Lucas sat across from Diane Clarke wondering if he had made a mistake. He hadn’t told Tucker what he was doing, knowing that his husband would totally be against it. It was a couple of weeks after Ethan had given birth to Ariel and Gabriella when he found out that Rochelle’s parents were filing a suit against Tucker for what they thought was their daughter’s house. Lucas wanted to follow Tucker’s advice to leave things alone, but he couldn’t.

Lucas, more than anyone, knew how Tucker felt about the home he shared with his late wife. And truthfully, he was also falling in love with the house. He was adding his own personal touches here and there, even though he and Zoi hadn’t fully moved in yet. But he considered the house as his.

“Why did you call me here, Mister Hamilton?”

“It’s Hamilton-Stevens,” he said correcting her and didn’t miss her wince. “What’s the real reason you’re trying to get the house? Because if it’s money you want I'll write you a check right now.”

“Money won’t fix everything, Mister Hamilton.”

“Hamilton-Stevens,” he said correcting her again without missing a beat. “No, it won’t. So, let me rephrase the question. Tucker’s been living in that home alone for so long mourning the death of his wife and daughter, and the second he found some happiness you show up. So why now?”

“He doesn’t deserve happiness,” she said looking down at her glass of water and Lucas wanted to throw it in her face but refrained from doing so. “Not after what he did to my sister.”

“What did he do to her? From what I can tell, he loved her with everything in him. Or is it a crime to love someone?’

“He took her away from us,” she snapped.

“No, your fucking prejudice and ignorance did that,” Lucas snapped back. Her brown eyes blazed with fire, but she didn’t deny it. “You saw his color, and instead of accepting the man your sister loved, you judged him. Look around, the world is filled with diversity and it’s not going to change so fucking deal with it.” They glared at each other and Lucas could see nothing he said about Tucker would change her small mind. “I had my lawyers look over the deed on the house. If you took this to court, you and your parents would lose everything. Tucker’s name is the only one on the documents—the only name that's ever been on the deed.” She looked up at him and then back down to her water glass. “You already knew that didn’t you?”

“Yes, I knew,” she answered then smirked. “Roe told me he bought it for her. I remember the first time I saw it; it wasn’t the house it is now. It was a dump. There were so many things wrong with it; I thought he was crazy to want to buy it. The roof leaked, only cold water came out when you turned on the faucets, and there was this ugly peach carpet—or maybe it was white at one time—but either way the carpet was ugly. But Roe saw something different, love was what she said. She saw love. Over time, Tucker would fix things by himself, and for the harder jobs, he’d hire someone to do it. When Roe found out she was pregnant. Tucker worked day and night to make sure Laura’s room was completely finished before she was born.” She stopped speaking then looked up at Lucas. “I know what it seems like, and true at first I saw Tucker’s color, but my sister loved him, and one day she was gone, and he wasn’t there. He was at that blasted house while his wife and daughter were dying.”

“So you blame Tucker for something he couldn’t control? Did you forget that Tucker lost three people he loved that day too? How fucking selfish are you, lady? You just admitted that Tucker practically built that house with his own two hands, and now you feel that you have the right to take away the one thing he’s cherished since his wife and daughter died? Who the fuck do you think you are?”

“You’re rich, why don’t you buy him a new house since you like to throw money around.” She scowled.

“Not the fucking point.” He refrained from calling her a derogatory name simply because his mother taught him better.

“Doesn’t it make you angry that he wants you to live with him in the house they shared together?”

“I don’t see why it should be a matter of thought.” What the hell is wrong with this chick?

“Because that house is where my sister seemed the happiest and he still has a piece of her happiness . . .” Tears streamed down her cheeks; she used the napkin and dabbed the corner of her eyes.

“And you don’t, is that it? You think you don’t have your sister and Tucker has her in the home they shared.” Lucas sighed and shook his head. “Listen, I know what it feels like to lose someone you love and not be able to let them go. I lost my wife a couple of years ago, and not a day goes by that I don’t think about her. But I’m learning, no, I’ve learned to let her go. It’s not the easiest thing to do, but it is something we have to do, or we will never be able to let anyone in. I’m not exactly sure what you want from Tucker but taking the house he lived in with your sister is not the answer. As a matter of fact, Tucker isn’t even an issue where you and your family are concerned. He’s mine.”

Lucas stood and looked down at her as he reached into his pocket and pulled out some cash even though they didn’t eat anything. She looked up at him and then down to his stomach then back to his face.

“I say this with no malice. Drop the lawsuit because we will take everything you and your parents own.” He walked out of the restaurant not looking back. He got in his car and headed home to his husband and daughter. 

