The brands had gotten back together two months before and they were trying to talk Matt and Jeff into taking a up a family feud angle, but for some reason Jeff had turned them down and when they had asked why he told the bookers that he would tell all on RAW that night. He'd even made especially certain that he told Matt to watch.
So Matt watched as Sean and Jeff eased their way through the match as if something were wrong with the both of them.
"Hi, folks. I'm sure you're wondering what is goin' on." Jeff started out and the crowd quietly down so they could here the soft spoken southerner.
"Well, X-Pac and I have some news." Matt couldn't help but wonder if his brother was finally going to publically come out of the closet.
"I hate to inform you, the audience, and you guys in the back, but X-Pac and I are going to have to..." Jeff left off as tears built in his eyes.
Matt watched as Sean put an arm around Jeff and continued from where he left off. "What he's trying to say is... Jeff Hardy and I, Sean Waltman, are going to have to... retire earlier than we had wanted."
The crowd starting booing then got silent when they seen Sean had more to say. "Because of medical reasons we can not wrestle any more... As I'm sure you could see in our match tonight. We want to thank you for all the years you've supported us... And all the years you haven't, because as long as you reacted to us we knew we were doing our jobs. So tonight, we say goodbye."
Matt watched as Jeff wiped the tears from his eyes. "Sean's right, as long as you were cheering us, or booing us, we knew you were paying attention to us. Thank you for everything..." Jeff left off with a soft sob and most of the crowd was crying as well.
"The guys in the back didn't know this was coming, hell not even Matt knew Jeff was having to retire... Nor did the Kliq know I'm retiring... So this is also our goodbye to them." Sean turned and after shooting a look at Jeff who nodded they dropped their mics and ran to the turnbuckles closest to the ramp and once there Sean started giving his usual energetic crotch chops and Jeff gave them the two gun salute.
Then after waving to the crowd they jumped to the mat and went to floor waving as they left.
Matt was on his feet and running before he could stop himself. He didn't know what Jeff was pulling, but he was going to find out.
But by the time he got through most of the other guys who were lined up around their locker rooms they both were gone. Come to find out, they had had their things in Jeff's rental and once they were in the back they hadn't stopped until they got to the car.
Matt was growling to himself as he grabbed his things and threw them into the trunk of his rental and went flying to hotel, more than ready to confront his brother about this... thing.
To his surprise he found the Kliq standing outside of the room he knew Jeff was staying in.
"What is that little fuck up to?" Kevin demanded as Scott tried to calm him and force himself not to kick the door in.
"I don't know but we're going to find out!" Matt said as he walked around them and pulled the key card to the room. The guy behind the desk had watched wrestling and knew who Matt was so he had willing given over the card.
The Kliq had moved away as he slid it into the lock and opened the door. Inside they were almost not startled to find the room empty the only things left were two notes one left on each bed. One was addressed to Matt, the other to Shawn.
They picked up their respective notes and started reading.
Dear Brother,
I'm sure you're wondering what's going on... well that's not easy to explain, but it's easier to say that because of some health stuff I can't wrestle anymore... at least not for a while... Maybe not ever. But I'm fine, other than I'm a little sad. Someday I'll tell you why I had to do this... Turns out Sean and I have the same... affliction (his word not mine). It turns out there's this tribe of Native Americans that can help us... They've seen it before and are willing to help us until we get through this. I'll try to write as much as I can, but the coming months are going to be hard on both me and Sean... So don't get worried if you don't hear too much from me. Remember I still love you and always will... In fact this had made me realize how much I love you and maybe I love you a little more because of it. With My Heart On A String, Jeffery Nero Hardy
Matt reread it and started crying. His brother was sick and had run off to some medicine man to get it fixed instead of going to a doctor like a normal person. Drying his eyes he turned and found that Shawn was laying in Kevin's arms and his note laying on the floor. Bending he picked it up.
