Chapter Twenty Five

Bella

Things were as chaotic as usual in the house and both Angie and I hoped the guys would be back soon, only they seemed to have the knack of calming things down when they were about to go to hell in a handcart and that pretty well explained the situation right now. I heard a yell of anger and then tears and ran upstairs from the kitchen to see what was going on.

The bathroom was awash with water and Aggie was holding Pete Jr's head under water.

"What are you doing young lady?"

She looked around at me with the face of an angel,

"Nothing mommy but Pete was using cuss words so I told him I was going to wash his mouth out with soap."

I groaned and rescued Peter from the water trying to smother a smile at the bubbles coming from his mouth. It seemed my daughter had made good on her threat.

Corey, Peter's twin brother peered round the edge of the door.

"Mom's coming Peter, you're gonna get a whippin' you know she doesn't like it when you say fu."

"Stop right there young man unless you want one too."

Angie sent both boys to their room while I tried to explain to Abbie that it was not acceptable behaviour to half drown her cousin, even in fun! Of course, she had a valid excuse but that was beside the point, as I pointed out to her it was down to Peter's mom or dad to discipline him not her.

"Why does Uncle Peter use rude words, mommy? Daddy doesn't."

There was no answer to that or if there was I had yet to find it so instead I told her to get changed out of the wet clothes she was wearing and come down to dinner in ten minutes bringing the boys with her. Angie and I both knew that they would all three be best of friends within minutes after an argument, it was always that way.

Things hadn't worked out quite the way we expected, finding ourselves pregnant within days of each other just as we were about to become vampires had been a shock as well as a delight. Of course, it meant we would have to wait for a while until the babies were born and grown enough that they wouldn't miss us if they were too human. Newborns and vulnerable children with human blood in their veins was not a good mix.

Abbie was born first, a beautiful little girl with blond ringlets and golden eyes who was more vampire than human but the most wonderful child I had ever seen and her father doted on her. Three weeks later Angie brought twin boys into the world and we all knew life would never be the same. They both had Angie's beauty but also that gleam in the eye Peter had when he was looking for trouble and within months they were toddling around following Abbie and leading the rest of us a merry dance.

If there was a way to get in a mess they would find it and if not, then they would create the opportunity! All three grew quickly, much more quickly than their human counterparts so we couldn't enrol them in any school when they were ready at about two years of age. Instead, they were home schooled and much to our amazement the Volturi offered to help through a video link. They were fascinated at the thought of hybrid babies and accepted Jasper and Peter's word that once the children were old enough Angie and I would become vampires. Marcus who Abbie adored gave them first-hand accounts of world history, including the history of vampires while Caius taught them languages. Corey picked them up rapidly becoming fluent in Italian, Greek, Latin and French in the first year. Peter Junior was the problem, he was bright enough but he had his father's attitude to school learning, he would much rather be on horseback or hiking and of course fighting and pranks!

The other talent young Peter had was mimicking his father's rather colorful language and no matter how often we talked with him about using cuss words in front of the children he always forgot. He also thought there was nothing particularly wrong with a colorful way of speaking which went down like a lead balloon with Angie who was soft spoken and never swore.

When the guys got back from town with the final timbers to build the boy's fort in the yard a few minutes later Peter was out telling tales to his dad who came storming over to me.

"Is it right Abbie tried to fucking drown Peter? What's wrong with the fuck…"

"PETER!"

Angie's warning tone of voice brought him up short and he smiled grabbing her by the waist and swinging her around before planting her once more on her feet in front of him,

"I missed you Angie but why weren't you watching the boys in the bathtub?"

"Because my dear, they weren't in the tub, or at least they shouldn't have been. They were actually up there to try out your wet razor. The one you left lying about despite being warned about doing so. Does that ring any bells?"

He opened his mouth to reply then thought better of it while Jazz merely watched from the sidelines enjoying the sight of Peter getting a dressing down.

"Sensible move. He ended up in the bath because he was cussing and Abbie decided to punish him the way I threaten to do and if you don't mind your mouth I'll be doing it to you too."

The boys thought this was a great idea and begged their mom to carry out her threat until Peter chased them into the barn. Jasper took my hand and shook his head in mock sadness.

"I'm so sorry I brought you into this madhouse Bella."

I grinned knowing neither of us would have to any other way, the children were our pride and joy and living with Peter and Angie filled our need for a family. The others visited after the children were born and it was good to see them but I would never count them as family, more good friends that we saw from time to time. Maybe once I was a vampire myself I would feel differently but that would have to wait a little longer.

"Come on darlin' let's get you inside before that dinner you are cooking burns."

With one hand in his and the other over the swell of my pregnant stomach, we walked back inside the house and I wondered if this time it would be a boy.

The End