I Dreamed A Dream
Part Twelve - Making Things Right and Messing Things Up
By Breigh
breighbers@juno.com

Ok, this series needs explanation, and here's one:
This series starts around 6 years after "The Storm". When Doug left Carol was pregnant, and she decided to not tell him about the baby. Instead of having twin girls, she had twin boys, Ben and Joel. (You might not like the idea now, but trust me, it grows on you as the series goes along. Also, this story is one of my first, and the next ones are a lot better developed, and they're better than this one, this is just the one that explains everything and gets you into the series.) One day Doug comes back to Chicago for a conference and finds Carol and he meets the two little boys that he never knew he had, and that's where it all starts! Feedback is always appreciated, send mail to: Breighbers@juno.com

Doug spends some times with his other son, and in doing so jepordizes his realtionship with Carol, and the twins.



Previously: Doug treated a 14-year-old boy, Justin Stevens who had leukemia. Doug got the boy's father's name to search for him so he could maybe donate for Justin's bone marrow transplant, and upon reading the father's name he realized that Justin's father was him.

Doug just stared at the piece of paper in his hand. It was his name; he was Justin's father. Doug was shocked, his leg's felt like lead and he couldn't move. He had somewhat thought that there was the possibility of him being Justin's father because of the feeling he got when he looked into his eyes, but he had never expected that he was right. He had thought about his little boy many times, but he had never expected that he would ever see him. Doug and Michelle (Justin's mother) were a one night thing, and the result of that was the little boy. Doug was starting medical school at the time, and Michelle was going into business school. She knew that a baby would be too much for Doug, so she told him that she would raise the baby by herself, and that's just what she did. Doug only got a short letter when the baby was born saying that it was a little boy, there was no name, no nothing. Doug sent a letter and money, but a week after he sent it he got it back in the mail. The letter was sealed and unopened. That was the last time he had ever tried getting in touch with Michelle, or his son. He had thought about it a lot, especially over the last couple months when he came back and met Joel and Ben. But he had never acted on his thoughts purely for the thought that it would be in the best interest of his son. He thought that Michelle had probably married, and the little boy would have considered someone else his father, and Doug didn't want to be the one to mess up a family. Doug heard as the elevator door open, and in a daze he raised his head. He saw a woman that he hadn't seen for over 15 years-it was Michelle. Doug could tell by the look on her face that she was as surprised to see him as he was to see her. Doug stepped back and Michelle stepped off the elevator. For a few minutes the two just stared at each other.

"Doug." She said softly. Doug still said nothing, but just stared at her. Michelle shook her head, then spoke again. "They called you already? I told Adam to tell the doctor not to call you until we knew if Justin would…"

"They didn't call me." Doug said almost in a trance. Michelle just looked at him. "I was his doctor. I checked him out." Doug said looking down at his feet.

"So then you already saw him?" Michelle asked. Doug nodded. "Is there somewhere we can talk about this in private?" She asked looking around.

"Um, uh, there's a park a few blocks down." Doug proposed.

"That's fine. Adam's with Justin. I told them that I was going to get something to eat." Once again Doug nodded. Unlike Michelle, he was at a loss of words. "Well then let's go, I think we have a lot to talk about."

"Um, yeah, yeah. We can take my car, it's in the parking garage." Doug said as he started off towards the exit and Michelle followed. The two walked in silence to the car, and rode the blocks to the park in silence. They pulled into and empty space. Doug got out, and Michelle followed. He locked his Jeep, then walked over to meet her in front of the car. "There's a bench over there." Doug said pointing to an empty bench by the water. Michelle nodded and the two walked over to the bench. Once they sat down Michelle looked over at Doug.

"Well, what did you think?" She asked taking a deep breath.

"What?" Doug asked not knowing the nature of this question.

"Of Justin, what did you think when you saw him?" She asked.

"I thought…I thought he was great. I didn't really talk to him, but from what he did say he seemed like a great kid. It seemed like you did a really good job." Doug said shooting her a smile.

"I tried. It was hard at times, but he is a great kid. That's why it hurt so bad when they told us he had cancer." She said turning away and looking out over the water.

"He looks like he's handling it well." Doug didn't know what else to say.

"He's trying, he wants to beat it." Michelle informed him. "What are you going to do Doug?" She asked after a long pause. Doug took a deep breath and looked over at Michelle.

