Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2001 15:28:35 EST
From: Kevinsangel24@aol.com
Subject: Cosmic Companions Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Kat and I do not know NSYNC Nor the Backstreet Boys or any other
celebrities mentioned in the timeline.. If we did than we'll be very lucky
and Joey wouldn't ever come out ever again. :)

Author's Note: This is an alternate universe. Nothing is real. Men can't
have babies even though us females wish they could.  This is something that
came in my sick head and I managed to drag Kat in. So enjoy the story. It
was fun writing it.

Author's Note Ps: Oh the story is now called Cosmic Companions. Thanks to
Fluttergirl for the Title. Lets welcome Jackie to the story. She has been a
big help in contributing to this story. Please email her and tell her that
she's doing a great job. Thanks to Pukku for helping me find the wedding
vows.

I found the vows at this website. http://member.aol.com/trevorb1/index.html
The vows used here is called When Love Bekons.

WOW Cosmic Companions has been nominated for an award. Thanks to all who's
been reading and making this story so popular. We're having so much fun
writing it as well as reading it. You can see the nomination for our story
and others at: FF Awards 2000. http://www.envy.nu/ffawards2000

Thanks to all our readers who sent feedback telling us how wonderful the
story is.  We're having fun writing it as you are reading it. Thanks
again. One More thanks goes to Colleen who edited the last chapters. Thanks
for the help girl. You Rock!

Pairing: Chris/Lance, JC/Joey/Justin.

Email: Since there are two people working on this story it's fair to email
at least both. PLEASE email us :)

Shells: kevinsangel24@aol.com
Kat: storykath@operamail.com
Jackie B: crunkdoll@yahoo.com

========================
Cosmic Companions
Chapter 18
Written By: Shell , Kat, Jackie
and Colleen
========================

Lance rolled over in the bed and woke up when he found the bed empty.

looking around he couldn't see Chris anywhere. Trying to sit up, he made a
face at his large belly. "Let's speed things up a little, what do you say?"
he smiled, patting his stomach. "And you come out, and I'll get un-fat
again?"

"Not to mention able to move again," he added in his thoughts.

Realizing that he had left his soda over at the dresser, he sighed. Getting
as drink meant moving, and that wasn't what he did best lately. But he was
really thirsty.

Contemplating to get to his feet and going to get his soda, Lance finally
managed to sit up straight. Just when he was swinging his legs over the
edge of the bed, Chris came back in.

"Honey, you are supposed to stay in bed!" Chris told him.

"But I am thirsty!" Lance complained.

"Then I will get you something to drink!" Chris told him. "So get back in
bed, love."

 Bringing Lance his soda, Chris sat down next to him. "How are you feeling,
babe?"

"I'm feeling ok," Lance answered. "Don't think this was a very determined
bug."

"I hope not," Chris smiled. He put his hand to Lance's forehead. "You're
not so warm anymore, I think your fever is going away."

"I hope so!" Lance said, putting his empty glass away. "Being sick is
boring!"

"Poor baby," Chris replied, hugging Lance close to him. "I hope you get all
better soon too."

 Snuggling up to his husband, Lance agreed.

*****

Joey sighed as he was on the couch all alone again. Lance was still in bed
getting over his fever.

 "I"M BORED"

there was no answer.

"HEY! BORED PREGNANT GUY OVER HERE!"

 "SO AM I!" the other voice replied.

"HEY LANCE!"

"HEY JO-JO I'M SO FREAKING BORED"

 "I'm GONNA DIE OVER HERE!" Joey screamed back.

"What's the shouting for" a voice replied.

 "Dad we're bored. My butt hurts, there's nothing on TV, my butt hurts and
did I mention I was bored" Joey whined.

"Joe, it'll be okay. There's over eight hours left before bedtime" Phil
smiled.

 "OH that makes me Feel So much better" Joey said as he rolled his eyes.

 "Don't roll your eyes at me young man" Phil said.

