Chapter 75 (This is a record 4 in one month, I'm spoiling you all)

Lexie looked at the kids waiting for an answer.  In her mind she was already their mother, she didn’t need a lawyer or buying off their mom to be that.

“Of course I want to adopt you mutts.”  She laughed. 

All the kids jumped up to hug her.  Jon stood watching the free for all.  They were joined by the elder Bongiovi’s who added their congratulations. Carlotta came in to tell them breakfast was on the table.

Much later that evening as Jon and Lexie cuddled in bed, she ran her fingers along his chest. 

“You know, this paper is a formality, those four already are my kids.”  Lexie looked up at him.  “I can’t believe she signed away her rights to those kids.  I could never do that.”

Jon smiled.

“I have to ask, when did you five have this meeting?”  She sat up and leaned against the headboard.

Jon knew she was going to ask that.

“You just happen to be in your writing spot.  Seems they talked about it when we were at the cabin on our honeymoon.  Dad told me they asked about how you went about adopting” Jon sat up facing her in the bed, knowing that the cuddling was over until she got her mind around this adoption.

“Dorothea has separated from Greg, she called because she heard we were married.”  Jon reached for her hand.

“Separated, I thought they had moved to Los Angeles?” Lexie linked her fingers with his.

“Well, seems she needed more money, he lost his job, and she refused to go to work.” Jon sounded very upset the more he talked about her.  “I offered her a deal, she signed the papers for adoption, and it was a one-time lump-sum deal.”

“You mean she took money to sign away her rights?”  Lexie gasped.

“Yeah she did.  I would have paid anything at this time.  She gave up custody to me after the Philly incident, so this legally ends her involvement with the kids.”  Jon shifted in the bed so he could look in her eyes.  “My mom will tell you I should have made her sign a pre-nup” He stopped to take a breath, she jumped on it.

“Jon, I know all this. That’s why we met with the lawyers before we were married.”  Lexie reached out and touched his face.  “I just want to know, why she gave in so easy.”

“Well, for one it was all about the money.  Two, the kids do not and I stress do not, like his parents.  Three, I wanted to wash my hands of her.”  He sighed, “With this payment, she can’t have contact with them, without me being there, and it has to be in Jersey. She can’t come to me for more money, this gold vein had been tapped out.”

“So she sold her kids to you, I could never do that.”  She placed her hand on her swollen abdomen.  “One of us has to die first.” 

He knew she was serious.  She would never give up her trio or his four, unless she was dead.  When he and Dot got married, she had wanted kids, and he would settle down and they would be a family.  When he hit the big time, she begged his to slow down, not tour so much.  When he found out she cheated on him, it had just about done him in.  He still hand feelings for her, they did have four kids, and just now the feelings weren’t the love they had shared.

“She signed the paper and the money was deposited in her name.” Jon sighed and brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles.

Lexie just shook her head.  She would make sure not a day goes by that those kids didn’t feel unloved.

The next two doctor’s appointments came and went, Little Baby Bongiovi three, managed to hide from having its privates photographed.  She left Jon with the boys while she and Stephanie headed to Atlanta for the Book Writers conference.  The Paps camped out at the hotel, keeping Lexie and Stephanie holed up in the hotel.  If they wanted food, Robbie would order it sent to his room and he would sneak it up the back stairs.  They rented in room movies and shopped online.  Every night she fell asleep talking to Jon.

They were sitting on the balcony waiting for Robbie to bring up dinner.  They had ordered pizza and salads, Stephanie was leaning over the balcony railing looking down at the photographer and autograph seekers.

“You know I could throw a bucket of water down on them, bet they would leave us alone.”  She leaned back and watched Lexie tapping away on her iPad.

“Ah Hua,” Lexie mumbled.

“That or just spit down on them.”  Stephanie teased. She had seen it before, a bomb could go off and Lexie wouldn’t hear it, when she was in the throes of writing.

“Yeah, but you could get arrested.” Robbie said as he walked out on the balcony with a large veggie pizza.  The smell finally drew out of her iPad world.

“Yummy, the trio is getting hungry.”  She saved her chapters and shut down the iPad.

“She was so gone Robbie, I threatened to toss water on the paps or spit on them and she just agreed.”  Stephanie grabbed a plate and a slice.

“I know I get caught up in my writing, but it was just flowing.”  She grabbed a slice and a plate.  She grabbed a bottle of water and took a long swallow.  “Your Dad and Uncle Mookie are the same way, when they are writing.”