"Everything in my mind is all screwed up right now, I don't know what I'm thinking, but I do know one thing. He's gone this long with only a mom, and now more than ever he needs a mom and a dad, and I want to be that dad. I know it's going to be hard coming into his life in this stage of the game, but I want to give it a try. I've been through this father son-bonding thing before and it turned out to being the best experience of my life. I want that with Justin, or at least the chance to have that with him."

"You um, you went through this before?" Michelle asked.

"Well, not exactly like this. About 5 months ago I came back to Chicago on business and hooked up with my ex-girlfriend. I never knew it but she had twin boys, and they were mine. They're 5 now, and I wasn't there at all; I didn't even know that they existed. But I decided that I wanted to make things right, and I wanted to be a father to them-the father that I knew I could be. So, Carol, my girlfriend, and I explained to them that I was their dad, and ever since I've been a father to them. I did it with them, and I know I can do it with Justin." Doug explained.

"So now you'll have 3 children." Michelle said trying to sort things out.

"I've always had three…but actually now it'll be four. Carol is pregnant with our third and my fourth." Doug said with a smirk.

"Well, congratulations." Michelle said as she nodded her head. "And as for Justin, if you'll be there, and if you promise me that you're not going to come in his life one day and leave the next, then maybe we can work something out. He's gone this long without his father, and I don't think there's a need for him to go another day." Doug nodded.

"I still can't believe that that boy was my son." Doug said shaking his head.

"Well, he was."

"So, um, how do we go about this?" Doug asked.

"Well, this is a lot to handle for one night, so why don't you go home, think it over, and I'll go back to Justin. Do you have work tomorrow?"

"Um, later. Carol's on in the morning, so I have to take my son to his baseball game, then take them to their grandmother's. I should be there around 2."

"That's fine. I want to talk to him about this whole thing first, and how he feels about meeting you. He should have a say in it, he's old enough."

"Well, what are you going to tell him? I mean are you going to tell him that I was his doctor?"

"I'm not sure yet. I think I'm just going to say that I ran into you, and that if you'd like to meet him, and but it's totally up to him. And I want you to know that. If he says no, then I don't want you around him."

"Fine." Doug said in agreement, although he didn't know if he would be able to do that. He wasn't sure if now, that he knew his son was so close if he would just be able to ignore it.

"Ok, well I think I better get back to Justin. He's had a big day, and I shouldn't be away from him this long."

"Yeah and I have to get home, Carol hasn't been feeling that great, and it's a lot to have to take care of the twins all by herself." Doug said as the two got up off the bench.

"Um, I can just get a cab back to the hospital." Michelle said as they headed back to the parking lot.

"No, I'll drop you off. It's on my way actually."

"Are you sure, I wouldn't want to put you out."

"You're not putting me out." Doug said smiling as he walked over and opened the passenger side door for her.

"Well, thank you." She said stepping up into the Jeep.

"Sure." Doug said as he walked over and got in.



Doug pulled up into the driveway a little after 9. As he walked up to the house he looked up at the boys windows and could see that only a nightlight shone in each of them, and he saw the flickering lights of the TV through the living room window. He tried his best to open the door quietly, and he softly set down his bag and keys and then walked into the living room. He walked over to the couch, expecting to find Carol asleep, but when he leaned over the couch she turned and looked up at him.

"Hey sweetie." She said sitting up and turning on the light. Carol saw that Doug wasn't completely there. "Um, I made meat loaf for dinner, I put the leftovers in the refrigerator…. Is everything alright?" She asked as she picked up the clicker and flicked off the TV.

"Are the boys in bed?" Doug asked already knowing the answer. The house was quiet, and it was only that way when they were asleep.

"Uh yeah I tucked 'em in about a half hour ago. They should be out by now." Doug nodded.

"I wanted to see them before they got to sleep…I haven't really been spending a lot of time with them because of the peds ER and everything." He said looking up the stairs.

"Well you'll be with them tomorrow morning." She said as Doug walked over to the couch.

"How about you? Are you feeling ok?" Doug asked taking her hand.

"Yeah, I'm just tired, but everything else is fine…but I don't think you can say the same. What happened?" She asked. Doug turned away from Carol, and he was just staring at the TV.

"I met my other son today." Doug said blankly. Carol repositioned herself on the couch so that she was facing him and sitting Indian style.

