I Found the Babies

Chapter 1

"Terrence!"

A loud bellow pulled me out of my hazy, half-asleep state and I opened my eyes to look around before flipping onto my stomach and trying to get some more sleep. Whatever he wanted, it could wait. It couldn't be more important than my sleep, could it? I took a look at my alarm clock.

It was freaking three in the morning!

I snuggled into the comfort of my bed once again, trying to ignore the yelling of my father from right across the room as I groaned and pulled the comforter above my head, blocking out all the noise.

So much for wanting to spend time with my family.

"Terrence! Wake up! Fast! Larissa went into labour! I need your help!" My father shouted again, his voice penetrating through the comforter as I groaned again and pulled the comforter tighter against me.

Wait!

Larissa went into labour!

My step mother just went into labour!

Why couldn't he say that earlier!? Panic coursed through me as the situation's seriousness dawned, and suddenly I was flinging the comforter away and hopping out of the bed as I ran into the room where my father and his wife of two years were supposed to be sleeping. As I went closer to the room, I become more aware of the shrieks of agony that no doubt came from my step mother.

I winced inwardly at her shrieks and took deep breaths. I, then, entered just to have my stepmother stop shouting and screaming; looking at me with a weird look on her face.

Let me give you a warning: she was only two years elder to me, and I had no interest in elder women. She was nothing but a gold digger and I never understood what dad saw in her. She was so many things: dumb but somehow a manipulating b***h, intelligent enough to never cheat on my father. She was sexy, alright, and quite provocative, too, but when the term 'stepmother' was attached to her, my d**k thought it was better to respect her and always stayed down; my eyes never went below her neck or wherever they shouldn't go. It wasn't that difficult, to be honest, Larissa's types were only good for a distracting f**k, especially when I was really bored.

My dad was so in love with her that he never paid attention to her person. He was blinded by his faith in her - not that she had given him a reason to be suspicious. It was just that I never felt that she appreciated or even gave a damn about how he felt. She was after his money, no doubt, because with my dad being almost twice her age, she knew that with his heart problems, he would not live that long.

"Terrence Powers! What is this!?" I heard my father's horrified voice, "Do you think you are of any help in this state?"

"Why? What's wrong—oh...Oh!" I had looked down and found myself standing just in my navy blue boxers. No doubt Larissa was giving me those weird looks.

I gave dad a sheepish look and ran into my room, immediately throwing on some sweatpants and a T-shirt. I grabbed my phone and a peppermint from the nightstand. I had just realized that my breath smelled horrible and I didn't want to poison the car in fear of suffocating my unborn sibling. I quickly hopped down the stairs and found dad carrying Larissa towards the garage. I unlocked the car and helped him place her inside as he whispered sweet nothings into her ear and held her hands, stroking her cheeks and her hair.

For a moment, I wondered if Larissa even cared about all the things dad did for her. My jaw clenched as I thought about it, but then shook out of it, because right now, reaching hospital as soon as possible seemed to be of more importance.

I entered the hospital premises, luckily, without a potential speeding ticket, and carried Larissa to the lobby. A nurse immediately brought a stretcher and soon she was taken to the delivery room with my father in tow.

Then I felt it.

I needed to pee.

I suddenly realized that my bladder was about to burst and if I didn't hurry, nature was surely going to leave a voicemail for me - my piss all over the hospital floor.

I didn't bother telling dad because I knew that his son disappearing in the hospital would be the last thing on his mind. So I tried to locate the restroom in the vast hospital.

As I strode through the corridor, I saw the faces of the new fathers. None of them had frowns on their faces; excitement and happiness shone in their eyes and I wondered if my father was also feeling the same, if not more. When Larissa first told him that she was pregnant, he was all over the moon. I had never seen him so happy before, at least not since my mother's death.

I found the restroom and literally ran in there, but was left aghast when I saw the long line even for the pissoir.

Didn't people have better things to do in a hospital? I was on the verge of wetting my pants in front of a large audience. Agonizingly slowly, when I felt that I couldn't control anymore, I finally had my turn. I let it all go, them, feeling the orgasmic feeling wash all over me.

Really, peeing when your bladder is on the verge of bursting is such a wonderful feeling.

I washed my hands as I looked at my reflection in the mirror in front of me.

The realization hit me like a T-Rex sitting on my shoulders when I stopped for a moment to look at my face.

I was going to be a brother.

