A month later, Steph hurridly walked (waddled) into the building where her practice was, Willow and Erika right behind her.

"I'm so sorry," Stepg appologized to her seceratary who was sitting at her desk in the main reseption area. "My car wouldn't start and Peter had to drive us here..."

"Oh, Hun, it's alright. Your first patient is in there waiting for you. I'll watch the girls," Mrs. Dinsdale stated calmly.

"Thank you so much. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Mrs. Dinsdale waved her of. "Oh hush. I'm glad to watch these two little angels."

Willow and Erika giggled at this, hiding behind Steph's legs, lost in their own little game. Steph just stood there, trying to catch her breath. She would never admit this to anyone, but she was feeling like she was being stretched way too thin and it was beginning to show. Last time, the with twins, she was home the whole time. Now, she had a business to run, two girls to raise, and an extra baby inside her.

Mrs. Dinsdale picked up on this. "Hun, I can tell Mrs. Barker to wait is you want to lay down."

Steph smiled. "No, I have back-to-back clients today and I'm late as it is. Besides, it takes me ten minutes just to stand up again."

She said good-bye to her daughters and walked into her workroom. She couldn't help but shake the feeling that something was off.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Cut! Print that," the director said

As soon as the cameras were off, Patty came running onto the stage where everyone was standing.

"Woah, Patty luv, what's the matter?" Davy asked his hysterical assistant.

"Peter! Some lady called... Mrs. Dis...Mrs. Des..."

"Mrs. Dinsdale?" Peter asked, starting to get a little freaked out.

"Yes! Her!"

"What did she want?!"

"Steph's in the hospital! She's having the babies!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Peter ran from the set and out of the studio. He leaped into his car and drove like a madman to the maternity ward.

"Daddy!!" Willow and Erika cried as they saw him running down the hallway.

He bent down and hugged them both, fighting the urge to cry.

"Mommy," Willow said pointing at the door. "Mommy inside."

"Nana inside, too," Erika said pointing as well.

"You'd better go in there, Sugar. Her mother just came seconds before you did. The babies are coming now," Mrs. Dinsdale said.

"Now?" Peter asked in shock.

"Yes, now. I'll watch the girls."

"Ok." To his daughters he said, " I have to go see Mommy now."

"No! Daddy stay here!"

"I'll be right back. Mommy needs me."

Both Willow and Erika looked like they were about to cry but let Peter leave without protest.

As soon as he entered the delivery room, his mother-in-law rushed to his side. "We were worried that you weren't going to make it in time."

"Peter?" He rushed to Steph's side as she called out to him, "Peter, they're coming! They're three weeks early. Peter, what if we aren't ready? I mean, five kids? How are we going to do this?" Steph asked, hysterical.

"Shh... everything is going to be all right. We'll figure something out later because right now you need to concentrate on giving brith to our children," Peter said, pressing her hand to his face.

"Ok, they're ready to come out. We just need you to give us a big push," the doctor ordered.

Steph complied and, with just one push, the first child came into the world.

Before the doctor could tell the emotional parents the gender of the baby, the handed it off to be cleaned and prepare for the next child, who was already beginning to crown, to be born.

"Ok, baby number two is out, prepare for number three. They are coming out like rapid fire here. Don't stop, you are doing a good job. Just keep pushing," the doctor said getting back to work.

Steph fell back in a sigh of relief as the third child was born. She closed her eyes, panting, thankful that the whole ordeal was over with... or so she thought...

"Steph," the doctor said suddenly. "Keep pushing."

Her eyes snapped open. "Why?"

"Because another one is still in there...you're not having triplets... you're having quadruplets."

Steph looked at Peter, alarmed. "I'm sorry. What did you say?" she asked, barely able to think straight.

"You're having quadruplets. Now push!!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Peter slowly walked out into the hallway to find everyone out there waiting. He led them into the delivery room that had just been cleaned up. Once inside, they found Steph, who was just barely consious, holding four little bundles, all wrapped in blue blankets.

"Oh my Lord, they stole one!!" Mike exclaimed.

Steph sleepily laughed and explained, "Turns out that the one doctor was wrong... surprise!"

"Four babies??" Ginger asked, overcome with sympathy pains. Her baby kicked in protest, which only made her cringe even more.

"All boys?" Kari asked in amazement.

"Yes, apperantly I can only give birth to one gender at a time," Steph said dryly.

"What are their names?" Micky asked.

"Well," Peter started, noticing that Steph's eyes were closed, "This one is Avery James, this one is Matthew Trey, Dylan Zane, and Quintin Jay."

"Brothers?" Willow asked, both her and Erika on their tip-toes to see their new siblings.

"Mommy nap!" Erika squealed causing everyone to laugh.

All four boys looked strikingly the same and like Peter, where as the girls looked more like their mother. Avery and Matthew had deep blue/grey eyes and Quintin and Dyaln had brown. All of the boys had various shades of sandy brown hair. Erika and Steph were the only blonde ones in the family now.