“That’s true.”  Stephanie said.

Later that night as she sat talking to Jon.

“I am so sick of this hotel.”  Lexie sighed as she sipped a McDonalds to go sweet tea. Robbie made a midnight run to McDonalds for Lexie.  The babies wanted sweet tea and the hotel tea just didn’t hit the mark.  “We leave tomorrow by way of the kitchen backdoor.  Security sucks.” 

“Well, you come home tomorrow and don’t have to go back.”  Jon told her as he ran through the channels on the bedroom television. 

“Yes I will, the awards conference is here, this summer.” She rubbed her tummy.  “The trio hates this place too.”  She placed the empty cup on the bedside table.

They talked until she fell asleep.

Snow in February, Jon sat in the airport waiting on the plane to be ready.  He had a bad feeling leaving Lexie yesterday.  Her cravings were making him sick and he put on about twenty pounds since they found out she was pregnant.  At Midnight he woke up to her eating a peanut butter sandwich in bed.  Of course he had to have one too.  Reaching for her other half, he missed the dill pickles in the sandwich.

“I didn’t think you liked crunchy peanut butter.” He said as he took another bite.

“That’s the dill pickles.”  She said as she took another bite.

Jon almost barfed in the bed right there.  He tossed the three bites he had last into the trash.

“Damn Lexie, next time warn me.”  Jon said as he jumped out of bed and run to the bathroom to rinse his mouth out.

“I pregnant with triplets, I eat what they want, one wanted peanut butter, the other wanted raspberry preserves with seeds and baby c, our unknown passenger, demanded pickles.”  She laughed as she popped the last bite of the sandwich in her mouth.

He jumped when his cell rang, checking the caller ID he noticed it was Stephanie number.

“Hey Steph, what’s up?” Jon got up and walked toward the windows so he could hear her over the band horsing around.

“I’m taking Lexie to the doctor’s office, she said she’s fine,” Stephanie said as she helped Lexie into the car.

“I’m fine Jon,” he heard Lexie sounding weak.

“I’m stuck in the airport in Cleveland, their icing down the plane.”  Jon started to pace.

“I just wanted you to know, I called Dr. Sally and he is waiting on her.  I’ll call you when I know something more.”  Stephanie gave the driver directions, Lexie grabbed her phone.

“I’m okay Jon, Stephanie is just over protective, I woke up from my nap and my back was hurting worse than it had before.  She thinks I’m in labor, but it’s too soon, I’m almost seven months, I’m not due till May.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can Lex.”  Jon was getting worried, the last time they were at the doctor’s office, Dr. Sally said with multiples, early contractions have happened.  “Have you been timing the pains?”

“We’re heading in the tunnel, Stephanie will call you from the doctor’s office.”  Lexie said and sure enough they lost the signal.

“Lex, Lex?”  Jon looked at the screen “Damn, Obie get my ass out of fucking Cleveland.”  He turned and yelled at the sound man.

“Wouldn’t that be Paul’s Job?”  Obie the sound wizard of the crew.

“Once they get the plane ready we can leave, Kidd.” Richie said as he walked over toward Jon. 

“I knew I shouldn’t have left her.”  Jon paced and looked at the plane.  “Freak ice storm my ass.” 

“Is something wrong with Lexie?”  David joined Richie who was pacing along with Jon.

“Early labor, we knew it could happen with Lex having the trio.”  He stopped pacing and looked between Richie and David.

“Maybe it’s just Braxton’s.” David told him.  “Aprille had that problem.”

“I don’t know, I just want to be there.”  Jon said quietly.

By the time they got into the air, Jon checked his email over and over, for work from Stephanie.  As they landed he turned his cell off.  It listed a hospital and a room number.

Jon started to give the driver but he already knew.  He was taken to the back, past the field of photographers.  Stephanie was waiting in the hall, he had to show ID to get into the hall.

“Steph?”  He called to his daughter.

“Daddy,” Stephanie went to her father, walking into his open arms.  “She’s sleeping, Dr. Sally, wants her on bed rest.  Said she was over doing it and if she wants the Trio, he was going to make sure she slows down.”

Jon and Stephanie walked into the hospital suite, she looked so pale and it was very evident she was carrying multiples, by the tent where he stomach would have been.  Sitting beside the bed, he held her hand.