Shit! I was going to be a brother. A twenty eight year old business tycoon was about to be a brother. It would be an understatement to say that I was shocked when I got to know about it. I had no idea dad was still young enough to ensure that his sperms made it to their destination. In fact, even Larissa seemed to be shocked, since how she so wanted to pursue her career and didn't want any distraction from her ultimate goal: My dad's money.

He had been the happiest among us.

I went out of the washroom and headed towards the delivery room where dad and Larissa were supposed to be. It wasn't quiet at all down that hallway. People were running here and there, the nurses and the doctors, too, seemed in a hurry, but only one part of the hall seemed inactive-

-Right where Larissa's delivery room was supposed to be.

I ran towards it and immediately froze when I saw the tear streaked faces of dad and his wife.

They didn't seem like happy tears.

Something in my gut clenched. Even though I despised Larissa and was in a shock all through her pregnancy, I was actually looking forward to meeting my step sibling. And looking at the grief stricken couple, I contemplated whether I should go inside or not.

I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Mr. Powers, I think your father needs you there." Dr. James, the one who was supposed to aid in delivering my sister or brother said to me, and I just nodded and stepped inside the hospital room.

I tried to keep my mind blank from the possibilities that led to this situation. It could have been that the umbilical cord wound around my baby sister or brother's neck, or maybe it was a really, really complicated delivery.

But complicated deliveries weren't supposed to be this short, right? They were supposed to be long enough for me and dad to wear down the hospital's marble floors.

I could see the look on dad's face, and I recognized it immediately. It was the same look he had on when mom died, the one which was stoic and strong, yet, pained and broken.

Please. No. This couldn't — shouldn't be happening. Dad was supposed to look happy - all flushed face, goofy grins and twinkling blue eyes.

The only twinkle that I could see was from the tears glossing his eyes.

I patted my father's shoulders comfortingly and he immediately pulled me into a hug. I patted his back awkwardly, then, not really knowing what to do in such a situation.

"The baby was stillborn."

That was all he whispered after, finally, sobbing his heart out on my shoulder. I could have sworn I never saw him look so broken in my entire twenty eight years of existence. My eyes went over to Larissa, who was crying too, her hands clutching her hair as she let out frustrated sobs, her eyes showing regret more than pain.

How was I to make her understand that it wasn't her fault?

I didn't like her at all, but this was the last thing I could have ever wished for her. It was cruel, and I had no idea how it felt for her own baby being snatched away from her.

I pulled away from dad and gripped his shoulders, saying the only thing I knew I could say in such a situation.

"Dad, you need to stay strong for Larissa."

It was a stupid thing to say, I know, but he immediately nodded and went to hold her while I just let my feet take me wherever they wanted to. I should have been the one strong enough for both of them, but my own nerves and thoughts were fogging. I had no idea when I had stepped out of the hospital and when I had started to take the familiar route towards the cemetery.

As I was walking, I saw a familiar face walking down the street, headed towards the opposite way. She was on her phone with someone and was chatting away without stopping for breath. I remembered the first time I had met her in Larissa's office - when I had to go to pick Larissa up. I had found this woman standing in her office, shooting daggers at her with her gaze, the intention of murder clearly on her mind.

Her glare had immediately shifted to me as I barged in the office without any preamble. Not that it affected me in any way, since my brain had switched positions with my other head, and my d**k was oh-so-eager to come out of my pants and take a nice look at her, outside and inside.

She was still looking hot in her white blouse and skinny jeans, as her hips sashayed when she walked, her brown tresses glinting as the streetlights illuminated her features. It crossed my mind for a moment, what exactly was it that she was doing out on the streets at nearly four in the morning, but I had more pressing things to attend to.

I shook my head as she escaped my line of vision.

My chest burned and my eyes were heavy with unshed tears. My heart felt heavy and my stomach clenched and unclenched. All the waiting for those nine months, all the happiness, anticipation, excitement, hopes, dreams were crushed into bits, today. I opened the wrought iron gate to the cemetery and my feet took me towards my destination.

"Mom," I whispered.

**********************

Alyssa Reynolds 

"Oh no, Lisa! If it wasn't for the fact that I was up watching my fave hotties on Netflix, I wouldn't have even picked up your call, let alone stay up to talk to you."

My best friend stopped for a moment, and I distinctly heard the crunching sound of the chips she had stuffed her mouth with.

"By the way..." Another pause, "What the hell do you think you are doing all alone at the streets a f*****g four in the morning?! Don't you know that there are bad, bad people that can harm my little baby?!"