 "Where's Justin and JC. I need to torture them" Joey said.

"Joseph, you've switched their boxers, cut Justin's hair, dyed their hair
green. Don't you think that's enough" Phil said.

 "You forgot that I shaved JC's legs and crotch" Joey grinned.

"JOSEPH!"

 Joey grinned. "Well that's what they get for knocking me up in the first
place. I have NO patience."

"that's for sure" Phil sighed.

"Let's see..maybe I could put ice cream in their bed" Joey said.

 "it's your bed too sweetie" Phil said. "Why don't you do a puzzle?"

 "cause I would throw it against the way screaming insanity" Joey smiled.

"there's video games?"

"Makes me nauseous. the twins don't like it when I play video games." Joey
pouted as he looked at his stomach.

the phone rang as Joey answered. "Hello welcome to the world of
insanity. Joey Speaking."

"HEY JEFF"

 "What's going...What" Joey's face became stoic.

"Really now. And Dad is doing what? Great..They're gonna end up shooting
off their balls. Thanks Jeff. Love you to bye."

Joey frowned as he hung up the phone.

 "Hon?" Phil asked.

"You know what My idiotic husbands as well as lance's is doing" Joey said.

"Oh no"

"They've bought a gun from dad" Joey growled. "A FUCKIN GUN."

Joey grabbed the intercom and pushed it. "lance Our stupid, idiotic
husbands of ours have bought a gun."

 "WHAT"

"A Gun. Jeff told me he heard them speaking to my father. Something about
protection." Joey said.

"I don't want a gun in this house"

"Neither do I. What if one of the kids finds it. I'm scared he might do
something stupid. Not to mention they're gonna kill themselves with it."

"Oh..Mr. Kirkpatrick thought he was tricky..Well he's in for a nice
surprise" Lance said

 "Same with JC and Justin. I hear them now. talk to you later." Joey said
as he cut Lance off. "Not one word daddy."

"Believe me. Joe and I are gonna have words about this" Phil replied as the
door opened.

Continuing their conversation by their cell-phones, They discussed what to
do about the entire issue. "I can see why they did it," Lance pointed
out. "It's for protection. And they did it because of us."

"I know," Joey answered, "and I also see why they didn't discuss this with
us first either..."

"They didn't want us to be upset," Lance told him, "you know that."

"I know that too," Joey sighed. "But still... Like the gun is going to do
them any good... Neither of them can use it."

"Well, Chris does, actually," Lance said. "His dad taught him. He is a
colonel, you know. So he taught Chris, just in case. You know that there
would be guns in their house. So he is an excellent marksman."

"Chris?" Joey said, surprised, "our little Chris, with pink hair? That is
one thing I can't picture. But that's good really, because the two klutzes
I married will shoot away something vital if ever trying to fire a gun."

 "So what are we going to say when they get back home?" Lance asked, "They
don't know that we know."

"I think we should not tell them," Joey decided. "That wouldn't be any
fun. Let them feel guilty about it for a few days. If we act awfully nice
to them for a while, they will feel even worse."

"They should feel bad," Lance agreed. "And I like your plan."

 "They'll be home any minute now," Joey said, "time to make them suffer a
bit. I hate it when they do something like this, and they promised me that
it wasn't going to happen again. So this time I am not letting them get
away that easily."

"Just don't run away again," Lance warned him. "The state you left Justin
and JC in last time was painful to watch."

"I won't," Joey promised. "I can't move anyway, how the hell am I supposed
to run any where??

"I miss moving," Lance answered, "I miss being able to get out of the bed
by myself, well, I miss a lot of stuff. Being able to actually see my feet
is one of them."

"Just a couple of more months now," Joey replied, "then it's over. You
know, in some strange way I am going to miss this..."

"Me too," Lance admitted. "But I still don't think I'll be doing it again
for at least a year. Imagine having two little ones running around."

"Excuse me?" Joey said, "having twins here, remember?"

