Disclaimer: Not mine, Marvel's. The twins are mine though, as is some of the Guthrie siblings. What I did was remember as many of Sam's sib's names as I could, then made up one or two. Told from sam's pov.
"Okay, so let me get this straight. You're the oldest. Then Josh, Paige, Joelle, Elizabeth, Jeb, Lewis and uhh...what's the other ones name?" Tabitha asks me, ticking mah siblings off on her fingers.
We were finally goin' to mah home in Kentucky. Tabitha and Ah had snagged the PACRAT for the afternoon, and were flyin' down there. We were gonna get married in Kentucky and stay until the babies were born, helping out mah momma with the kids. After that.well we really hadn't gotten that far yet.
"Sam?" Tabitha asks, waving her hand in front of mah face. Ah jump in surprise and look at her.
"Huh?" Ah ask, comin' out of mah daydreams.
"Did you here a word I just said?" She asks, putting her hands on what was left of her waist.
"Umm...no." Ah admit shifting uncomfortable. She rolls her eyes and sits down in the co-pilot chair. "What did you say?"
Tabitha looks down at her hands, folded on her swollen stomach. "Do you think they'll like me?" She asks so softly that Ah can barely hear her.
"Tabitha..." Ah say, standing up and walking over to where she was sittin', after flippin' the autopilot on. "They will love you, Ah know it. Just be yourself."
"I'm scared, Sam." She tells me, sniffing.
"Oh what?" Ah ask, confused.
"I don't know. What if this doesn't work out?" She says, reaching to touch mah face.
"What doesn't work out?" Ah ask, still confused.
"Us. What if we get married, and get divorced three years down the road? How are we gonna take care of these kids? I didn't even finish high school for Pete's sake!" Tabitha cries, a tear trickling down her face.
"Honey..." Ah start to reassure her, then stop. She doesn't need you to fix this, Ah say to mah self. She needs you to understand. "Ah know what you mean. Ah'm scared too. Ah never even thought about being a father this young."
"What are we gonna do?" Tabitha asks in a pitifully small voice.
"Ah don't know sweetie. But Ah do know that Ah love you, and Ah'll be here for the rest of mah life." Ah tell her, reaching to wipe her tears away.
She smiles at me, and reaches to hug me as best she can. Her stomach has a tendency to get in the way whenever we hold each other.
"So, what is the twin girl's name again?" Tabitha asks me, leaning back in her seat.
"Mary." Ah tell her, sliding back into the pilot's chair.
"Okay, so it's Josh, Paige, Joelle, Elizabeth, Jeb, Lewis and Mary?" Tabitha ticks off the names of mah sisters and brothers.
"Yep. You got it!" Ah tell her, beaming slightly.
"I'm never gonna remember all that." Tabitha muttered under her breath. Ah grin again, and lean back in mah seat. We're only twenty minutes from mah home!
*****
"Momma? Josh? Paige?" Ah call after Tabitha and Ah reach the farm. Tabitha is standing behind me, looking around with interest.
"You know, I've never seen a place like this, except for maybe on TV." She says, still looking around.
"Are you kidding me?" Ah ask, turning to face her. She smiles prettily at me and mah heart skips a beat. She is so beautiful, is all Ah can think as Ah stare at her face. Ah grin back after a minute, and bend down to kiss her softly.
"A-hehm." A person clears their throat behind me. Ah jump and turn around, slightly embarrassed. Mah momma stands in the doorway with her arms crossed, but smile on her face.
"Momma!" Ah cry, stepping away from Tabitha to hug mah mother.
"Sam! Look at you!" She cries hugging me back.
"Ah'm so glad to see you...Paige!" Ah cry as mah sister runs out the door.
For awhile Ah'm so swept up in seeing mah family again, that Ah kind of forget about Tabitha. Ah finally do remember her, and wince, expecting her to be feeling left out.
Ah didn't count on mah momma though. She had obviously made a beeline for Tabitha after the rest of the family came out. The two of them were talkin' about somethin', though Ah couldn't hear what. Then mah Momma throws her head back and laughs, and then hugs Tabitha.
Ah turn back to mah brothers and sisters, and see them all looking at me expectantly. Ah smile, and lead them down to where Tabitha and Momma were talking.
Ah smile at Momma, and bend down to kiss Tabitha's cheek. Then Ah say, "Guys, this is Tabitha. Tabitha, this are mah brothers and sisters. Paige, Josh, Joelle, Jeb, Elizabeth, Lewis and Mary." Ah tell her, pointing at each one as I say their name.
Tabitha smiles at all of them, and looks down at her feet. Momma smiles and waves us all in the house for dinner.
****
After dinner, Momma pulls me aside as Tabitha helps the other kids clear the table.
"Ah like her Sam. She's a nice girl." Momma tells me, smiling softly. Momma never was one for betting around the bush. "And she loves you more than anything."
"Ah love her too, Momma." Ah say.
"Ah know you do sweetie." Momma smiles.
****
That night, Tabitha and Ah were lying in bed talking softly. (Ah still can't believe Momma let us sleep in the same room!)
"I like your family, Sam." Tabitha whispers to me.
"They like you too, baby." Ah whisper back to her.
Tabitha falls asleep in mah arms, her breath tickling the side of mah face. Ah stay awake for awhile, just watching her sleep.
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