* * *

Tucker opened the front door and was greeted with a happy two-year-old jumping in his arms before he could step fully into the house. Tucker realized that while he’s at work he can't wait to get home and how much he needed both Lucas and Zoi in his life. Lifting her in his arms, he kissed her cheek making her giggle before kissing him back.

“Hey, baby girl, did you have fun today?”

“Uh huh, paid wit Daddy an Casey at park."

“Yes, and you also made a big mess,” Lucas said walking into the room.

Tucker dropped his case to the floor and closed the door. “Hey,” he said leaning down, kissing his husband on the lips then wrapping his free arm around his waist, pulling him closer and taking their kiss deeper. They pulled back slowly, and he couldn’t remove the smile off his face. “I was thinking.”

“I don’t see any smoke coming from your ears.”

“Smart-a . . .”

“No cursing in front of the kid,” Lucas said stopping him with an all too proud smile on his face.

“I’ll get you back later. But I was thinking we could ask your parents to watch this little one for the weekend and we spend some time together.” He leaned closer to whisper in Lucas' ear. “It’s been a while since I heard you scream for me.” He smirked when Lucas gasped and took a shuddering breath. He slipped a hand down to his ass cupping it and nipped at his earlobe. “If I recall, I owe you a spanking for disobeying me.” If he had more to say his husband didn’t give him a chance, he was out of his arms reaching for his cell phone making him chuckle. “Come on, baby girl, let’s get you ready to spend the weekend with your grandparents.”

* * *

“Fuck, baby, don’t hold back from me.”

Lucas moaned as he reached up and cupped the back of Tucker’s neck. He was on his knees with his back pressed against Tucker’s chest, sweat and his husband’s large cock inside of him kept them stuck together. He turned his head and captured his husband’s lips in a kiss that always seemed to leave him breathless. After they’d dropped Zoi off at his parents, they’d grabbed something quick to eat but they were more eager to get home and be alone for the first time in weeks.

“So good,” Tucker said against his lips, then licking his mouth.

“Yes,” he said breathlessly.

Tucker’s fingers gripped tightly on his hips as he started fucking him faster.

“Let me hear your sweet moans. You know how much the sound turns me on.”

He couldn’t hold them back even if he wanted to; Tucker was driving him crazy. He released Tucker’s neck and leaned forward resting his forehead on his forearm. He widened his legs reaching down to grab his cock and released it when there was a sharp slap to his left ass cheek. “Fuck.”

“Mine,” was all Tucker said as his strokes became shorter and faster.

Another slap on his right cheek had him begging for more. He had no idea that he would enjoy being spanked during sex. Tucker didn’t ask if he was sure, and with each stroke, his cock brushed against his prostate while Lucas received another spank to his ass.

“Sweet pain and pleasure, just how I like it,” he moaned.

 “Is that right,” Tucker said spanking him twice more.

 Lucas moaned. “Fuck, yes.”

His ass burned in a good way, with each stroke his cock bobbed between his legs. The sensitive head of his cock hitting his stomach brought so much pleasure to him making him moan like a wanton cat in heat. Giving over to everything he was feeling, he couldn’t hold back his orgasm calling out Tucker’s name. Tucker grunted and continued to fuck him, bringing himself off cumming inside of him. Tucker’s strokes slowed causing Lucas to shiver not from the chill in the air but from pleasure and anticipating that they would get to make love to each other all weekend.

* * *

“I did something I don’t think you will like,” Lucas said.

It was sometime later after their intimate moment, and they were in bed cuddling. Lucas had his head on Tucker’s chest who seemed very proud of himself for what they had just done.

“I find that hard to believe, right now.” Tucker reached down lifting his chin so that they were looking at each other. “What did you do?”

“I had a meeting with Diane.”

“When?”

“Today, well, yesterday.”

Tucker was silent for a few seconds before speaking. “Why? I can handle my own shit, Lucas.” He sat up with his back to Lucas. “You didn’t have to meddle in it like your mother does in everyone’s life.”

“I know that.” Lucas got to his knees, wrapped his arms around Tucker and kissed the side of his neck. “I know that you can handle your own shit, but your shit became my shit when we got married.”

“Fine.” Tucker sighed giving in way too easily. “How did it go?”

“Well, I figured out why they want to take our home.”

“They miss Rochelle and figured taking the house she lived in was the best way to be close to her and hurt me in the process.”

“So you knew?”

“Yeah, I knew,” Tucker said getting up, grabbing his sweatpants and pulling them on.

“So why’d you let them continue to threaten you with taking away our home? Were you going to let them win and take away what we are trying to build here?”