"You what?" Carol said in shock. She remembered Doug talking about the fact that he had a little boy years ago, but since he'd been back to Chicago he had never mentioned him, and she surely wasn't expecting this, and by the look on his face, Carol could tell that Doug hadn't been expecting it either.

"Yeah, remember I told you…"

"Yeah, I remember you said something about him a few years ago…but you met him?"

"I took this case. It was a 14-year-old boy with leukemia. I went in there and checked him over. He was there with his uncle. We talked about how he may need a bone marrow transplant. I told them that the biological father would be a good bet, and the boy said he didn't know him. So his uncle talked to his mother and she gave him the fathers name…and the name was mine." Doug said shaking his head.

"Oh God Doug." Carol said moving over and wrapping her arms around him. Doug just sat there, letting her hold him.

"I talked to Michelle, his mom, and she's going to talk to him about letting me get to know him…get to be a dad to him."

"So then he didn't know it was you?" Carol asked.

"No." Doug said as the reality of the situation started to sink in. He felt as tears built up in his eyes, and he struggled to keep them back. "My son has cancer Carol…he's mine, and I just met him, and I don't know how long I'm going to have with him before he's gone." He said as he started to break down. Carol moved closer and held Doug tighter.

"Hey, don't think like that." She said kissing the top of his head and then stroking his hair.

"Why do I miss out on the things that count, on the things that matter? I mean if I would have been there…"

"Doug, you wouldn't have been able to stop him from getting cancer. All you can do know is be there for him. You're so great with Ben and Joel, and I know that you'll be that way with this boy."

"Justin…his name is Justin." Doug told her.

"Well, then I'm sure that you'll do great with Justin." She said kissing the top of his head once again.

"But what if it's too late? I mean Michelle's going to ask him if he wants anything to do with me, and what if he says no?" Doug asked, knowing that Carol wouldn't have the answer. But there were so many things running around in his mind and he had to get them out or else he feared his head would explode.

"Doug, he's a 14-year-old boy, he's not going to pass up to opportunity to get to know his father." She said trying to calm him down. Doug took a deep breath and Carol backed off a little. Doug looked over at Carol and smiled through the delicate tear that trickled down his cheek.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." She said smiling. "You're a great guy, greater than you give yourself credit for. And I'm sure that Justin is a great kid, because he's your son."

"But I've had nothing to do with him at all."

"Well, I remember you telling me that Michelle wanted it that way, right?" Carol asked.

"Right." Doug said nodding.

"Then there was nothing you could do about that. Maybe you didn't raise him, but you made him, and that has to count for something." She said rubbing her hand up and down his back. Doug just nodded. "Now you're going to have 3 boys to take care of." Carol said trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, and maybe even four." He said moving his hand over and placing his hand on her stomach.

"Or, maybe three sons and a daughter." She said placing her hand over his.

"That would be…perfect." He said leaning over and kissing her. Carol yawned after they parted. "Baby, you better get to sleep, you have work tomorrow and I don't want you to be tired." He said getting up and then helping her up off the couch.

"Are you coming up?" She asked.

"I don't know how much sleep I'm actually going to get, but I'll try. But first I'm going to lock up and then go in and check on the boys." He said kissing her before she went upstairs.

Doug locked up and then went up to say goodnight to the boys. First he slowly walked into Joel's room. Doug walked in and saw the little boy's back facing him. Doug quietly walked over and gently sat down on Joel's bed. Joel rolled over and looked up at Doug.

"Dad, you're home." Joel said groggily.

"Yeah pal, I'm home." Doug said running his fingers through Joel's hair. Then he leaned down and kissed his forehead. "I'm taking you to baseball tomorrow." Doug said as Joel nodded. "Well, you go back to sleep now, I just wanted to say hi." He said pulling the covers up around Joel and tucking him in. Joel nodded. "I love you."

"I love you too." Joel said snuggling deeper under the covers.



"You ok?" Carol asked as she walked up behind Doug. He was sitting at the kitchen table just sipping a cup of coffee. Ben was up in the shower and Joel was getting dressed for his baseball game. Carol was getting ready to leave for work. Doug just shrugged.

"What do I say when I see him?" Doug asked. "If I even get to see him." He said sighing and slouching down in his chair.

"What did you do when you first talked with Ben and Joel? I mean when you took them out that day." Carol asked as she walked over to the refrigerator and took out the carton of orange juice.

"I don't know, it just came out. It felt natural."