"That is true, and no, I haven't forgotten," Lance told him. "But they
don't have Chris for a dad... My kid is going to be hyper. He could
probably use an extra set of parents to wear out."

Laughing, Joey replied: "I wonder who the twins are going to take
after. Hopefully JC and they'll sleep a lot."

"I really can't see any children of yours being nice and sleep a lot,"
Lance said dryly. "They are going to get in trouble from the day they're
born."

 "They are going to be perfectly well-behaved," Joey claimed. "They are so
not!" Lance answered.

The sound of the front door opening made them both stop. "They're here,"
Joey said, "now, remember, you don't know anything." "Yes, I know," lance
said. "I'm blond."

"You don't know anything about the gun," Joey told him.

"Oh," Lance said. "No of course not. What gun?"

 "I do hope you're joking," Joey answered. "Talk to you later."

"Hey Hon" JC said as he kissed Joey on the lips. "Did you have a good day?"

"Nope"

"You know Lance has to stay away until he's better"Chris said.

"Yep"

"Hon, is something wrong?" Justin asked.

"Nope"

"What is it with these one word answers?" JC asked.

"Don't know"

"Joey"

"I'm hungry and tired. Please can I have something to eat or must I stay on
the couch and let the twins eat me" Joey said.

"We'll cook" JC said.

"Don't shoot the house down"

"What was that" Justin asked paling a little.

"I said don't burn the house down"

"Oh okay" Justin smiled in relief.

"I'm gonna go see Lance and then come back" Chris said as he walked up
stairs. That entire conversation with Joey was strange.

He entered the room to see Lance rubbing his stomach. "Hey babe."

"Hi love" Lance said.

"Whatcha been up to?"

"Fact I can't be near Joey and bored out of my mind. I was planning on
shooting myself" Lance said.

"Wha.." Chris paled.

"Nothing a little gun humor there" Lance grinned.

"Yeah" Chris said as he sweated a little.

"You're a little flushed. You okay?" Lance asked.

"Fine..Just dandy" Chris said. "I'm gonna go help JC with dinner."

"Okay" Lance said. "Oh look there's a program on Gun Control."

"Love you" Chris said as he hurried down and rushed JC and Justin into the
Kitchen. "Okay I think they know."

"What do you mean?" Justin asked.

"Okay Joey said shooting, same with Lance. Then they said it wasn't
humor. Then Lance had a program on Gun Control.  They have to know."  Chris
said softly.

"Concidence?" Justin asked.

"I think we're in deep shit" JC asked.

"You really think that they know?" Justin asked. "Come on, they would have
said something, neither of them would keep quiet about something like
this."

"They aren't being quiet about it at all," Chris said, shaking his
head. "But they are being sneaky about it... Giving us all these little
hints, to make us wonder if they actually do know..."

"But how could they know?" Justin still wasn't convinced.  "There is no way
that Joey's dad told them."

"No, but his brothers might," JC replied. "And i am sure they know, and
they are alo pissed because we didn't ask them first. So now they are
planning to make us feel really bad by being nice to us, so we'll end up
giving in and telling them."

Chris let himself fall down into a chair. "Why don't we just tell them? All
this secrecy is getting old."

"I don't know," JC admitted. "I just didn't want them to worry about
another thing, but if they already know... And you both know that they are
going to torture us with this."

"So what are we going to do?" Justin asked. "Telling them and let them be
mad, or let them keep this up and still make us feel like hell?"

"I think you just answered your own question," Chris commented. "I don't
know about you, but I am telling Lance."

"So we do tell them," Justin asked, looking at JC. "What do you think,
Josh?"

"I don't know," JC sighed, sitting down beside Chris. "I wish they would
just catch Ricky, throw him back in jail, and then I'd get rid of the whole
damn gun. But I don't dare to do that before I know that the most immediate
danger is gone. Till then we are all just going to have to live it it."

"But we are going to tell them," Chris repeated. "Aren't we?"