“No,” Tucker snapped.

“Then why? I don’t get why you’d simply let this go on when you knew what they were trying to do.” Lucas got off the bed and took the short steps he needed to stand in front of Tucker. He looked into his husband’s eyes, and that’s when he saw the answer without him even saying the words. Guilt. Lucas touched the side of his husband’s face. “I don’t want to argue with you about this. I like the fact that we haven’t had many arguments since we’ve been together, and we talk things through. I know the peace won’t last and that you or I will do something to piss the other off, but I’m not going to stand by and let come try to break us apart, and if that means butting in then so fucking be it.”

“Nothing is going to pull us apart, Lucas. I know how much the Clarkes miss Rochelle, she was their world. And I assume it made Diane a bit jealous and now she is trying to do everything she can to get her parents to notice that they still have one daughter left.” Tucker rested a hand on the back of Lucas’ neck. “Diane probably knows it’s a lost cause but was trying to be there for her parents any way she can.”

“I get that, I really do, but their need to continue to hurt you is not right. Just like you, Tucker, I will protect our family any way I can.”

“The Clarkes are harmless,” Tucker said.

“Maybe today they are, but tomorrow they might not be. I’m not saying they are terrorists, but they could affect our lives. One thing I learned about the whole thing with my parents is that secrets between the ones you love is not a good thing.”

“I guess the tables have been turned.”

“What does that mean?”

“You can sound reasonable when you want to be,” Tucker said to him.

“I guess you’re rubbing off on me.”

“I’ll take that as a good thing.”

Lucas wrapped his arms around Tucker’s neck bringing his head down for a kiss since his stomach took up a lot more room. “A very good thing.”

 “There’s something I want to ask you,” Lucas said, stepping out of Tucker’s arms.

 “This sounds serious, what is it?”

 “I know you haven’t said it, but I can see it on your face sometimes when you look at Zoi. I know how much you miss Laura and I’m not, or I hope you don’t think I want Zoi to replace her in your heart . . .”

 “You’re not making any sense. Just tell me or ask what it is you want to ask.”

“I would like for you to adopt Zoi or at least think about it.” Tucker stared at him for a long time, and Lucas wondered if he was going to say no.

 “I love Zoi with all my heart, a few months ago I was afraid that I couldn’t be the father that she would need or I would see her as another Laura. But Zoi is nothing like Laura, and that hasn’t stopped me from seeing her as mine. Laura will always have a place in my heart no matter how many kids we have together.”

“Is that your way of saying yes?”

Tucker smiled then reached out a hand to Lucas, who took it instantly. “Yeah, I would be honored for Zoi to have my last name.”

Lucas stepped back into his arms resting his head on his chest. “Thank you.” Nothing else needed to be said between them.

* * *

“No!”

“I said pick it up, young lady.” Lucas stared down at his daughter who was glaring up at him with green-steel eyes that mirrored his. Any other day he would have found it adorable, but today he was in too much pain. His lower back hurt in the worst way and he felt like screaming at everyone that spoke to him.

“No, I tell Papa,” she said in defiance which had become her new mantra for everything when there was something she refused to do, like pick up her toys.

“Fine, tell him. I don’t care.” Lucas crossed his arms over his chest, which was actually his stomach. He couldn’t believe that he was arguing with a two-year-old.

In the past two months since he and Zoi had moved in with Tucker, he’d gotten bigger and crankier. They were adjusting to all the mood changes he was going through. Zoi seemed to complain to Tucker whenever Lucas got on her nerves. They’d blended their furniture making things work for the both of them. Just like in his previous house, he commandeered the basement, which will be his new game room. It was going to be set up after he had the twins.

He and Tyler were still in the process of finding a new building to move the main office of their company. At the moment, they were both still working from home and conducting meetings via satellite which seemed to be going great for them, but they still need an office. They hadn’t heard anything from the Clarkes since Lucas talked with Diane.

“Zoinida Lynne Hamilton and soon-to-be Stevens, you will pick up your toys right now.”

“Oh boy, using her full name. What happened this time?” Tucker asked walking into Zoi’s room. They’d cleaned out the extra room that Tucker used as his office for the twins' room.

“Daddy mean,” she told Tucker running over to him.

“Well, she’s certainly your daughter, stubborn to a fault.”

Lucas snapped his head around to his husband and felt as if he wanted to smack the man. “So, she’s my daughter when she's like this and yours when she’s sweet as pie.”

“Um . . .”

“You deal with her. She seems to listen to you.”

“Um . . . are you okay?”