Hey Shawn,
What the hell have I gone and done? I'm sure that's what you're saying right now. Well, I'm doing the only thing I can. Shawn I have something that well... it can't be explained easily nor quickly. But soon it won't be there and hopefully I'll come back to you... If I don't Jeff has instructions to bring everything of mine to you when he can travel. I'm sure you're also wondering what Jeff has to do with it... Well, he has the same thing wrong with him. Through some inquiries I've found a tribe in Arizona that not only can treat what's going on with us, but has seen it on numerous occasions. I know you're about to start yelling now, cursing about how I should be in a respectable hospital letting them take care of me... Well, love, they can't. In fact they'd only make it worse. Hopefully in a few months I'll be showing up on our door step and you won't be so mad that you slam the door in my face. In any case, I hope you can forgive me for running off like this with only a note. But it really was my only choice. Give my love to the guys and tell them I should see them in a few months... If not they'll always be in my heart. And Shawn, I love you. Please don't be mad. I didn't have any other option. Love You With All Of My Heart, Sean
Matt sighed. There wasn't any more information in Shawn's letter than there had been in his.
"What am I going to do?" Shawn cried into Kevin's shoulder.
"What we're going to do is, in the morning we're going to find out where they flew to in Arizona and then we're going to follow them and when we get our hands on them we're going to kick their little asses." Matt said unthinkingly calming the Heartbreaker.
Surprisingly Shawn nodded and pulled out of Kevin's arms. "But what if they're too sick for us to kick their asses?" His eyes were still full of frightened tears.
"Then we'll get them to a hospital and once they're better then we'll kick their asses." Matt gave the older man a hug and was surprised to see the entire Kliq give him a welcoming smile.
"But what if... what if one of them... dies." Shawn said the last word in a whisper.
"They're too stubborn, chico." Scott jumped in and pulled Shawn from Matt's arms and into a large Kliq hug.
"Okay, now that the mushy stuff is over... Does anyone have any idea what the guys could have?" Paul asked after the hug had broken up.
All of them looked to one another and proverbially bit their lips, except for Matt who really was gnawing on his bottom lip.
"We can get a hold of the trainers. They'll tell us something." Kevin reassured them as he pulled out his cell phone and they moved as a force out of the empty room.
Shawn looped an arm around one of Matt's and pulled him to the Kliq's suite with the whispered comment, "You'll stay with us tonight. You don't need to be alone."
After they got there Kevin took his phone conversation into one of the bedrooms.
For a few moments silence reined in the suite. Then Shawn calmly asked an unexpected question, "How long have you and Jeff been together?"
Across the room Scott spit his soda, Paul choked on a piece of candy he had just popped into his mouth, Joanie fell off of his lap, PJ just stood by the window and stared with his mouth open, Brian broke from where he and Kip were participating in comfort sex, Kevin stood in the door way of bed room he was just leaving, and Matt, well Matt fainted.
When he finally came around all of the Kliq was standing over him and Scott was holding his wrist testing his pulse. "You okay, chico? You gave us quite a scare nose diving like that."
"I'm okay... Shawn's question just kind of took me off guard for a second."
Paul smacked Shawn on the arm and glared at him. "Dumb ass. They're brothers."
"Paul..." Matt started then looked at the friendly faces around him and sighed. "We've been together since the night of his seventeenth birthday."
Shawn nodded as he dropped to sit beside Matt. "It's okay, Matt. We're not going to judge you for it."
Matt gave him a weak smile. "You are the only other people to know other than Amy, Shannon and Shane."
"What about this mysterious 'Beth' we hear Jeff talking about?" Kevin asked as he relaxed back into a chair and pulled Scott onto his lap.
Matt blushed a bright shade of red and muttered something. Shawn leaned closer. "What was that?"
"That was the name Mom and Dad had picked out for me if I had been a girl." Matt's blush darkened at having to say it again.
All of the Kliq laughed good-naturedly then sobered when Kevin cleared his throat. "I spoke with the trainers... It turns out that neither Sean nor Jeff had allowed them to touch them outside of the usually bumps and bruises in almost two months."