"Well, I bet that's how it will be with Justin." She said pouring the orange juice into a cup, then walking over and sitting across from him at the table.

"Yeah, but he's older. Ben and Joel are 5, and he's 14…he's more opinionated. And he's going to know going into it that I'm his father."

"Doug, when you see him again, you'll know. I'm sure that his mom will explain everything to him." She said before finishing off her orange juice, and then looking down at her watch. "I've got to get going." Carol said getting up and putting her cup in the sink.

"Did you eat something?" Doug asked.

"No." She said going over and getting her bag and her keys.

"Carol, you've got to eat something." Doug insisted.

"Fine, I'll grab a pop tart." She said going over to the cupboard and pulling out the box of pop tarts. She opened it and pulled one out.

"Carol, you've got to start eating a good breakfast, it's not good for you or the baby." He said getting up.

"Doug, I'm fine. I ate like this with the boys, and it was fine. I snack all throughout the day, and it works out fine." She said before yawning.

"Well, were you this tired with Ben and Joel?" He asked putting his coffee cup in the sink.

"No, but when I was pregnant with Ben and Joel I also wasn't raising two five year olds." She said walking out of the kitchen.

"Hey, I know I haven't been helping you out lately, but I'm going to try to change that. But now with Justin, I don't know how good it's going to work."

"All I ask is that you try." She said before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"And I will."

"Good. Now after baseball take the boys to my mom's, and then I'll pick them up after my shift." Carol instructed him.

"I will." Doug said nodding.

"And if I don't see you before you talk with Justin…good luck, even though I know you won't need it."

"Thanks." Doug said before Carol left.



It's now 2:10. Carol is at the nurses' desk looking over a patient's chart, when a woman walked up to her.

"Excuse me?" She asked.

"One minute." Carol said holding up one finger. She finished what she was reading and then looked up at the woman. "Sorry, can I help you?"

"Um, is Doug Ross in?" She asked.

"He should be here any minute, but he's not seeing patients today, is there anyone else you would like to see?"

"Oh, I'm not a patient." As soon as the woman said this Carol realized who she was.

"By any chance, are you Michelle?" This caught the woman off guard.

"Uh, yes…how did you know?" Michelle asked in shock.

"I'm Carol Hathaway, Doug's girlfriend." Before Michelle could say anything else, Doug walked into the ER. Both women turned and watched as he walked over to them.

"Hey." He said simply.

"Um Doug, Justin wants to see you." She said turning to him. Carol smiled to herself, then winked at Doug and walked away, leaving the two alone.

"He does?"

"Yeah, he does. He doesn't know who you are, but I explained everything to him. I told him that it was me who kept you away, and that you want to try to be a part of his life." She explained to him.

"Well, can I see him now? Can I go up there with him now?" Michelle nodded.

"I told him I was coming down to meet you."

"Alright, well, let me just put my stuff away, and then we can go up." Doug said taking a step towards the lounge.

"Sure." Michelle said with a nod.

"You can come in with me, I wouldn't exactly want to wait out here." Doug said with a laugh. Doug walked in, and Michelle followed. She walked in and surveyed the area. Doug walked over and opened his locker, and she walked over next to him. She saw the pictures of the boys in his locker.

"Are those your boys?" She asked, as she looked closer at the pictures.

"Huh?" Doug asked. He wasn't really paying attention, thoughts of what he was going to say to Justin; of how he was going to explain filled his mind.

"Those two little boys who look exactly like you…are those your twins?"

"Oh, yeah. That's them with Carol on their first birthday." He said pointing to the picture. "And that's Joel's baseball picture, and that's Ben's ice hockey picture." He said pointing them out.

"They're adorable." She commented before they stepped back Doug and closed his locker.

"Thank you."

"And that nurse at the desk, she's your girlfriend?" Michelle asked as the two started out of the lounge.

"Yep, that's Carol." Doug said as the two walked over and pressed the button on the elevator. Doug could feel everyone looking at him, and he knew that soon they would be hounding Carol about why he was with another woman, and about what he was doing with her. But right now that was the least of his problems.

"She looks quite thin for a pregnant woman." Doug said as the elevator doors opened. Doug let Michelle walk on first, then he got on.

"Oh, she's only about 10 weeks." Doug said as the elevator doors shut. They rode the elevator up to Justin's floor, then got off. Doug hesitantly followed Michelle down the hall. As she got to Justin's room she saw as Doug stopped.

