AN: so, this is it...last chapter :( well, it was a wonderful journey and I enjoyed writing this story. Hope you did too! Thanks so much again for sticking with me, for pushing me up to write more and for all your lovely reviews. It was so much fun and I'm really happy that there are still some Doug/Carol fans out there :)

Thank you and have fun with the last chapter :)

Sandy

One Fine Day

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" the crowd was calling when the triplets finally blew out all the candles on their birthday cakes. The garden of the Ross-Hathaway family was full of people. Helen and Sarah were there; Mark, Elizabeth and Ella finally spent a holiday in Seattle; Avery was sitting beside Jason and held a shy Caley in her arms while her boys were swimming in the lake with Tess, Kateand Ella and also Stephanie was here, with herfive week old baby boy Leon in her arms.

"Happy Birthday, Liam", Carol said, picked up her four year old boy and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks mommy", Liam answered and looked at the presents. "Can we open them?" he asked and Carol nodded, as she let her son down again. Liam immediately ran to the table where everybody put their presents. "Happy Birthday, Emery", Carol then said as she picked up her daughter and snuggled closer to her. "Thanks mommy", Emery answered smiling and hugging her mother. "Wanna open your presents too?" Carol asked and Em nodded excited. "Alright, here you go", Carol said and let her down too. "Where's my baby boy?" she then said to herself and looked around. Mason was sitting on the grass again and playing with a toy motorcycle. "Mason honey…time to open your presents", she called after him and Mason looked up with big blue eyes. Carol smiled at him and he got up to run to the presents. "Ah, ah, ah…wait a moment", Carol caught him to pick him up too. "Happy Birthday, Mason", she smiled and kissed his cheek. "Thanks mommy, but can I go now please?" Mason struggled and Carol chuckled. "Of course", she answered and kissed him once again, before she let him down.

"Man…I can't believe they're four already", Carol sighed and sat down beside Elizabeth. "Oh, don't talk to me about getting older", Elizabeth said and everybody chuckled. "Elizabeth, you didn't change at all…what's your secret?" Carol asked and took a sip of her coffee. "I think it's her husband that keeps her on her toes", Mark interrupted them and Elizabeth shook her head laughing. "Yeah, sure Mark", Carol answered smiling and leaned watched all the guests and smiled a satisfied grin. It was a perfect afternoon, not only for the triplets, but also for her. Chicago and Seattle were united once again.

"Hey kids", Doug whispered as he appeared around the house corner. The triplets looked up and Doug told them to come to him. Liam, Emery and Mason immediately ran to him to look what he wanted. "Happy Birthday my little munchkins", Doug smiled and bent down to hug all three of them and placed kissed on their cheeks. "Daddy, you got us new bikes?" Liam asked and looked at him with big brown eyes. "Well, somebody told me that you want new bikes", Doug chuckled and got up again. "Thanks daddy", all three of the triplets said and smiled at him. "You're welcome. Now wanna try it?" Doug asked and the three of them nodded quickly.

"Mommy, look…we have new bikes", Emery called and drove in the grass past the adults. "Oh, great honey, but take care!" Carol called back smiling and then everybody chuckled as the boys came with their new bikes making motorcycle sounds. "Be prepared for broken bones and bleeding knees", Carol said to Doug who hugged her from behind. "As usual, as usual", Doug chuckled and leaned forward to kiss Carol, before he took a seat beside her. "You let them drive without helmets?" Helen asked with her 'oh my god I'm so shocked' tone. "Mama…did I have a helmet when I was driving a bike at that age?" Carol asked. "No, but time changed", Helen answered and Carol sighed. "They're only driving here a little bit, no need to worry", Doug rescued Carol from a discussion with her mother. "Hey Caley…don't you want to try the cake?" Carol then asked the little girl. Three year old Caley hid her head in her mother's shoulder. "Don't ask grumpy Caley today. Misses 'I don't want to eat lunch' is not allowed to have sweets today", Avery said and looked at her daughter. "Ah…come on Ave, we have so much left", Carol said and then Caley smiled at her. "Come here little girl", Carol held her hands out and Avery handed her daughter to Carol. "We have chocolate cake, you like that?" Carol asked and Caley nodded. "Yeah of course, chocolate every day and our kids would be the most satisfied people in the world", Avery rolled her eyes but Caley had her mouth full with chocolate cake already. "Seriously Stephanie, enjoy the time you have with your baby", Avery said to Stephanie who was pushing the stroller back and forth. "But we do love our kids, no matter what, right?" Doug said and everybody nodded. "Sure…now wanna take a look at my wedding photos? I know they came really late, but here they are" Stephanie asked and put an album on the table. She waited about three years to finally marry her fiancé Mark but now seemed happier than ever

Suddenly they heard a crash and some seconds later a cry. "What did I say?" Carol turned to Doug and smiled. "You're always right", Doug chuckled and got up to help his son.