"What about the blood tests Vince requires?" Matt asked as his eyes narrowed as he tried to think about when his brother had last been to their doctor at home.
"Vince allowed them to have another doctor do their blood work and send it to the trainers." Kevin said then gave them his patented grin. "A doctor by the name of Daniel Chasing-Crow."
"An Indian! Maybe we can use that to track down the guys!" Brian said as he went and grabbed his computer and plugged it into wall jack.
For about ten minutes he said nothing then he grinned and let out a hoot. "Got him. Daniel Chasing-Crow of the Ketzo-Morae Indian Reservation in South-East Arizona." Kip planted a quick kiss on Brian forehead as everyone laughed.
"This is great. We'll get some time off and fly out there and show those boys what's what." Kevin said cuddling Scott even more.
Matt nodded and after they had spoke for a few more minutes they all eased into a deep sleep brought on by exhaustion, both emotional and physical.
***
Jeff sat with Sean on the porch of the cabin they shared at the edge of the San Pedro river and was in a small valley of the Dragon Mts. Where they were was right in the center of the Ketzo-Morae Reservation. Within sight was the cabin of the medicine woman who would be helping them so much in the coming months.
"You feeling okay, Jeffy?" Sean asked as he seen his friend's distant gaze.
"I'm okay... I just..." Jeff left off and buried his face in Sean's shoulder weeping.
"You just miss Matt... I know, it's hard. I'd give anything right now to have Shawn come over that horizon. He'd take me in his arms and tell me that we would get through it, not to worry..." Sean sighed as his imagining faded. "But I know that's not going to happen. Because it can't! We can't let them see us like this. They'd freak and turn us over to some science nut who'd do nothing but study us and... them until we all died."
"I trust Matt more than that. It's just I don't want him to hate... it. I haven't even seen it and I love it." Jeff laid his head on Sean's shoulder and put his hand over his rounding abdomen where, against all the laws of man, a tiny child was growing.
Sean smiled down at Jeff then agreed. "I love mine too, and I know Shawn would never do anything to hurt either of us... But we know someone would find out about our babies and then all hell would break loose."
"But Sean, what are we going to do when we have them? I mean I just can't show up on mine and Matt's door step with a baby and not have him ask questions. You couldn't go to Shawn either." Jeff's voice was so sad that Sean wrapped an arm around him and rocked him slightly.
"By then we'll have thought of something... For right now we need to just worry about staying healthy and getting our babies into the world. We'll deal with the rest of it when it gets here." Sean told him and as they were about to get up and go make some supper they seen nine figures coming down the west side of the valley towards them.
"I wonder if someone is sick in the village?" Jeff asked as they seen the shadows moving pretty quickly.
Sean, being the more suspicious of the two, put his arm back around Jeff and was about to pull him into their cabin when a familiar voice called out, "Sean!"
***
The next morning Matt and the Kliq made arrangements with Vince to take a week off and get Sean and Jeff back. So after catching a flight into Tucson, they drove the forty miles to the Ketzo-Morae Reservation.
When they got into the main village of the rez they were greeted by about thirty children laughing and playing. One little girl walked over and stood staring up at Matt with her fingers into her hair. Matt, not being able to resist her big black eyes knelt and smiled at her. She reached out and fingered one of his curls and murmured something in what had to have been her native language.
"She said you have the hair of a warrior." one of the older boys said as he walked over and smiled down at the girl.
"Well tell her thank you and that she has pretty hair too." Matt said then stood back up and smiled at the boy as he told the girl what he had said. "Can you tell us where to go to find someone to give us directions?"
"Where you going?" the boy asked as he gave the little girl a push to go off and stand with her little friends.
"I'm looking for my brother... and his friend, maybe you've seen them?" Matt pulled out a picture of Jeff and then took the one Shawn offered.
The boy looked at them and got an awed look on his face as he glanced up at Matt. "You're brother to one yurovacian and friend to another?"