Steph stirred in her sleep. "Peter?" she asked, her eyes still closed.

"Yeah?"

"No more kids... ever..."

"I am with you on that one."

"Thank you."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Mike walked into his house after filming for the day and breathed in deeply, smelling whatever it was that was for dinner. "Gin?" he called out.

"I'm in here!" she called from their bedroom. Cole added, "Daddy!"

Mike walked in and found Ginger reaching up on top of their dresser, cleaning it. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Oh, darling, I'm sorry, I thought you knew. Let me explain. You see, this is called dusting. I have to run this rag over all this furniture to get the icky dust off of it a--"

"Very funny. I mean why are you doing that? I told you not t--"

"I know what you told me, but I couldn't stand it anymore... I can't just sit here all day like I'm waiting for a bomb to go off..."

Mike laughed as he sat down on the bed and Cole climed across it to him. "Well, being a week overdue, you sort of are..."

"Ha..." Ginger folded the dust rag up and pushed her hair out of her face. "So how was work? You're home a little early."

"Fine. I took tomorrow off," Mike said as he took his shirt off. Cole attempted to do the same but Mike stopped him.

Ginger was putting some clothes in the dresser. "Why did you take off? Not that I'm not glad you did..."

"Uh, let's see. Maybe because my wife is pregnant, a week overdue, and has been having contractions."

"Michael, you've called me every hour today. They've not gotten any worse. You can go to work..."

"No. You'll have the baby tomorrow, possibly the next day."

Ginger gave him a little look. "How is it that you'd know?"

"Instinct. Vibes."

Ginger still looked at him.

"Okay, so I wanted a day off..." He turned to Cole. "And what have you done today, Little Man?"

Cole cocked his head as he reviewed his day, telling Mike, "I, I woke up. I sleepy. Went to work--you went to your work. Why... that stuff on your face?"

Mike tried to decipher what he meant. "This?" he touched his sideburn.

Cole shook his head. "Fluffy stuff. Put fluffy stuff on and little... thing... little stick, then water."

Mike thought a little harder. "Oh! You mean in the morning when you were watching me in the bathroom?" Cole had stared a hole through Mike the entire time he'd gotten dressed that morning, as he usually did whenever he got up early enough to see Mike before he left for work.

Cole nodded. "Why fluffy stuff on your face?"

It was a great struggle not to laugh. "I put in on to shave. It makes my face soft."

Cole immediately reached up and touched Mike's face. "Not soft!"

"Five o'clock shadow..." Mike muttered as Ginger was laughing.

"Want some..." Cole touched his own face.

"Yours is already soft," Mike told him.

Cole touched his face a little harder, which made his mouth stick out like a "fish face". "Oh..."

Mike shook his head. "Then what did you do?"

"I eated--"

"You ate..." Mike said.

"I ate eggs. From chickens. Birds and on farms. An' I went sleep and woke up. I played. All day. Mommy clean house. We cooked. I helped Mommy cook. And... you, you're home."

Mike smiled. He always asked Cole what he'd done all day. He and Ginger liked to encourage Cole to talk about something and communicate. And Cole did it very well for a ten-month old, they thought.

"What did you play?" Mike asked as he stood up and started into the kitchen after Ginger, Cole following him wobbily.

"I play... I played puppy."

"Puppy?" Mike asked him then looked at Ginger, amused, as he took the plates from her to stop her from setting the table.

"Show Daddy how you played like you were a puppy."

Cole immediately dropped to all fours and "arf-ed", then he stood up on his knees like a dog begging with his tongue hanging out. Then he fell over from his own laughter.

Mike laughed. "You're a very good puppy." He picked Cole, who was still laughing rather hard, up and put him in his high chair. "Now let's see how good you can cook..."

Cole very carefully picked up his fork and tested his food in a very serious manner that was absolutely cracking Ginger and Mike up, though they were hiding it from him. He took a bite, then dropped his fork and threw his hands up. "I'm good!"

Ginger and Mike both burst out laughing.

After Mike had tucked Cole into bed that night, he started to walk into his den with all of his musical stuff in it to play with a song. He walked by the bedroom and called in to Ginger, "I'm in the den if you need me..."

"Okay," she answered.

After about twenty minuets, Mike heard a knock on the door and Ginger came in. Excitedly he said, "Listen to this!" He played through the chorus and a verse of his song. "How's that sound to you?"

"Fantastic," Ginger said. "Are you going to be in here all night?"

Mike looked taken back. She never minded him going off on his own in a car for hours on end, let alone having some time in another room. "Why? Is there something you want to do?"

She shrugged. "I was just wondering where you'd be if I needed you. I'm going to go out for a while."

Mike looked totally confused. "No you're not... Where to?"

"The hospital. My water broke a few minuets ago..."

Mike laughed at her scaring the heck out of him, making him think she was mad or something.Then it sunk in he now needed to be scared over the fact she'd gone into labor. He put his guitar down and went over to her. "Have you called anybody? The doctor? Someone to watch Cole?"