"Yes, we are," Justin spoke up. "But not tonight. We'll tell them tomorrow,
and try to explain why we did what we did."

****

"Do you think they know we know?" Joey asked Lance over the telephone.

"They are having a emergency meeting downstairs, I think," Lance
giggled. "I think they do."

"More importantly," Joey asked, stretching out in the bed. "Do you think
they'll tell us?"

"That I am not sure of," Lance said slowly. "I hope they do."

"I don't," Joey replied. "I want to have some fun teasing them first, make
them have a guilty conscience..."

"That's because you are evil," Lance stated. "But you have to admit, you
can see their side of this too? Why they didn't tell us?"

"Don't go all rational on me," Joey pouted. "Of course I can see why they
did it. I can even see why my usually far too intelligent dad gave my two
airheads a gun...I mean, them handling a gun? Don't think so. They should
actually leave it to me. At least I know how to use it."

"You do?" Lance asked curiously. "Of course you do..."

"Sure," Joey told him. "You really think that my parents didn't teach me,
and my brothers how to handle a gun?"

"Not really," Lance answered. "But I don't really have any clue how it was
to grow up in a family like yours anyway."

"It was a lot of fun!" Joey exclaimed. "Dad and daddy may be
overprotective, but they are lot of fun too."

"Yeah," Lance thought, "and that's part of why you are spoiled out of your
mind." Out loud, he said: "I can imagine that."

****NEXT DAY****

Joey was sitting in bed reading a book. He wasn't feeling too good. Last
night after a nice dinner and his husbands playing up to him. Joey threw
up.  Justin at first thought it was because of what they did. He got on his
knees and tried to beg for forgivnees for buying the gun. JC smacked Justin
upside the head and told him to be a man.  Joey looked at them and
frowned. He asked them why didn't they tell him they went and bought a gun.

After hours of pleading on the domniant males were forgiven and then
sentenced to three nights in the living room alone.

Joey sighed. He loved his airheads but he wished they could trust him to
handle the news. He really did see why the didn't tell him abut the
gun. But he wished they did. Then he wouldn't have punished them.

"They must be bored" Joey thought to himself. "I miss them but they need to
be taught that no matter how bad things are that they could talk to him.
He let it go. He wasn't feeling to good and turned over and threw up over
the bed. "Josh" he said softly.

He waited and there were no answer. "Great I puked in bed. Thats just
gross."

"Justin.." Joey tried to scream but his throat forbid it.

"Okay...water" Joey reached for the glass and slowly took a sip.  He needed
one of his husbands to come in and clean up. If he kept eyeing the mess he
was going to hurl again.

"Joe?" a voice asked.

"Lance, I feel too hot..Can you get Justin or JC?" Joey asked coughing.

"Sure..Sorry by the way" Lance said softly.

"It's not your fault" Joey moaned laying back. "Please hurry."

"Right" Lance said sacarstically. "I'm just going to run down the hall and
slide down the hand rail."

"Ooh sounds like fun" Joey said.

"Stay right there. I have a better technique" Lance grinned. He knew their
husbands were fast asleep. He grabbed a bull horn and pressed the button.
A second later noise blared through the house.

Chris woke with a start, staring wild-eyes at his husband. "What the hell
was THAT?!?"

Lance hid the bullhorn and smiled prettily. "What?"

"Never mind," Chris groaned and sat up. "Please tell me you had a reason
for doing that?"

"I was going to wake JC and Justin," Lance explained, carefully shoving the
horn in under the bed. "Joey isn't feeling well."

"Then why didn't you wake me up so i could go get them?" Chris asked.

That made Lance shrug. "Where is the fun in that?"

Chris leaned over to kiss Lance. "I do love you, sweetie, but you are going
to give me a heart-attack one day. Let me go check on JC and Justin, to
make sure you didn't scare them to death. I'll look in on Joey too."

"Thanks, babe," Lance replied, crawling back under the covers.