Matt and the Kliq all exchanged looks and shrugged. "I don't know what that means, but if you're talking about the men in the pictures then yeah, I am."
"Wow, if you're wanting to visit them they live down by Grandmother Leaning-Oak, in the Kento valley. Go over to the stables, my dad will be able to give you directions... Better be ready for a hike. You can't take cars into Grandmother's valley, she doesn't like it," the boy said pointing to the stables before going back to playing with his friends.
"Thank you." Matt called and the boy waved back before he and his friends were running off.
"I guess we get directions." Kevin said turning and marching over to the stable to get them.
It turned out to be an easier ordeal than they thought. The boy's father was happy to give them direction while talking about Grandmother Leaning-Oak's great healing abilities.
In less than an hour they were on their way. When the boy had said that Grandmother Leaning-Oak didn't like cars in her valley what he forgot to mention was that it was impossible to get a car down the incline.
They drove about three miles outside of the village, where they were forced to leave their SUVs, then they had about a fifty minute hike to the edge of the valley. From there it was another eighty or ninety feet down to the valley's floor.
From the top they could see the two cabins sitting close to one another, and sitting on the porch of the one on their right sat the two men they were after.
As they got closer they could see the dark haired one wrap an arm around the other one and then Shawn couldn't take it any more and called out, "Sean!"
Matt tried to hold himself back, but he couldn't. He started sprinting that last two hundred feet to Jeff with Shawn beside him looking at Sean.
But it wasn't happiness in Matt's mind, it was anger. Anger tinged heavily with fear. So when he got on the porch the first thing he did was punch Jeff as hard as he could in the shoulder.
Jeff whimpered and curled in on himself, not what Matt was expecting. Jeff always fought back. Always.
Shawn gathered his errant lover into his arms and rocked back and forth murmuring his love.
"Why'd you run off like that? Did you know how scared I was?" Matt asked as he started to do the same thing as Shawn only to have Jeff draw back and turn like to walk into the cabin. Before Matt could stop him or Jeff could take a step Jeff fell to his knees gasping in pain, holding his stomach.
"Shit." Sean said breaking from his lover and kneeling at Jeff's side.
Matt hit the ground on the other side, so scared he thought he would pass out.
"How bad?" Sean asked Jeff trying to stay calm, while the others milled around not sure of what to do.
"It hurts, Seany... I think... I'm going to lose... " Jeff left off with a wail and he tried to curl in on himself.
"We need to get him to a hospital." Matt said about to pick his brother up and carry him out of the valley.
"No!" Sean looked horrified by the suggestion. "Kev, pick him up as easy as you can. Take him into the house and up him in the bed on the right side of the cabin. Paul, run to that cabin and get Grandmother Leaning-Oak. Matt, you stay out here with everyone and start praying that everything is okay with your baby brother."
Sean followed Kevin into the cabin and Paul took off running. And Matt stood there staring like a dummy.
"Wait until after they're better to kick their asses, huh?" Shawn said as he worriedly watched through one of the windows.
Matt blushed then started crying. "I didn't mean it... Oh God, please don't take Jeffy from me!" His cry was enough to make the people standing around wince.
"'Nough of that, young one." a kind female voice said and Matt looked up in time to see an ancient woman walk past him into cabin.
Moments later Kevin was pushed out and the curtains were closed.
"I don't know why I did that... I'm so use to Jeff taking out his frustrations on me..." Matt sobbed into his hands and the others couldn't say anything.
For two hours they waited and Matt's sobs lessened to crying, then to single tears, finally to blank faced silence.
Then just as the horizon was starting to get dark Sean stepped out with a tired but relieved look. "He's okay... We thought for a moment that... well life would be lost, but everything's fine now."
Sean glanced down to Matt, who had fallen from where he had stood. "He's fine, Matt. He wants to see you."
Matt looked up at Sean and nodded while getting to his feet. "Thank you, Sean... I'm sorry."