"What happened, do we need to go to the hospital?" he asked as he helped Liam to get up again. "No daddy…everything is okay. Now give me my bike, we're making a race and I don't want to lose", Liam said, patted the grass from his knee and got on the bike again. "Don't hurt yourself", Doug called after him and was sure, that his son didn't even hear him. He chuckled and went back to the table. "I think he comes a little bit after you", Mark said to Doug and chuckled. "Hopefully not", Doug answered and Carol rolled her eyes. "He's totally coming after you, Doug...he has the same chuckle as you, he always forgets to take off his shoes before he enters the house and he's always in when you're up to some nonsense", Carol smiled. "Yeah…definitely my son", Doug answered and looked at his kids. He was a proud dad. Carol looked at her husband who had this glitter in his eyes, as he watched Tess and Kate in the water and she fell in love with him over and over again.

The birthday party slowly but surely came to an end. Avery had to bring her kids to bed; Stephanie left earlier because her son Leon was fussy and Mark, Elizabeth and Ella went inside to take a shower.

"Tess, Kate…come down here to say goodbye to your grandmothers!" Carol called up the tree house that Doug build for them. Carol was exhausted from the birthday party for the triplets, while her babies still were as active as this afternoon. "You already have to leave?" Kate asked Helen and Sarah and they nodded. "We'll come again soon", Helen answered and Carol made a face. "Well, maybe we can come to Chicago too, would be nice", Carol then smiled and both her mother and mother in law nodded. "It's about time", Sarah saidand finally hugged Carol. "Thank you for everything Sarah", Carol said and stroke over her back. "No need to thank me. We had a great time", Sarah answered smiling. So Sarah said goodbye to her grandchildren and Carol noticed that she wiped away some tears. "Mama, thank you too…I'll miss you", Carol then said and wondered where that came from. Well, all the time her mother was here, she was always a big help. "Don't talk to me like that, Carol", Helen answered and wiped away tears too. "Bye my babies", Helen then said and hugged Tess and Kate and then Liam, Mason and Emery. "Bye grandma", the kids said and waved at her. As quickly as she said her goodbyes, she went to the rental car. No need to make a big goodbye drama here.

Carol then started to clean the table as she noticed Doug talking with his mom. She smiled then, knowing that he always had a strong bond with her.

"Oh Doug, I'm so happy for you", Sarah hugged him and Doug smiled. "Thanks, mom…I'm happy too. I couldn't wish for more", he answered and looked at her. "Will you be okay?" he then asked and Sarah nodded. "I will…but you really need to visit Chicago soon. I can't wait to see you all again", Sarah answered and wiped away tears. "We will. I love you, mom", Doug said and hugged her once again. "I love you too baby. Goodbye", Sarah answered and then followed Helen. Doug sighed but smiled, as Carol hugged him from behind. "I'll miss them too", she said as if she was able to read his mind. "Ah yeah…always hard to say goodbye", he answered and turned around. He put his hands around Carol's waist and looked into her eyes. "I love you", he whispered and smiled. "I love you too", Carol answered, put her hand on his cheek and kissed him passionately. Mason laughed and ran around them in a circle. Carol reached down with her other hand to stop the little boy. "Time for bed!" she then said and Mason made a face. "Why me?" little Mason asked and crossed his hands in front of him. "Hahaha, don't make such a face…Li and Em have to go too", Carol chuckled and Doug picked his son up. "Can I sleep in Tess' and Kate's room today?" Emery asked as she ran to her parents and smiled at them from one ear to the other. "Oh sorry honey, Ella is sleeping in their room tonight", Carol said and stroke over her daughter's head. "Damn…" Emery murmured and went inside. "They definitely spend too much time with our young adult daughters", Doug laughed and shook his head. Liam yawned. "Will you tell us a story daddy?" he asked and Doug nodded. "Sure thing, buddy", Doug answered and then they went inside too.