The hallway was dark when chris left their bedroom, downstairs he could
hear JC and Justin talking. Deciding to go check on Joey first, he knew
that the two downstairs was on their way up anyway.

The room was half dark when he entered. "Joey?" he said quietly, seeing the
other curled up on the bed. "What's wrong?"

"I don't feel good," Joey mumbled as Chris came over to him. His hair was
damp and his face pale. "My stomach hurts."

"You're way too warm," Chris commented worried, with his hand on Joey's
forehead. "Come on, let's get you out of the bed and get some fresh sheets
on. JC and Justin are on their way."

"Thanks," Joey answered weakly, letting Chris help him up. Quickly fixing
the bed, Chris was about to help him lay down again when Justin and JC
entered the room.

Justin went straight to Joey in the bed, while Chris explained the
situation quickly and quietly for JC.

"I think it's the same bug that got to Lance," he finished, "you want me to
call the doctor? His fever is pretty high."

"Thanks," JC said, "I'd appreaciate that. damn, I should never have left
him up here all alone... He wasn't feeling well all day.."

"You're here now," Chris said, laying a hand on JC's shoulder. "That's what
matters. I'll go call the doc, you and Justin stay with him."  JC
nodded. He wasn't planning to do anything else. Joining Justin in the bed,
he took a closer look at Joey. He was laying in Justin's lap, eyes closed.

"Hey, babe," he said softly, combing Joey's hair away from his face. "How
are you feeling?"

"Terrible," Joey answered, without opening his eyes, "too warm."

"That's because you've got a fever," JC told him. "Whatever bug that got to
Lance seemed to have developed a liking for you too. The doctor is going to
be here soon, just you relax."

"Yay," Joey mumbled, "the doc..."

"I know that you're not too fond of him," Justin said, looking down on
Joey. "But we need to get you all better again."

Joey was about to answer, as he felt a hard kick in the side. "Ow," he
protested, doubling up as much as he could.

"What's wrong?" Jutsin asked concerned. "You getting sick again?"

"No," Joey pouted, "one of the little monsters kicked me, somebody please
tell them that this isn't my fault?"

JC laid down beside him, planting a kiss on his stomach, before letting his
hand rub soothingly over it. "Hey you two," he whispered. "Give daddy a
break, ok? He doesn't like being sick either...and if you two don't behave,
it's going to take longer for him to get better..."

He felt Joey taking a deep breath and looked up. "Better?"

"Yeah, thanks," Joey sighed. JC kept rubbing his stomach, noticing that his
actions was making Joey sleepy. A moment later he was asleep.

"Probably the best for now," Justin commented, while carefully placing Joey
back down in the bed. "You think he got what Lance's got?"

"I hope so," JC replied. "At least then we know what it is, and how to
treat it."

"Strange that neither of us has got it," Justin said, laying down next to
Joey. "I know, their immune system are low right now, but really... They
both are, or were in Lance's case, sick as dogs. And we didn't even get so
much as stomach ache."

"Come on," JC sent him a look. "You can't possibly mean that...? That
somebody..."

"Think about it," Justin's voice was calm and steady, telling JC that the
younger man really believed in what he said. "It's strange isn't it?"

It was strange, JC had to admit that. And they couldn't afford to rule out
any possibilities.

****

The next morning Chris found all three of them, in bed sleeping. JC and
Justin on either side of Joey, hugging him. After some thought, Chris
decided to wake them, he could seriously not see that Joey was able to
breathe properly with his two husbands crush-hugging him from both sides.

The doctor had said what they knew all along. The virus that had made Lance
sick was a sneaky one and had somehow gotten around to Joey and made him
sick too. Lance was by now nearly back to normal shape again, and not happy
at all about Joey getting sick.  And the fact that he was sure that it was
his fault didn't improve his mood.

After waking JC and Justin, Chris went back to Lance who was still
sleeping, laying across the bed.