"Not me you need to apologize to... But, when you find out what happened, you're self-hatred will be more than enough apology for me." Sean said trying not to be mean, but unable to stop himself. Turning he went and curled up in Shawn's lap, who sat on the bench under one of the windows.
Matt knocked before he entered. Once inside he found a low fire burning in an old style hearth. It was a simple cabin where the most modern thing, outside of Sean and Jeff's stuff, was a gas stove.
There were two beds one in the left back corner of the cabin and one on the right. In this bed, lay Jeff, pale and barely awake. Beside the bed Grandmother Leaning-Oak was packing up her bag, one that Matt hadn't even seen her carrying.
"Is he okay?" Matt asked her softly going closer.
"He will be fine after a day of rest. Tomorrow he must not move from the bed or it could prove fatal for all lives involved. Take care." With that and a smile she left.
Matt eased down onto the side of the bed and looked down at Jeff's pale face. "Jeffy?" he whispered brushing back his brother's blond hair.
Jeff slowly opened his eyes and smiled softly at Matt. "Hey, sorry about worrying you out there."
"It was my fault." Matt said as the tears came again.
"No, Matt. It wasn't... I'm just having a rough time right now...
You just kind of aggrevated my condition." Jeff said softly as he shifted and little so he could sit up slightly.
"You shouldn't be moving around that much..." Matt left off then went on. "What's wrong with you? We can deal with it together. I promise!" What Matt didn't hear was the desperate plea in his own voice.
"If I tell you you're going to think I'm crazy... Hell, if I hadn't seen it for myself I wouldn't believe it. Matt, can't you just, for once, trust me to know what I'm doing is right for me?" Jeff was looking into Matt's eyes and Matt nodded a little.
"I know you can take care of yourself and make your own decisions... But can't I be there with you?" Matt asked brushing back Jeff's hair again.
Jeff thought about it for a moment then nodded to himself. "Matt, have you noticed how I've been sick lately? I haven't been able to sleep or to eat without getting sick? And everything I take a hard bump or try to lift something heavy there would be a terrible cramp go through my stomach... Well, I finally went to the hospital one night after RAW in Tucson about two weeks before the brands had rejoined. I had Sean drive because he was the only one I could find that night. Well, there we met Daniel... He ran some tests and then he used an ultrasound and there it was. Almost larger than life..."
Matt's heart seized. "Cancer?"
"No, silly. Here, give me your hand." Jeff pushed back the covers and taking Matt hand placed it over the enlarged area where the baby was growing.
For a moment Matt did nothing, just ran his fingers over the lump. "It doesn't feel like swelling..." Matt was about to suggest something else when it moved.
He jumped a little and put his hand back and felt it move again, just to make sure he had really felt it.
"What is it?" Matt asked softly as it rolled under his hand.
"That, Matthew, is a baby." Jeff said as the baby kicked up a storm for his other father. Jeff had never really gotten over the feeling of that little person moving inside of him.
"A baby?" Matt's mind tried to find a more plausible explanation, but in the end he couldn't. Some how his brother was doing the impossible, having a baby.
"Are you mad because I ran?" Jeff asked softly as Matt continued to follow the movements of their baby.
"Huh? No... I wished you had come to me... Why didn't you tell me? We would have worked this out together." Matt's voice was soft then he got a funny look as the baby quit moving. "Should it have stopped?"
Jeff glanced down with a laugh. "It doesn't move all of the time... I wouldn't get any sleep if it did."
"Sleep..." Matt murmured. "You need your sleep. Curl up and get some rest. You need it... Daddy." Matt gave him a grin and tucked the cover around him.
"Matty, I'm fine." Jeff said with a sigh, though he yawned and snuggled down.
"Are you hungry? Do you want me to make something? Or maybe something from Tucson?" Matt's mind raced to the things that he knew about pregnancy.
"I'm fine. I probably won't be hungry for a while." Jeff's voice was heavy with laughter.
"Oh... morning sickness?" Matt asked meekly placing his hand over Jeff's tummy over the covers.