"You ok?" She asked with her hand on the doorknob.

"Nervous…but I'll be fine." He said as he forced himself to move.

"Ok, well I'm going to tell him that you're here. Just wait out here for a second, and I'll come back and get you." Doug nodded and Michelle walked into the room. He was out there for a few minutes before he saw the door open and Michelle's head popped out. "Come on in." Doug slowly stepped forward and walked into the room. As soon as Justin saw him he looked over at Michelle.

"Him? You were my doctor, right? You're my father?" He asked looking back and forth between the two.

"Yes Justin, he's your father." Michelle said putting her hand on Doug's arm. "Um, I'm going to go back to Uncle Adam's and get showered and take a nap. I'll be back a little later." She told Justin. She walked over and kissed him on the cheek, then smiled and winked to Doug on her way out. Doug heard the door shut, and he was still in the same place, and he still had said nothing.

"Did you know? I mean last night when I came in, did you know that I was your son?" Justin asked. Doug hung his head and shook it back and forth.

"No, I didn't know."

"Oh." Justin said simply. He saw that Doug felt uncomfortable. And he had been waiting close to 14 years to talk to his father, and his mother had explained to him how great of a guy Doug was, and how he did want to meet with him, and how it wasn't completely Doug's fault that he wasn't there. "Well, are we going to talk and stuff, or are you just going to stand there and look at your shoes?" Justin asked. To this Doug looked up and smiled. It lightened the air, and it resembled Doug's attitude-he saw a little of himself in his son already, and it felt good.

"Um, no…I want to talk to you. I just don't know how to start." Doug decided that the best thing would be the truth.

"Well, I've always heard that the beginning is a good place." Justin answered. To this Doug smiled.

"The beginning, huh?" He asked as he walked over and sat down in the chair next to Justin.

"Yeah, why not?" Justin asked as he leaned back in his bed.

"Ok, well you want it from the beginning of what? When I met you mom?" Doug asked.

"That's fine."

"Alright, well I met your mom while we were both in College. She was in a coffee shop on campus reading or something. I walked over and introduced myself, and the next thing I knew it was the next morning." Doug told him. He didn't want to get into details. "Didn't your mom already tell you all this?" He asked cocking his head.

"Yeah, I just wanted to see what you had to say." Justin said with a smile.

"Oh."

"Yep." Justin said and it was followed by a laugh.

"Justin, I think that I just need to say this to get it out of the way." Doug started. Justin just looked at him. "I was young, and stupid, and I had a lot of growing up to do when your mom told me she was pregnant with you. When she told me she was pregnant I knew that I couldn't handle a baby, and so did she, so she told me to go on my way, and she would raise you by herself. I agreed, thinking I was out of the woods, but I wasn't. I thought about you all the time. I thought about what you looked like, and what you were doing. I wondered if you looked or acted anything like me. I paid for walking away from you every day of my life." Doug paused for a little bit. "I have two little boys at home. And I love them more than I ever knew you could love anyone. And I know that I should have stepped up with you, and been a dad to you. I know that I may not have been the best one, but I love you…I know you probably don't believe me, but I do…" He didn't get to finish before Justin interrupted him.

"How can you love me? You just met me."

"You're my son. It just happens."

"So you look at me and you know you love me?" He asked.

"Yes, I look at you…...look at your smile, and your eyes, and I hear you talk, and I know I love you. And I know that the more I get to know you, and the more time I get to spend with you, the better."

"So then you want to be here? My mom didn't make you come?"

"No, your mom didn't make me come. I told her that I wanted to meet you." Justin nodded.

"You said something about your sons. What about your family?" Justin asked.

"Well, I have two little boys at home, Ben and Joel. They'll be 6 in November, and my girlfriend is pregnant with our third baby, which is due around May."

"So then Ben and Joel are twins?"

"Yes, they're twins."

"That must be hard. My mom said it was hard raising one, let alone two." Justin added.

"Well, I'm just starting, but so far it's been ok."

"What do you mean your just starting? They're going to be 6."

"Well, I haven't exactly been there from the start with them either." Doug looked down at the floor, then cleared his throat and looked back up at Justin.

"You're not too good at being there from the start, are you? Do you have like a phobia of babies or something?"

