then fed it to Harley. They took turns feeding each other until most of the fruit was gone. Harley fed Gus a piece of banana and smeared some chocolate beside his lip, so she leaned over and kissed it off.
“Mmm, I can smear this chocolate other places if that’s how you’ll clean it up,” he teased, his voice low and sexy.
Harley smiled as she dipped her finger into the chocolate and he took it in his mouth and licked it clean. She pulled back the sheet and crawled into his lap, covering his mouth with hers. She could taste the chocolate still on his lips and it made her kiss him harder.
“Can we get this stuff off the bed?” he asked and she nodded then turned and moved the plates to the nightstand.
“All better,” she said and went back to kissing him.
He laid back on the bed and rolled over so he was laying on top of her, having full access to her entire body, which he covered in kisses and soft touches until Harley was pleading for more. He moved back up her body and entered her slowly. They moved in rhythm together until they both cried out in sheer pleasure and collapsed in each other’s arms.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Harley moved over as Gus crawled back into bed after feeding Katie an hour later. He reached for the remote and turned on the New Year’s Eve coverage from Times Square. It was almost midnight and they wanted to watch the ball drop. Harley snuggled into his chest and he kissed the top of her head as the countdown clock hit ten seconds. They could hear Susan and her friends counting down from the living room and they joined them for the last five seconds.
When the clock hit midnight, they heard party noisemakers going off downstairs and both sighed, hoping they wouldn’t wake the baby.
“Happy New Year,” Harley said as she turned her head up towards Gus.
“Happy New Year baby,” he replied and they celebrated the start of another year with a kiss.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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Post by Jen on Mar 10, 2005 0:49:18 GMT -5
“Gus!” Harley called from upstairs when the doorbell rang.
“I got it,” he replied as she started down the stairs with Katie in her arms and he went to answer the door.
“Hi, I’m Gus Aitoro, you must be Karen,” he greeted the middle-aged woman on the other side of the door.
“Yes, hello,” she said as he shook her hand and welcomed her into the living room as Harley joined them.
“This is my wife, Harley, and this is our youngest, Katelyn,” he introduced them and they all sat down.
“She’s beautiful,” Karen said.
“Thank you,” Harley replied. “And thank you for coming. You’re our first interview, so we don’t really know what we’re doing,” she laughed.
“It’s fine. We can just talk,” Karen said. “Why don’t you tell me what the job would entail?”
“Well, we have two children that you would be taking care of. Katie, is the youngest and we have an older son. His name is Zach and he’s five. He goes to kindergarten, all day, so you would just have to get him on the bus in the morning two days a week, we go into work after he catches the bus the other three, and then watch him after he gets home,” Harley explained. “That’s pretty much it, we have an older daughter Susan, who is a freshman in college, but she is in and out all day long. Actually, she and Zach should be back any minute, we’d like you to meet Zach,” she added.
“That would be lovely. Why don’t you tell me a little more about your daily routine with the children,” Karen suggested.
“Well, Katie wakes up with us. I usually feed her then, so Harley can get a shower and I can spend some time with her since I’m gone most of the day. Zach is usually up by the time we’re both ready and lately I’ve been taking him to school when I go in later in the morning. He gets home at three and the latest we would get home is probably six. Katie pretty much sleeps all day and she’s easy to entertain. Zach likes to play with the neighbor kid after school or he’s happy with his toys,” Gus explained as the phone rang. “Sorry, let me get this,” he said and went to answer the phone while Harley and Karen continued talking.
“Hey Frank,” he greeted when he heard Frank’s voice on the other end.
“Hey, listen, Amanda wanted to invite Harley and the kids over for dinner tonight since you andI will be at work all night,” Frank said. “Harley busy?”
“I don’t think so, but I’ll ask her,” Gus said then covered the receiver. “Honey, Amanda wants you and the kids over for dinner, okay?”
“Yeah, sounds good,” Harley nodded, and Gus went back to the phone.
“She’s in,” he told Frank.
“Good. And Marina said she was in tonight, so Susan’s welcomed too if she’s not doing anything,” Frank added.
“Well, Marcus is probably working and if Susan’s not with him or Marina, she’s usually here, so I’ll tell her too,” Gus said.
“Okay. Why don’t you just come over with Harley and we’ll go to work together. I’ll bring you home when we’re done.”
“Alright. What time?”
“Three-thirty?”
“Works for me – see ya Frank,” Gus said then hung up as Zach burst through the front door with Susan chasing him.
“Ahhh!!” he screamed and ran over to Gus, hiding behind his legs.
Susan followed him and teased him, trying to grab him around Gus, making him squeal, which made Katie join in with the noises.
Harley sighed as Gus reached behind him and grabbed Zach, picking him up and covering his mouth with his hand to quiet him down. Susan finally noticed the strange woman in their living room and sat down on the loveseat. Gus carried Zach back over to the couch and sat beside Harley.