"I called the doctor but I don't know who can stay with Cole..."

Mike was trying to breathe slowly and evenly. "Okay... Okay... C'mon..." He took Ginger's hand, went into the living room, and sat her down on the couch.

"You don't have to rush so much... I mean, you know how long we had to wait at the hospital with Cole."

"This is our second and you're a week overdue... 'Bout time somebody rushed..." Mike said as the phone rang on the other end at Peter and Steph's house.

"Haha..."

"Hey Pete... Listen, what are you and Steph doing?... She is? Well that's good... Because Ginger's in labor and we have to have somebody watch Cole. You think she will?... Okay, thanks man. Later." After he hung up Mike walked over and sat down beside Ginger. "Peter said Steph and the girls were out and were coming over here on their way home. He said she'd stay with Cole."

"Oh, good. Mm..."

Mike asked after the surprisingly long contraction was over, "So how far apart are they?"

"Well they were about ten minuets apart, but that was only about five minuets from the last one."

Mike just looked at her.

"What? I can't help it."

After a while, there was a knock on the front door.

"Thank God..." Mike said. He was getting more than nervous as Ginger's contractions were falling under five minuets. He sprinted over to the door and pulled Steph and the girls in.

"Well hello to you, too..." Steph said.

"Look," Mike said out of breath, "I already called Peter and he told me you were coming over. I need you to stay with Cole because Ginger's having contractions like three or four minuets apart..."

Willow stood at Mike's feet and looked up at him. She tugged his jeans. In all his excitement, Mike bent down to her. "Yes honey?"

She hugged him. "It's okay. Don't be all crazy."

Steph and Ginger both laughed at the sweetness of it and the look on Mike's face. He hugged the little girl back. "Okay babe, I won't be."

Willow let go with a satisfied smile as Mike grabbed Ginger's hand.

"Oh my God!" Steph hugged Ginger tight as Mike was pulling her out the door. "Have fun!" she yelled out.

"Yeah thanks a lot!" Ginger answered.

Mike drove like a manic to the hospital, and Ginger assumed the role of trying to calm him down. Once he picked up on that, Mike really tried to harness his nervousness. They arrived at the hospital and got checked in quickly, Ginger in intense pain especially from having to walk with such close and strong contractions.

After around two hours, the baby was starting to come into the world.

"You went a lot faster this time..." Mike said to Ginger as she got ready to push.

"Don't antagonize me..."

"Actually," the doctor decided to take time to explain. Much to Ginger's annoyance. "She's been in labor for a long time, her water just didn't break until much later this time."

"Um..." Ginger said, hating to interrupt the riviting discussion.

Proving the doctor right about the fact she actually hadn't gone that much faster this time, only after about an hour of pushing was the baby finally actually being born.

"One more..." the doctor said and Ginger complied. "A little harder..."

Mike winced from the pain in his hand but didn't say anything, just pulled Ginger's hair together in the back. He thought it was impossible, but she squeezed his hand harder as she let out a little cry from her effort and the baby was born.

Once again Mike beat the doctor to announcing the baby's sex. "Another boy!"

Ginger relaxed back as they prepared to hand her the baby. Mike was about to pop at now having two sons. Ginger laughed at the incredible smile on his face. "Is that what you wanted? You look pretty pleased with yourself..."

Mike's big huge dopey grin turned mock smug for a moment with small tears in his eyes. "Pretty good."

The nurse placed the little boy in Ginger's arms and Mike once again had the thrill of seeing a child of his for the first time. He got in close to the baby's face and kissed him then Ginger.

After the two had had a minuet alone with their new child, Mike went out into the waiting room and picked Cole up.

"Do you want a little baby brother or sister?" Mike asked him, beaming.

Cole thought about it. "Don't know. A brother?"

Mike smiled even bigger. He really wanted to stop not only from the fact he didn't ever care too much for smiling, but his face was going numb.

He, holding Cole, led the others into the room.

"Hi sweetheart," Ginger said to her oldest son as Mike sat him down to look at the baby.

The rest walked in and Davy saw the blue blanket first. "Oh no, three Nesmith men in the world... We're not ready... Not even for one..."

Mike cast him an evil, mischievious little look.

"Why so little?" Cole asked.

"He'll get bigger," Mike assured him.

"Name?" Cole then asked, not once taking his in-awe eyes off of his brother.

Ginger looked at Mike for conformation and Mike nodded. "His name is Sean. Do you like that?" Ginger asked Cole.

He nodded. Then he held his finger up to his lips in a "shh" motion. "Too loud. He's asleep."

Everyone laughed silently. Then Mike said to Cole, "You can hold him if I help you."

Cole looked amazed then tried to fix his own arms like Ginger's as Mike got Cole settled on his lap the placed his new son in Cole's arms. Then he cradled both the baby and Cole's arms in his own.

Steph yanked out a camera and captured the three; Mike with his two look-alike sons.

He shot her a look but she knew it was only for show.

"Steph, if I'm in that picture," Ginger said. "I will kill you."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Part Seventeen