After quick showers the triplets went to bed without complaining. "Happy Birthday, babies", Carol said once again before she kissed all three. "Good night", she whispered. "Thanks mommy and good night", Emery answered and the boys were too busy with their new Spiderman action figures. "Your turn", Carol said to Doug who entered their room and he smiled. "So, liked your birthday?" he asked as he took a seat on Emery's bed. "Yeah daddy", Liam answered and sat up again. "What presents did you get?" Doug asked, acting like he didn't know it yet. "New bikes, Spiderman figures, Lego, a football and a cake", Mason said as he looked at Doug. "You forgot the new clothes", Liam said to his brother and Mason nodded. "I got a Barbie and new shoes too", Emery yawned. "Oh wow, Birthdays are great huh? I never get that much presents", Doug chuckled and made big eyes. The triplets laughed and Doug's heart warmed up. Their laughter was more beautiful than any other present in the world. "Alright, now a story", Doug said and changed his sitting position. "Once upon a time there were three little kids, two boys and one girl. They were about four years old and very, very grievous", he started and looked at his children again, who already fell into a peaceful sleep. "Well that story was short", he said to himself and smiled. "Aw guys…I still remember holding you in my arms when you were born…so small, so beautiful…now you're four already and I…I can't describe the feeling I had back then but I know that I love you every day more and more. I hope I'm a good daddy to you…I hope you never hate me for anything I did or do wrong because I love you so much and I want to be there for you all, no matter what. I'm so happy that your mommy gave you to me…I" he suddenly turned around to find Carol who interrupted him.

"God, Doug, please stop to say such things", she rushed to him and kissed him like there was no today, no tomorrow, no time at all. "Carol…don't cry", he said almost out of breath and wiped away the tears on her cheek. "Doug…I'm…I love you so much and I have to thank *you* that you gave our children to me", Carol sobbed but smiled at him. "And you're a good daddy…you are their daddy, the best daddy in the world…I don't even know why you think that you aren't good enough for them", she continued and shook her head. "I don't know. I guess…I guess I'm afraid of failing them", Doug answered and looked down.

"Dad…Just stay the way you are…we love you, no matter what", it was Kate who overheard their conversation as she went to the toilet and smiled at her parents. Doug got up from the bed, went to her and hugged her immediately. He kissed her head and held her really tight. "Ouch…dad, I can't breathe", Kate complained but Doug didn't let her go. "I love you, Kate. You and your sister. Don't ever forget that", he said and Kate nodded. "I know daddy", she answered and smiled at him. "Okay, okay…enough with this soupy topic please", Carol said, wiped away her tears and got up from the bed again. She went past Kate and kissed her on the cheek.

"She crying again?" Kate asked as she passed from her dad. "Yeah", Doug nodded and smiled. Kate sighed, shook her head and went back to her room. At the door she stopped and turned around to Doug again. She looked at him and smiled for some seconds before she went back to her room, knowing that she had the best parents in the world.

"Alright, here we go! Sorry it took me so long upstairs", Carol said as she finally calmed down again and brought wine and glasses to the living room table. "You have five kids, no wonder", Elizabeth smiled who made herself comfortable on the couch. "Right…it's a lot of work sometimes. Thank God the triplets were so exhausted from partying all day", Carol answered and went to get some animal crackers. "Oh…you still do that animal crackers stuff?" Mark asked and chuckled. "Yeah…we refreshed this ritual again when I came to Seattle", Carol smiled and then poured wine into the glasses. "Tell me how you're doing this", Elizabeth then said as Carol came back. "Do what?" Carol asked, taking a seat beside Mark. "Managing a marriage, five children and a job", Elizabeth answered. Carol smiled. "Well…I didn't work until last year, you know…and, Doug is a big help. He worked a lot from at home while the triplets were smaller. Now they're in kindergarten and the twins are in school, so I can work too", Carol answered smiling again. "That sounds like it was so easy…" Elizabeth murmured. "Believe me, it was exhausting…and sometimes it's still exhausting", Doug answered who came back from upstairs and heard their conversation. Carol smiled and nodded. "So, what about you? Don't you plan to get another baby?" Carol asked and looked between Mark and Elizabeth. "First we should drink and toast to a one fine day", Mark said and everybody nodded. "Cheers", everybody said and took a sip. "Alright…so?" Carol asked smiling. Elizabeth looked at Mark. "Well, we're trying", she smiled and Mark took her hand in his. "Ah, that's great…I'll cross my fingers for you", Carol answered and Doug nodded. "Thanks…we'll keep you up to date", Elizabeth said. "And now, tell me all news from Chicago…how's Carter doing? Is Haleh still there? What about Susan? Too bad she came back when I left", Carol said and leaned back.

Elizabeth and Mark told all the news they had. They talked about fun stuff, old times and the future, late into the night until this one fine day finally found an end...

THE END