I rolled my eyes, "I am not a baby Allie, and I told you the reason three times, already."

"My apologies, really, for being concerned for my best friend." She said, sarcastically, and I could imagine her rolling her eyes while balancing the phone between her head and her shoulder and using her two gifted hands - one of which should be holding the phone - to eat the chips. I could, again, hear the crunching sounds in between, even when she was speaking.

This woman, I swear!

"What if you come across those awful, terrible people that roam around the city at night like zombies who would eat you up?" There she goes. "Do you think a handsome, charming man would come to your rescue and then you two would instantly fall in love with each other? Do you think he would be hot? Rich? Damn! What if he is like Christian Grey?! He would take you to his playroom-"

"Oh shut up, Alexandria! I know you are a freaking editor but you need to keep the things that cook up in your brain from coming out of your mouth! And please, I am not a desperate virgin to go after a hot guy who just wants a hard f**k! I want more..." I tried to search for the right word, "Substance."

"Well, then, I think I come in the category of desperate virgins. But Hey! I'm not a virgin. Wait! You changed the topic!" She said in an accusing tone, "Now tell me again! Is something wrong with your biological clock that you forgot that it's more than four hours past bedtime?"

Remind me why was she my best friend, again?

I rolled my eyes, "No, nothing's wrong with my biological clock, Allie. I told you, I got locked in the office."

"But who the hell gets locked into her own office? Where was the security in charge?"

"I don't know, there was no one when I came outside. Wherever he was, it took him long anyway." I sighed and kicked a stone on the pavement. The road was eerily silent with no sign of life around me. The whole city seemed to be asleep, leaving the advertisement boards and the street lights as the only source of light for me.

"Yeah, he looked a bit constipated in the evening when I saw him. Seriously, but what you were doing for so long in there? I mean, your shift ends at five, right?"

"Oh, it's all because of Larissa. You know her, that b***h. Since she has become the Head Editor of our publishing company, she has been flying castles in the air and now she has taken a nearly year long vacation from work." I scoffed. "Being her assistant, I have to take up all of her job at editing and other publishing stuff she did. I don't know how but she somehow managed to f**k up everything in the company. The moment she's gone, I'm the one handling it. It's been freaking five months and I still haven't been able to to sort the s**t out! She isn't even sending someone for assistance! And the worst thing is, since she has married into the Powers family, she thinks she is some kind of a queen and she keeps bitching around, ordering me and provoking me all the damn time! With Larissa around, I almost feel the desperation to learn the art of voodoo, and now that she's not around- Hey! Allie! You there?"

I groaned. No wonder, I was wondering why she hadn't started interrupting me to talk about Larissa's hot husband, Terrence Powers, because I remembered her crushing on him ever since she saw him for the first time.

She bloody fell asleep while talking to me! I hoped that her face fell right into the popcorn bowl and got stuck right into it!

I hung up and sighed. Now there was absolutely no one to keep me company while I walked down the lonely street. To be honest, I liked the silence that was surrounding me, soothing and comforting. I heard the rustling sound of the trees, the chirping of crickets and the wailing of babies, and —

—Wait!?

Wailing of babies!? But there was no one other than me around. I focused, trying to find in which direction the source of the wails was, walking towards it as I could hear the clicking of my heels at the pavement. I walked as fast as I could, my heart thumping in my chest.

Surely the babies would have their mother with them, right?

Still, I felt like I had to go to them, to see if they were alright. I blindly entered an alleyway, not caring where I was going. Panic rose in me, as my brain conjured up all the images that I couldn't imagine happening to the babies.

Oh god! I hoped that I wasn't too late.

I was nearly running when I felt that the wails were closer than ever, but still there was not a single living being in sight. I looked around for any clue, and I paled when I found the only thing around me that could hold a baby. Anger, fear, anxiety bubbled up in my chest as I ran towards it, feeling the source of the voices come closer.

It was a dumpster.

No! No! No! No! No! Let the cries be only my stupid hallucinations! Please! No one could be that vile to throw innocent babies in a dumpster, right?

Right?

A sob built up in my chest as I pushed its lid open, to find nothing but stinky trash and a big box inside. The cries had quietened by now, but I opened the box anyway, only to find two pairs of blue, shiny orbs staring at me with innocence.

Oh my! They were so beautiful!

The sob that had lodged itself in my throat had now escaped as tears pooled in my eyes. I immediately threw the lid and took the box out of the dumpster, taking my emergency shawl out of the handbag that I kept for whenever I felt cold.