"No," Doug said with a sarcastic laugh. "About 7 years ago I got into some trouble here. I broke the rules to help a little boy, and no one liked it that much. It was either I resigned, or they fired me. I wanted my pride and dignity, so I resigned. I had a job out in Seattle, and I moved out there without even thinking things through. Carol, my girlfriend, and I had been together for about 2 years, and we were trying to start a family. I didn't know it, but when I left she was pregnant. She had our sons, and never told me about them."

"So you never knew?"

"No, I had no clue." Doug said with a slight shrug. "But, I came back here for a conference a couple months ago and came over to visit Carol. It was then that she finally told me I had two boys, and ever since then I've been a father to them, and now we're having another baby."

"Wow. So then you've made kind of a habit out if it, huh?"

"I didn't want to, but it turned out that way. But I'm going to be breaking it with the next baby." Justin sighed and paused for a few minutes.

"So then you really want a chance to be my dad?"

"Yeah, I'd like that a lot."

"And the fact that I have cancer, and that we could get close and then I could die doesn't scare you?" Doug looked around the room, and then up at Justin.

"No, because you're not going to die…I'm not going to let you."

"What if you can't help it, I mean, you're not God."

"You've got a point there." He said hesitantly rubbing his hand over Justin's head. "But I'm your father, and that's no match for God." Justin smiled.

"I...um, they're letting me out of here tomorrow, and they're going to be looking for a bone marrow donor, but until they find one they said I don't have to stay here."

"Yeah, I'm going to go see if I'm a possible donor later."

"Well, maybe I could go over your house and meet your family and stuff."

"It's your family too bud…I mean they're your half brothers, and the new baby will be your half brother or sister, and Carol will eventually be your stepmom." Justin nodded. "But, I would really like it if you came over. I'm working in the morning tomorrow for a couple hours. I have a few interviews to take care of, but I'll be home around like 3. I think it would be nice if you came over for maybe an early dinner. We can bar-b-q, and then we can get some ice cream or something, but then Ben's got an ice hockey game, so I can either drop you off at your mom's, or you could come. Whatever you feel up to doing."

"Alright...but now I have another question."

"Alright, what is it?"

"What do I call you?"

"Whatever you want. If you don't feel comfortable calling me Dad, then you can call me Doug." Doug answered.

"But you are my dad...and even though you may not have been there until now, you are my dad." Doug nodded. He knew coming into this situation that Justin could be belligerent and standoffish towards the situation and Doug also knew that if he was he couldn't blame him, or get upset with him. But the fact that Justin seemed understanding of everything made him happy. It gave him hope that maybe one day down the road everything would be the way it should be. He would have Justin as his son, he would have the twins, and he would have the new baby. It was amazing how a little over 6 months ago he was alone. It was just him, and now it was the total opposite. He was Dad, he now had three sons, and it was amazing how much things had changed...but it was all for the better. Being a father has given him insight into a world that he would have otherwise never seen. With the boys he saw the world through their eyes. He showed them what mattered, and what didn't. They showed him that little things aren't worth fretting over. And he knew that he would learn even more as he went along, and even more with the baby. He also knew that the closer he got with Justin, the more he would learn. "I want to call you dad. I've waited my whole life to call someone dad, and you may not deserve the title right now, but I think you can live up to it."

"Thank you." Doug said clearing his throat.



Doug walked into the house a little after 1 am. His talk with Justin ended a little after Justin had told him he wanted to call him dad. Doug had to go finish up his charts and dictations. He got done, and then he went back up to Justin, but when he got up there he was already asleep, and so Doug ended up just sitting there watching him. All in all he thought his conversation went well. Doug got off his chest what he needed, and Justin seemed like he was ready to accept Doug into his life. As Doug walked in he heard not a sound in the house. He quietly locked the door behind him, and then went directly upstairs. He walked quietly passed Ben and Joel's rooms, and then he walked into his and Carol's room. Carol was lying on the bed on top of the comforter, she was still in her clothes, and next to her was a book. Doug smiled at the sight and slipped off his shoes, and undid his belt and pants and then walked over next to Carol. Her curls were strewn all over her face, and he gently moved them away, then he leaned down and gently kissed her delicate cheek before he moved her legs aside and then pulled down the comforter and sheets, and then adjusted her under them. As he did so he saw as she started to wake up.

"Hey." She said as she willed her eyes to open more.

"Hey, it's late, go back to bed." He said running his hands through her hair. He decided on telling her about Justin coming over in the morning, and then he would have to tell the twins.