“Tucker, I say this with all the love I have for you. Ask me that question again and I will harm you in the worst way possible.” He walked out of the room leaving his daughter and husband alone and went to his bedroom to take a nap, another thing he’d been doing a lot lately. Getting comfortable, he fell asleep quicker than he could say his name.

Lucas opened his eyes and smiled when he scented her familiar perfume. This time her hands were warm and comforting. “She is so much like you,” Rebecca said. “Those two will be the same way.”

“I’m not that stubborn,” he pouted.

“Says the man who wouldn’t give up after the many times I turned him down.”

“That’s because I wanted you to be mine.”

She smirked. “Not anymore.”

“You will always be mine, and I think Tucker understands.” He grunted at the pull in his stomach.

“It’s almost time,” Rebecca told him. “I’m so glad we will get to witness this.”

“Time for what? We? We who?” he asked before he felt the harshest pain coming from his stomach.

Lucas sat up and screamed out in pain, “Holy fucking shit!” just as he felt liquid soaking his sheet.

“What’s wrong?” Tucker burst through the door looking at him.

“My water just broke.”

“Your water just broke? How?”

Is he fucking serious right now? “The twins . . .” He didn’t get to finish his statement because another pain hit him.

“Oh, fuck . . . your water just broke! The twins . . . our babies . . .” Tucker stammered seeming to get his shit together. “Okay, stay there, I’ll be right back.”

Where the fuck is he going? Lucas tried to get up and follow Tucker, but he was hit with another contraction. “Oh fuck . . . oh fuck . . .” he chanted breathing through the pain. Should things be going this fast? It seemed as if the pains were coming quicker and sharper.

“All right,” Tucker said coming back into the room. “Your parents are on their way and will stay with Zoi. Your bag, where’s your bag?”

Lucas watched as his husband ran around the room looking for a bag that he never packed because they thought they had more time. What the hell happened to the calm, reasonable man that he’d come to know over the years, even though they’ve only been close a little over nine months. “Oh, for fuck's sake, forget the damn bag and help me to the car.”

“The car, right,” he said and walked over to Lucas, reaching down to help him up but stopped.

“What? What’s wrong?” Tucker didn’t speak right away, and Lucas saw his shoulder’s shaking. “It’s going to be all right, you know that, right?”

Tucker glanced down at him with tears in his eyes. “I do,” he said. “I’m just a little out of sorts right now, give me a second to get my mind together.”

“Tucker, I really wish I could give you that minute, I mean . . . Your sons aren’t giving us that option.”

“Sons,” Tucker said with a sloppy smile then his eyes widened. “Holy shit, we gotta go.” Then stood and disappeared again.

“Fuck, where is he going now?” he whined frustrated, wet, and in so much pain he wanted to punch someone or something.

Tucker was back with his jacket after a couple of seconds. “Okay, I have your jacket, and your parents just got here. Everyone else will meet us at the hospital.” That time he sounded more in control of himself as he helped Lucas up and into his jacket and down the stairs.

“I really don’t need a jacket,” Lucas said.

“I know, right now I need to feel useful,” Tucker said.

And just like that Lucas understood. Tucker was trying to help in his own way, they were both nervous, but he was in too much pain to show it at the moment.

Gods, this shit fucking hurts like a son of a bitch.

* * *

“Okay, Lucas, I need you to push one more time,” Doctor Wilson said.

“I am fucking pushing,” Lucas yelled.

Tucker stood beside his husband keeping his mouth completely shut. The last time he said something Lucas screamed in his face and told him to shut the hell up. Fuck, this is stressful. They’d gotten to the hospital in time for them to hook Lucas up to the fetal monitor. His contractions had slowed on the way to the hospital going from five minutes apart to ten then thirty. Since his regular doctor was in New York, Asher sent the company jet for Doctor Wilson to be there to deliver the babies.

Why they couldn’t use any of the doctors since they were at Sheffield Smith's University Hospital, the very hospital his brother works at? Well, that was because Lucas was a difficult patient not trusting anyone other than his doctor. Fuck, the man was stubborn. That was about six hours ago before Lucas’ contractions started again.

“That’s it, Lucas, I see the head, one more push and should have the first one born,” Doctor Wilson said.

“You’re doing great, baby,” Tucker said leaning down to kiss him on his sweat-soaked curly hair.

Tucker completely ignored the vise grip that was on his wrist or the nails digging into his skin. He saw it as a sacrifice for what Lucas was going through for him and their babies.

“Tu . . . Tucker, I can’t.”

He looked down at Lucas who was breathing hard, face flushed red and green blazing eyes that spoke differently to his words. “Yes, you can. I know it’s hard . . .”

“Harder than anything I’ve ever done in my life.”