They were two blue eyed angels, a boy and a girl, looking at me, even though I very well knew they were not able to see my properly. They were so beautiful, their orbs shimmering in the only source of light, and their mouths open in a silent cry. They were not even a day old, probably not even an hour.

Wondering how I knew that?

They had those tags intact, the ones that held their weight and other details, but somehow these ones didn't have information of their parents. It made me sure that the babies were not lost and were dumped purposely; the one that did thought that they would die anyway if they weren't found. This was the lowest any person could go, dumping innocent babies.

Even if I felt like the babies were left here with the intention of someone else finding the,.

The babies were, fortunately, healthy. A friend of mine was a doctor, and watching her do this stuff was helping me now with being careful about the things I should do.

The babies had me captivated in their gaze as they looked at me with something that resembled probably hope: hope that they would be fed and taken care of. They could feel my presence, and I hope that it was the only thing that calmed them down. Their eyes were drooping now, and even though a part of me didn't want them to fall asleep hungry, fearing for their life, I knew I was helpless.

The tears steadily ran down my face now.

How could someone be so heartless?

I held up the little girl - I wrapped half of the shawl around her and held her in the crook of my arm. I then held up the boy, managing to wrap the other half around him so that both were equally sharing my shawl and were resting in the crooks of my arms, snuggling into my chest as they closed their eyes, completely.

I sniffed; my heart was hurting for them as I felt the need to protect them more and more with each passing instant. There was no choice or seconds thoughts on what I was going to do with them:

I am going to take them home.

I walked back home, guessing it was now around five in the morning so I sat on the porch of Mason's House, which was just one street away from mine. No, he was not my boyfriend or something, nor was I remotely interested in him. He was a total douche and that wasn't me being judgmental here. He had absolutely nothing out of of place in his life. A perfect, rich family, a perfect job in the police department, good looks, nice house and stuff like that.

But, he was a d**k.

At least, he took his job seriously and that was why I was here, sitting on his porch, gazing down at the two little bundles snuggled peacefully in my sore arms. I desperately needed his help in this situation where I had absolutely no idea what to do. So I did the first thing I could think of.

Report a police officer.

I knew that his night shift ended at this time, so he would be back here any minute. And speaking of the devil, I heard the noise his Jeep's engine made as he entered the driveway.

I held the babies tighter to me as he stepped out of his Jeep, his eyes immediately falling on me. Confusion marred his features, which was soon replaced by his charming grin. I stood up and walked over to him. Before he could even mumble a greeting, I blurted, "I need your help, Mason."

A frown etched into his features at my words but it was soon replaced, this time with shock, as his eyes fell on the two cuddled up infants in my arms.

"Come in," was all he said as he walked towards the door and opened it. He walked inside the house with me trailing behind him, my tears threatening to spill out, again. As soon as I entered the living room, I spotted the couch and carefully placed the two babies there and arranged the cushions around them so that they wouldn't fall off it.

He offered me a cup of coffee but I refused because my nerves were already too damn high. I narrated him how I found the both of them and he listened to me, sipping his coffee from his mug in between. When I was finished ranting out the curses which I wished to throw at the person behind the condition of the babies, I found him staring at his mug, looking deep in thought.

"Look, Alyssa," he started, "There isn't much we can do, here. We will do our best to find the parents, but we wouldn't be able to do anything if the both of them are actually unwanted. There is one thing we can do for sure is to take them to an orphanage and ensure that they are provided for well. But you still have the option to keep them if you want to."

You still have the option to keep them if you want to.

Was sending them to an orphanage a good idea? I didn't know. I knew that I wanted to burn the epitome of cruelty in the deepest pits of hell. My maternal instincts had kicked in, and I wanted to be the one to ensure they were safe and well fed.

I didn't have to think twice before saying:

"I think I will keep them with me."

I picked up the twins and rested them in the crook of my arms, comfortably, ready to run out of the door.

"I thought so too. Well, that's good then?" He said, his charming grin returning.

"Thank you so much, Mason, for helping me out. I think I should go now, to a hospital to see what I can feed them." I said nervously and turned, ready to ignore what he was just about to say.

"You owe me a date, Reynolds!"

I strode towards my apartment as I was suddenly aware that it was past six in the morning and I had barely gotten any sleep. I had to report to work in three hours and I had two more little beings to take care of. I also had to go to a doctor as soon as possible because I didn't know if they were fed when they were born or not.