"Baby, wake up, I need to talk to you," he said, letting his fingers run
through Lance's blond hair.  His husband mubled something into the sheets
and then hid under the covers. "I do swear that you were a mole in a past
life," Chris sighed. "Lance, would you come back out? I know you're awake."

"I am not awake," the muffled reply came from under the blankets. "I am
sleeping."

"No, you are not," Chris answered, tugging on the blankets. "You're not
more sleeping than I am. You are hiding, because you feel bad."  Waiting
for an answer, he added: "You going to come out of there or do I need to go
in after you?"

"I think you need to come in here," Lance answered. "Because I am not
coming out."

Studying the bundle of blankets, Chris smiled a little.  "Ok, if this is
the way we're going to do it..." Crawling in under the blankets, he pulled
Lance close to him. Feeling Lance snuggle up to him, he asked: "You feeling
better now?"

"Much better," Lance said, taking Chris hand in his two. "I want to stay
here today."

"We can do that" Chris smiled at his husband. "Hon it's not your fault that
Joey's sick."

"But now I was sick for a week and now Joey's gonna be sick for a
week. That's two whole weeks we've haven't seen each other" Lance pouted.

"You'll see each other soon" Chris smiled.

"Then we'll torture you" Lance grinned.

"Oh no" Chris said. "Maybe keeping you two apart is a good idea."

"You wouldn't" Lance sniffed.

"NO! i wouldn't I was only teasing" Chris said as he massaged Lance's
shoulders. "You and Joey go good together."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better!" Lance said as he began to
cry.

"CHRIS!" a voice screamed from across the hallway.

"WHAT!"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY TO LANCE!?" another replied.

"NOTHING WHY!"

"YOU SAID SOMETHING TO MAKE LANCE CRY DIDN"T YOU!"

"Well..I DIDN"T MEAN TO! WHY ARE YOU ASKING!"

"CAUSE JOEY IS CRYING!"

"How you do that?" Chris asked at his sobbing husband.

Lance wiped his eyes. "He felt it."

"Oh come now you two can't feel each other. Wait, you both have sympathy
mood swings and cravings together. I do believe it." Chris said. "I'm sorry
baby. please stop crying. If you do I'll buy you some ice cream."

"Oooh ice cream. Can I have Mocha fudge beets milkshake" Lance asked.

Chris paled a little. "Beets?"

"Yeah I want some beets. Please?" Lance said as he pretended to sniffle.

"Okay I'll put some beets in your milkshake" Chris said as he kissed his
husband who calmed down.

"GET JOEY ONE, TOO!"

"Shesh what am I a slave?" Chris said as he left his bed room.

Going down to the kitchen Chris ran into Justin. As the younger man
followed Chris into the kitchen, his eyes got considerably wider as Chris
started to make Lance's milkshake.

"Are you really going to mix that?" he asked, looking like he was about to
cover his eyes. "That's just...icky!"

"Lance wanted it," Chris said, "and if I have learned one thing through
this is that you never ever argue with a pregnant man about his cravings."

"But beets?" Justin still wasn't buying it. Then he shrugged. "But then
again, we are talking about the same guy that put chocolate sauce on
pepperoni pizza..."

"I'm glad to see that one gone," Chris admitted. "Nowadays it's usually ice
cream, and I can live with that."  He looked at Justin. "And you're
supposed to make one of these for Joey, just as you know it."

"I am?" Justin answered. "Man, aren't I leading an intelligent conversation
today... Ok, but no beets. He is already sick."

"I'm hoping to bring this up to Lance," Chris said, leaving the ice cream
out for Justin. "How's Joey doing today?"

"Still sick, still running a fever, and still very very cranky," Justin
sighed. "If I actually do get him to eat this, well... Then I'll be maighty
proud of myself."

"That bad?" Chris asked symphatically. "Well, something cold should be good
if he's having a temperature... He can call Lance later, that oughta cheer
them both up a little."