"Mmm, what time is it?" She asked stretching as Doug took off his pants and tee shirt leaving on only his boxers. Doug didn't answer right away.

"It's a little after one."

"What?" Carol asked as she instantly woke up all the way. "Doug, you were off at 10, where the hell have you been?"

"I was up with Justin."

"Justin? Doug, you're telling me you've been talking to Justin until one in the morning?" She asked wildly.

"No, he was asleep, I was watching him sleep."

"For 3 hours?"

"Yeah, for 3 hours. We talked today, and I wanted to sit with him for a while, and before I knew it was one o'clock."

"Doug, I'm happy that you talked with him, and I'm happy that you're going to be working on your relationship with him, but what about your relationship with our sons? They've spent maybe 2 hours with you in the last week...I told you all I wanted you to do was try...and it doesn't appear that you're trying that hard." She said disgusted.

"I know, and I'm going to make it up to them, everything has just been really hectic, and now Justin..."

"I knew I shouldn't have jumped into this. I knew that I should have waited, and saw how things evolved, but I didn't. I trusted you, and I thought you would be there for them and for me through this pregnancy. I went through it alone with Ben and Joel, and I didn't think I would have to go through it alone this time. I'm not having the easiest time with this, and it's hard dealing with it, and trying to raise two 5 years olds."

"Hey, it wasn't my fault that I wasn't here with them. If you would have told me then I would have been here." To this Carol sprung out of bed.

"Uh! Doug, that's not the point. You have to figure out how to balance family and work, because this schedule we're on now isn't working. I need you to be there to watch the boys, and I need you to be there to help me, and now it's not going to get any easier because now you're going to have to balance 3 kids and a pregnant woman...and to tell you the truth, I don't know if your capable of it Doug!"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Listen Carol, your talking like I came back here and said oh, let's get pregnant right now and have a baby..."

"You did! You said you wanted to try right away, you didn't want to waste any time."

"Yeah, well maybe I was caught up in the moment." He yelled. To this remark Carol fell down on the bed.

"Doug, do you not want this baby?"

"Carol, I didn't..."

"You don't want this baby!" She said as she got up. She paced back and forth at the bottom of the bed for a little while, and then stopped and looked over at him. "How could you do this Doug?" She asked as she ran out of the room.

"Carol! Carol, come here, let's talk about this, I didn't mean that I don't want the baby..."

"Well it sure didn't sound like you do." She yelled as she ran into Ben's room.

"Carol, what are you doing?" He asked following her into Ben's room.

"Ben, hurry up and slip on your shoes, we're going somewhere." She said shaking him. Ben rubbed his eyes, then got out of bed. As soon as Carol saw him go over to get his shoes she ran out and over to Joel's room.

"Carol, what are you doing? Where are you going? Come on, can we just talk about this, I didn't mean that I don't want the baby." Carol said nothing but shook Joel to wake him up.

"Joel, put on your shoes, we're going somewhere." She said pulling the covers off him.

"Huh, why?" He asked as he sat up.

"Just do it, ok baby?" She asked kissing his head. Joel nodded and got himself out of bed.

"Carol, you can't take them from me." Doug said chasing her down the steps. She walked over to the key holder and grabbed her keys, and then she slipped on her sandals that were sitting by the door.

"Trust me Doug, you won't even know that they're gone." She said as the two boys trudged down the steps. As soon as they looked up and saw Doug they smiled and ran to him. They wrapped their arms around his waist, and Doug put an arm around each of them and looked over at Carol.

"Dad!" Ben said looking up at him.

"Guys, come on." Carol said as she opened the door.

"Where are we going?" Ben asked.

"Just go get in the car." Carol said as the boys stepped away from Doug. Doug said nothing, but watched as Carol hit the automatic door open button and unlocked the car, and the boys ran out.

"Carol, please, don't do this. I love you, and I love them, and I love the baby. I have work to do, I know but don't just leave like this."

"Doug, you need to do a lot of rearranging, and prioritizing. I'm happy that you found Justin, I really am. It's just that your other sons were also waiting for you to come home tonight. They wanted to play with you, and talk with you, but you never showed up, you never even called. So, if you need help spending time with all the people in your life, then let me help you...we'll leave, and you'll only have two, Justin, and yourself." She said angrily. Before Doug could argue Carol was out the door, and he watched as she got into the car and sped out of the driveway.