“I doubt that,” Tucker said to him.

“Promise me the next time you will be the next one to get pregnant.”

They knew for sure that it was impossible. They did the test, and everything under the sun, and they knew for certain that Tucker would never carry a child. But, if it was what Lucas needed to hear so that he could feel secure in that moment, Tucker would agree.

“Anything for you.”

“Good,” he said and closed his eyes and pushed as hard as he could before he heard the sound of a baby crying.

Lucas fell back to the bed, and Tucker’s knees shook from sheer exhaustion but knew they had one more to go before he could think about sitting down. He wanted to get a peek of his son, but the doctor stood and started feeling around on Lucas’s stomach.

“Is it over yet?” Lucas asked tiredly.

“Not yet, Lucas, just a bit more,” Doctor Wilson said then sat down. “Nurse, get the doctor on call in here now,” he ordered.

“Yes, Doctor,” the nurse said and left the room in a hurry.

“What's going on? Is my baby okay?” Lucas asked before Tucker could.

“There’s been a slight complication.”

“What? What kind of complication?” Tucker asked, his nerves and worry building up. Could it be the holes? Did the baby get stuck in one of them? It might not be rational thinking on Tucker’s part, but he wasn’t thinking sane thoughts at the moment.

“Your placenta came out after the first child, and we need to perform a cesarean to take the second child since he’s breach, and I don’t want to take the chance of trying to turn him. So we are going to take the baby out before Lucas loses too much blood and or the little one dies.”

He was more serious than he’d even seen the doctor. There wasn’t the usually nodding that Doctor Wilson did which Lucas and Tucker would mimic.

“Oh gods no,” Lucas cried out. “Please save my baby, I don’t care about me just get my baby out now.”

Tucker couldn’t move, he didn’t know what to say. He was going to lose his child and his husband. He’d become too greedy and happy with his life, and now he was reaping the ill-fated benefits.

“Not to worry, we will save both you and your child,” Doctor Wilson reassured him. “Mister Hamilton-Stevens, if you want to leave you can.”

“No,” Tucker said finding his voice. “I’m staying.”

“Very well,” Doctor Wilson said just as another doctor walked into the room. He was putting latex gloves on as the nurses fitted him with a face mask and whatever else he needed.

Another doctor walked into the room. “What do we have?”

Doctor Wilson gave the other doctor a short explanation of what was happening. All Tucker understood was that they needed to get the baby out right away.

“Hello, Mister Hamilton-Stevens, I’m Doctor Santiago, I’m going to take over for Doctor Wilson with the rest of the delivery, while he checks over your little boy. We are going to give you a little more anesthetic to make you comfortable and have your son in your arms in no time.”

“Hurt them, and I will not hesitate to kill you, Santiago,” Tucker said with steel in his voice. It might not be a good idea to threaten the doctor that was about to save both his son and husband’s lives, but he didn’t care. He wanted them to live.

“Duly noted,” he said to Tucker and turned to the others in the room with him. “Okay, ladies and gentlemen, let’s save some lives today, my life depends on it.” Literarily was left unsaid.

The room went completely quiet as the doctor worked. Tucker was so conflicted between concern for his first child who he hadn’t had a chance to hold or see, and concern for his husband and his second son who he prayed would live. He hadn’t let go of Lucas’ hand even though his fingers had loosened their vise grip on his wrist because of the drugs.

Oh gods, if either one of you can hear me, please don’t take my family away from me. I need them so much. Rochelle, if you’re listening, don’t let them take my family away from me again, please.

“Hey,” Lucas said, getting his attention. He looked tired as well. “Did you see him?”

“Who?”

“Ryan.”

They’d picked out the names for the twins and decided to name their first child Ryan. “No.”

“Go look, be with him, let him know he’s not alone. He just came into the world and I bet he’s looking for his father to protect him.”

“But . . .”

“I’ll be fine and so will Wyatt. Go be with our son, and I will be with this one.”

Tucker stared at his husband then leaned down and kissed him. “I love you.”

“I love you too, now go and be with our son.”

Tucker nodded and kissed Lucas once more and walked slowly over to the bed keeping his son warm. Tears clouded his vision, the nurse that was swaddling him picked him up and handed him to Tucker. He smiled and closed his eyes as tears slipped down his cheeks. He brought Ryan to his nose imprinting his scent to memory just as a loud bursting cry echoed through the room. The weight on Tucker’s chest lifted.

“Well, Mister and Mister Hamilton-Stevens, you have two bouncing baby boys. Congratulations,” one of the doctors said. Tucker didn’t care who said it he was just glad to have his family out of danger.

* * *