“This is Susan, and Zach,” Harley introduced them. “This is Ms. Dawson, she’s interviewing for the nanny position.”
“Oh, it’s nice to meet you,” Susan said and shook her hand. “Sorry about that, just having some fun.”
“Not a problem,” Karen said.
“What’s that mean, Mommy?” Zach asked.
“It means she might come here to watch you and Katie while Mommy and Daddy are at work,” Harley explained.
“Why can’t you stay home?” he asked.
“Because I have to go back to work and make some money,” she continued.
“I’m sorry, but do you hold her all the time?” Karen asked and pointed to Katie who was still laying peacefully in Harley’s arms.
“Excuse me?” Harley asked.
“Well, she’s awake and she’s not fussing, but you’re still holding her. That just spoils a child. And I am a firm advocate of letting children entertain themselves. They fall asleep faster if you let them cry,” she continued and Harley looked at Gus who stood up.
“Well, we have all of your information, and we’ll let you know our decision soon,” he said and quickly ushered her out the door. “A big fat NO!” he said after he shut the door.
“I can’t believe anyone would actually leave their children with that lady,” Susan said.
“Well, hopefully the next one is better,” Harley replied. “What time is she coming?”
“About an hour,” Gus answered and picked up Zach, then sat beside Harley with him in his lap. “Did you guys have fun at the park?” he asked.
“Yeah!” Zach exclaimed and went on to tell Gus and Harley about his afternoon with his sister.
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“Hey, come on in,” Frank said as he kissed Harley’s cheek and welcomed them all into the house.
“Hey bro,” Harley greeted as she helped Zach get his coat off. “Where is everyone?” she asked.
“Kitchen,” he answered and they followed him into the other room.
“Hey!” Amanda greeted when they all appeared. “I’m so glad you guys came over – we don’t do this nearly enough.”
“I know, if only these two didn’t have to go to work,” Harley complained as Gus put Katie in Matthew’s swing while Marina fed him.
“Well, someone’s gotta bring home the bacon,” Gus replied as he came over and stood in front of Harley who was sitting on a stool at the island in the middle of the room.
“Yeah, yeah,” she teased as she pulled him close and kissed him.
“Ready Gus?” Frank asked as he kissed Marina and Matthew.
“Yeah,” he replied and turned back to Harley. “We shouldn’t been too late. Wait up for me?”
“Absolutely,” she smiled and he kissed her.
“Love you,” he said as he leaned his forehead against hers.
“I love you too,” she replied and kissed him quickly again before he kissed Katie and Zach goodnight.
“Be good ladies,” Frank said as he and Gus left, leaving Harley, Amanda, Marina and Susan with the babies.
“So what’s up?” Amanda asked Harley as they got dinner ready. “How’s the nanny hunt going?” she asked and Susan laughed.
“Oh it’s great. The first lady we saw today told us she believes babies should cry themselves back to sleep,” Harley answered.
“Oh boy, I bet she wasn’t there too long,” Amanda replied, grimacing.
“Not long at all…” Harley said
“Did you guys start interviews for a nanny?” Frank asked Gus as they drove to the station.
“Yeah, we had two today and both were just horrible,” he answered. “The first one thinks we’re spoiling Katie.”
“How?” Frank asked.
“Because we hold her too much.”
“Oh.”
“And the second actually had a criminal record,” he continued.
“What?” Frank asked, shocked.
“Yeah, Harley arrested her last year. When she walked in, Harley said she looked familiar and then she got all freaked out, said she was sorry, but it wasn’t going to work out and turned and left!” Gus explained. “Finally, Harley remember where she recognized her from and we ran a check. Arrested for armed robbery, never reported it to the agency and somehow slipped under the radar. I’m telling you, it’s freakin’ terrifying who they let take care of children!”
“Oh my god! You actually arrested her? That’s just horrible!” Amanda gasped when Harley told her about their second interview.
“I know,” Harley sighed.
“Harley, give up and let me watch them. Come on, you can drop them off on the way to the station, I’ll get Zach on the bus, he can get off here, you can pick them up on the way home,” Amanda suggested again.
“It’s a great idea, I just would feel so bad leaving you with two more kids to take care of,” Harley replied.
“Mom, please let her watch them. Do you really think you’ll find anyone better than her to do it?” Susan pleaded.
“It’s not that I think there are better people,” Harley assured Amanda. “It would just be a handful with them and Matthew.”
“Harley, I’m not offended. We can at least try it and if it doesn’t work out, you can go back on your nanny hunt,” Amanda insisted. “What do you think Zach? Do you want to stay with Aunt Amanda while Mommy and Daddy are at work?” she asked him.
“Yeah! Mommy, can I?” he asked as he jumped up on Harley’s lap.
“Well, how can I say no to that?” she laughed. “Alright, you’re hired!” she finally agreed and Amanda smiled, victorious.
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