"No, been out of that for a while. It's normally over by the end of the first trimester. I'm in the middle of my second."
"How far are you into it?" Matt couldn't help but wonder when the baby would be there. Didn't they need things for him or her?
"About four and half months. The baby is due October 16th." Jeff said drifting off, happy to have shared his good news with his brother.
***
Out on the porch Sean heard the soft conversation between Jeff and his brother and sighed. Maybe he should share his good news too.
"Hey, Shawn... Come on, let's go for a walk by the river." Sean suggested as he started off toward the San Pedro.
Shawn hurriedly ran to catch up with him. "So... do I have to worry about you doing the same thing as Jeff?"
"Naw, I'm actually having a pretty easy time... Poor Jeff has almost lost it twice... well three times now. The only thing that's bothering me is some craps after matches. And sometimes I can't seem to keep anything down. But otherwise I'm fine." Sean said softly as he stopped at the edge of river an bent to pick up some rocks to throw into the river.
"Are you very sick?" Shawn put his hands on Sean's hip, but didn't stop him from throwing the rocks.
"Not bad... It's one of those things I'll have to get through. There's no cure for what I have other than time." Sean murmured as he dropped the rest of his stones and turned to Shawn. "I have something to tell you... Something that isn't easy to explain or believe... Some how... you see... I'm..." Sean left off and slid his hand over his baby, who was moving a little, just enough that he could feel it under his palm. It had only started doing that the week before so this was amazing to him still, though Sean was sure it would lose it's newness in a few months.
Shawn's hand went over his and for a moment he held still then turned Sean to face him. Kneeling, Shawn lifted Sean loose shirt and stared at the thing that had drawn his attention.
"A baby." Shawn said softly as he slid his hands over the mound. "How is it possible that you have a baby inside of you?"
"It's a miracle." Sean answered putting his hands over Shawn's. That had been easier than he had thought it would be.
"Yeah." Shawn whispered before kissing the cover over their baby and was rewarded with kick to the lips, causing them both to laugh.
"I can't believe it." Shawn murmured a few minutes later as he stood with hands over their baby.
"Neither can I sometimes..." Sean looked up at his lover with a shy expression. "I hope she looks like you."
"She? It's a girl?" Shawn asked as he slid his hand across and over Sean's abdomen, not able to get enough of the little mound.
"I think so... I hope so. That's what I want." Sean's mind drifted to a picture of a little curlly, amber-haired angel playing high tea with her dolls and teddy bears.
"You don't get to choose... Personally I couldn't care which. I just both you and the baby to come out of this healthy." Shawn's worry was present in his voice and Sean heard it.
"I know it's a big risk. Grandmother Leaning-Oak said she could give us an herb that would make our bodies abort the baby if we wanted it... But Jeff and I couldn't... I want this baby so badly. I'm willing to take a chance to have her." Sean's eyes flooded with
tears and all Shawn could do was wrap his arms around him.
"Sorry... My emotions are kind of in an uproar." Sean muttered wiping his eyes.
"That's okay. Come on let's get back to the cabin so we can share the good news." Shawn turned Sean and led him up cabin.
***
Matt woke up the next morning curled up in bed with Jeff, his hand over the small mound that seemed determined to get his attention that morning.
"What's goin' on, little one? Can't sleep when your daddies do? I'm sure the daddy you're in right now would appreciate it." Matt whispered after sliding gently down to where he was even with it.
"Got that right. I don't think it's going to let me sleep until it's born." Jeff said groggily as he stretched then winced.
"Are you hurting? Do you need Grandmother Leaning-Oak again?" Matt's mind rushed ahead of itself and wondered at all of the horrible things he could have set into motion.
"No... it's not the baby. I have a muscle cramped up in my back... Matty?" Jeff sounded so pathetic as he rolled onto his side and shot his brother a begging look.
"Sure." Matt moved up and started caressing Jeff's back looking for the muscle causing him pain. It was easy to find. Or rather they were easy to find. Jeff's lower back was pretty much one large knot.