"I'll tell him that," Justin smiled. "Now run along before Lance misses
you."

"Misses his milkshake is more like it," Chris said, smiling.  Chris left
and Justin rummaged around the kitchen for a little while. Getting the
milkshake ready he went back up to their bedroom.

"Hey," he said quietly. "Is he sleeping?"

"I think so," JC said, sitting in the bed, next to Joey, reading. "He
hasn't moved in the last fifteen minutes so I figured he went back to
sleep."

"Then this can wait," Justin decided, placing the milkshake on the
nightstand. "You know, I should sneak some vitamins and stuff in
there... How come the only think he eats these days is ice cream?"

"Actually the vitamins weren't such a bad idea," JC replied. "Do you think
that there exists vegetable ice cream?"

"I seriously doubt that," Justin smiled. "No wait, wouldn't strawberry ice
cream count for a vegetable of sorts? Or lemon?"

"You're right," JC nodded. "Vegetable ice cream."

"Chris was making one of these for Lance," Justin told JC, pointing to the
milkshake. "With beets."

"Beets? Oh my God, Lance does get the all over strangest cravings... He
should rub off on Joey some more...at least he is eating vegetables..."

JC smiled. "When the next doctor's appointment by the way?"

"In a week or so," Justin answered, sitting on the edge of the bed. "A
routine check for both of them. But the doc said to call him immedeately if
there were any chnages."

"I'm sure everything is going to be fine," JC said, thinking about what
Justin had said the other night.  Justin hadn't said anything more about
it, and it seemed that he had found it to be rather unlikely too. JC hoped
that that was the truth.

 ****Two months have passed****


Joey and Lance were sitting on the couch watching their husbands put up the
tree. Joey gotten over the bug and both had a peaceful halloween and
Thanksgiving.

Kevin was better and goign to therapy over what had happen. Dustin was
walking and talking driving both his fathers up the wall. Howie and Brian
were enjoying life with their sixth month baby boy Jeremy.

There was still no word on Johnny Wright or Ricky Martin and hopefully they
wouldn't be seen again. At least Joey hoped not.

He rubbed his huge belly as Justin fell from the step latter. "That
Nickolas was your clumsy father."

"HEY I heard that. My son doesn't need to know that!" Justin protested.

"He'll get to see plenty of that when he's born" Chris laughed.

"HEY" Justin pouted as he threw a pillow at Chris.

"Watch it" JC ordered.

"That, Trent, is your father being an ass" Lance giggled.

"So true" Joey laughed. "Can you believe it Lance? We're almost done. In a
couple of weeks we'll be in the delievery room screaming obscenties."

"That is true. I think we'll be doing more than screaming and
pushing. We'll probably be trying to rip.."

Lance felt a hand over his mouth and looked to see his husband smiling done
on him. "We don't need you to finish that delightful thought, love."

"At least Joey gained enough weight" Justin said relieved. He was glad that
the doctor told them that Joey gained enough weight to support the twins.

"Don't remind me. I feel like a balloon" Joey said. "That can't get up."

"I know what you mean. I'll be happy to see my feet" Lance said.

"I'll be happy just to get up on my own without any help" Joey
smiled. "Most of all I'll be happy to see the monsters who's been kicking
me.  He winced as both of the twins kicked him for that remark.

"That'll teach ya" Lance said.

"I know" Joey pouted.

"Hey at least we got out of Christmas shopping" Lance grinned.

"Oh too true" Lance smiled. "Good thing our fathers picked up the presents
for us"

"You know our children have more Christmas presents then all of us
combined" Justin pouted.

"They are gonna be SO spoiled and SO rotten" CHris said.

"Nuh uh. You're not the ones who's gonna have to deal with them throwing
temper tantrums from hell" Joey said.

"They're gonna be good boys" Lance said.

"That they will. Hopefully their grandfathers won't spoil them" Josh said.

"Wait..whose car is that in the garage?" Justin asked.

Joey whistled.