"That's better..." Jeff murmured as he relaxed under his brother's talented hands.
When the muscles had finally relaxed Jeff let out a sigh and rolled so that he could smile up at his big brother.
"Thank you."
"Not a problem... Are you hungry?" Matt asked softly tracing his hands over the baby.
"Sorta... Could make me some grits? I know we've go the stuff, but I just haven't felt like making any." Jeff told him then for some reason he glanced at the other bed and started laughing.
Matt turned and seen what had his brother chuckling. In the other full sized bed lay Sean, who was cuddled with Shawn wrapped around them both was Kevin and Scott. On a couple of blankets on the floor by the bed lay Paul, Joanie, and PJ. Over on a palette in front of the fire place was Brian and Kip.
"I think we got the better end of it all." Jeff told his brother softly.
Matt nodded then rose to make the grits his brother was hungry for. With Jeff watching from his bed Matt made the grits along with a couple of pans of biscuits and a bowl of gravy for the others when they woke up.
Soon Matt was helping Jeff sit up in bed and handing him a bowl of grits with plate of biscuits and gravy. "Eat it all. You need everything you can get in you."
Jeff gave him a large grin and started eating, and to his surprise finished it all. "I think that's the most I've ate since before I was pregnant."
The dark-haired brother frowned at that and suggested a second helping. "I couldn't... I wish. But I can't." Jeff said rubbing his tummy with a satisfied smile.
"When you get hungry tell me... You need to eat more." Matt told him but he realized that Jeff probably hadn't been eating as he should. So Matt was going to make certain he did from now on.
"What's that I smell?" Sean asked sleepily as he wiggled out of the tangle of bodies in his bed.
"Food. There's grits and biscuits and gravy on the stove." Matt told him as he made Jeff slid back down into the bed and carried the dishes over to the pump handle sink.
"Oh yeah." Sean piled a plate full then walked over to Jeff's bed and sat by him while he ate. "Man, you're right your brother can cook!"
"Told you." Jeff sighed happily as Matt came back over and sat by Sean.
"Shouldn't you be resting, Sean?" Matt asked the dark haired man, worried for him and his baby.
"Matt, I'm not having the trouble that Jeff is. Here feel her. She's liking the grits." Sean held the plate to one side and grabbing Matt's hand put it over his moving baby.
Matt felt it and giggled. "You're not a far along as Jeff?" he asked as he moved his hand and noticed it wasn't as big as Jeff's.
"No. About four weeks behind him in fact." Sean finished his food and moved to do the dishes.
"I can do those!" Matt protested as he stood to force the pregnant man to rest.
"I need my exercise." Sean gave Matt a little shove and went on pumping the water.
"It's okay, Matty. Grandmother Leaning Oak told him to move around as much as he felt able to... Me she told to stay on my butt as much as I could." Jeff gave his brother a reassuring look and patted the bed beside him. "Come, entertain me."
3 months later
Matt grinned to himself as Brian and Kip came running down the slope into the valley. They had made a trip into Tucson for some craving that Sean had had. Since the Kevin, Scott, Paul, Jo and PJ had gone back on the road those two had done all the running that he and Shawn couldn't do for their pregnant mates.
It was hard to believe that there was a baby about to be born. Grandmother Leaning-Oak had said it wouldn't be much longer, probably before the week was out. Since it was Thursday Matt had been watching Jeff closely, wondering when their baby would get there. It had taken him a while to accept that he was going to be a father but finally he had. And now all he could do was wait. Sean was looking as wilted at a man could, Jeff was beyond that point. He was just ready to have the baby and go back to Cameron.
They were lucky to have found this tribe. The tribe elders had agreed to send in a birth notice so that they wouldn't have to fight for a birth certificate. It had been arranged for a woman to say that she had agreed to surrogate for Jeff and another for Sean.
"Matt..." Jeff called drawing his brother's attention to where he was leaning against the door way.
"Should you be up?" Matt asked standing and going to his side.