"No way" Lance said. "That sweet sports car that we've all been oogling is
yours Joe?"

"Yep" Joey said.

"NO FAIR"

"You can buy one Justin" Joey said.

"Still.."

"It's my Christmas Present from my fathers" Joey grinned.

"See, spolied rotten."

"HEY"

"So you three nervous" Lance asked.

"Oh yes..Very very nervous" Josh replied.

"Soon we're gonna be fathers. Wow" Justin said.

"I know" Joey smiled as he rubbed his belly again. "I can't wait to get
down to my small self. No more big hips or big butts."

"Justin you say it I swear I will slap your head off" JC warned.

"I didn't say anything" Justin pouted.

"But you were thinking it" JC said as he placed the star on top of the
tree. "Now for the grand resistance."

"Isn't that."

"Eat your popcorn hon" JC smiled. "Chris the lights."

Chris smiled as he hit the switch. The room was filled with bright colored
lights.

"Oooh"

"Ahhhh"

Then the lights went out.

"Can I say typical" JOey asked.

"Oh shut up" JC said.

"The tree died," Chris stated, as Lance and Joey was curled up, giggling,
on the couch.

"It did not!" JC protested, as he was trying to figure out how to make the
lights work again. "It's only the lights that went out... I'll fix it in a
minute."

Justin quickly sat down in the couch, pulling his feet up. "What's wrong?"
Lance asked curiously. "You waiting for high tide, or what?"

"No," Justin explained, "But if JC's gonna go attempt to fix something
electrical I don't wanna be there."

"Oh ye of little faith," JC mumbled, on his stomach, in under the
tree. "There, that oughta do it!" Crawling back out, he flicked on the
light switch.

The lights on the tree came on again. "See?" JC said proudly. "I fixed it."
Then the lights in the rest of the house went out.

"Yes," Chris said, looking around him him. "You certainly fixed it, Josh."

"Hmmm," JC stated. "That wasn't supposed to happen. At least the tree's
still on."

"Which comes in handy," Justin said from the couch, "because that's the
only light we have now."

"I think it's pretty!" Lance exclaimed as he had gotten his breath back
from laughing.

"Thanks," JC smiled. "It's probably just a blown fuse or something."

Joey put his head on Justin's shoulder. "I like it. It's romantic."

"That's true," Justin agreed, "and it's going to stay that way, until we
can get hold of an electrician. If I let JC try to do anything to the
electrical cabinet, he is going to get fried."

"I am not!" JC protested, pretending to be hurt.

"Yes, you are," Chris interrupted. "Come with me, and I'll show you the
proper way to do it, without killing yourself in the process."  They two
went off to get the lights working again, leaving Lance, Joey and Justin in
the living room.

Squirming around a bit, Lance tried to find a comfortable way to sit. "You
ok over there?" Justin asked.

"I'm getting way to big for this," Lance sighed. "My back is killing me."

"Why don't you lie down for a little," Joey suggested, scooting closer to
Justin. "It usually works for me."  Now resting his back against the
pillows Lance seemed to feel better. Then the lights came back on...and the
tree went out again.

"Maybe we can hide it," Justin suggested, trying not to smile. "I think
that tree got the better of all of us."

"Chris will fix it," Lance said surely. A minute later the lights on the
tree flickered and they were back on. "See?" Lance said proudly.

JC and Chris came back into the livingroom. "All done," Chris smiled. "You
feeling ok?" he asked Lance who was laying in one corner of the couch.

"I'm fine," Lance smiled up at him. "It's just my back."

"You tell me if it gets worse, you hear me?" Chris told him, stroking his
fingers through Lance's blond hair. "maybe you should get to bed and rest
some?"

Trying to sit up, Lance felt a stab of pain through his lower back. "That
might be a good idea," he admitted.

"I hope this passes though, I don't want to spend all of Christmas in bed."

====================
End of Chapter 18
Two more Chapters to Go
====================