"I called out for you a couple of times but you didn't hear me... Could you go get Grandmother Leaning- Oak for me... I think it's time."
Matt felt himself pale. "T-time?"
"Yeah... I've got things ready and Sean is getting his stuff to go over to Grandmother's while I do my thing." Jeff smiled softly then grimaced. "Better hurry... I think our boy is wanting out as quickly as possible."
Matt gulped and sent Jeff back in before taking off at a fast run for the near cabin of the old medicine woman.
***
Matt sat with the Seans, Brian and Kip on the porch of the cabin they had spent the last few months in. Things were sounding like a horror movie in the cabin behind. There were times that Brian and Kip had to hold Matt back from running in and stopping what ever was happening.
Just as Matt was about to make another go for the door all went quiet inside and those outside held their breaths. Then a soft smack was heard and an answering baby whimper and screams.
All Matt could feel was numb as the other congratulated him. He was a father... he and Jeff had a baby. He was still numb ten minutes later when Grandmother Leaning-Oak lead him inside. Jeff was sitting up in their bed holding a tiny bundle staring at it with a soft smile. He glanced up and held out one hand to Matt who was at his side quickly to take it.
"Here he is." Jeff said softly as he parted the bundle enough for Matt to see their son's face.
He had a smattering of blackish hair on top of his head and a red wrinkled little face, but Matt had never seen anything more beautiful. Gently, Matt lifted him from Jeff's arms and chuckled when the baby yawned, but slowly opened his eyes. "Hey there... Been a long trip, huh?"
Jeff chuckled as he slipped down in the bed and watched them with sleepy eyes.
"Looks like your daddy needs a nap, so why don't we go over here and rest by the fire?" Matt suggested to the baby as he leaned over and kissed Jeff's forehead gently.
"No... Stay here. I'll feel better if you were both here with me." Jeff told him before moving over enough for Matt to sit at his side.
"Okay. You get some rest. I've got him." Matt whispered as Jeff slowly sunk into sleep. When he was certain Jeff was asleep Matt unwrapped the boy long enough to inspect everything from his hair to his toes, which Matt was happy to see were as perfect as the rest of him.
Happily Matt snuggled down beside Jeff with the baby in his arms to watch them both as they slept.
***
Jeff hummed happily to himself as he finished putting away the laundry. It was so good to be home. It had been four months since Ryan had been born and two months since he had left the valley. Sean had given birth not long before they left so it shouldn't be long before he and Shawn would be able to leave the valley. Jeff chuckled at the memory of the small brunette cursing Shawn from inside the cabin while birthing their daughter.
Like her father she had made her displeasure well known. She had been so much bigger than Ryan that Matt and Jeff had worried. But Grandmother Leaning-Oak had reassured them.
Jeff chuckled as he remembered his father's face when he had presented him with his grandson. Gil had paled then frowned and finally smiled as he lifted the little black haired baby from his carrier. Oddly their father had accepted the surrogate story. But then, Jeff rationalized, he had accepted that he and Matt were together. This must not had been that much of a shock.
Matt came walking in with Ryan and smiled at Jeff's happiness. "I just got a call from Sean." he announced as he handed Ryan over.
"Oh? They made it home all right?" Jeff asked as he swung Ryan in a gentle arch before settling him in his arms.
"Yeah, though Cam wasn't happy about having a baby sister. He asked if they could exchange her for a puppy or a kitten." Matt said with a chuckle.
Jeff groaned, but laughed as well. "It's a good thing that we only have one... I don't think I could handle two at once."
"I know what you mean... If you had acted as childish as you used to I don't think I would have been able to handle it."
The younger brother smacked Matt on the arm but grinned when Ryan laughed. "Oh, you think that's funny? Huh? Huh?" Lifting Ryan up Jeff proceeded to blow a long raspberry on the boy's tummy, making him laugh even harder.
Matt watched this with a proud smile. Maybe Jeff hadn't grown up too much. The Jeffy he knew and loved was still in there, he had gone like Matt had feared.
