Luhan watched as the small boy toddled forward, shyly taking Minseok’s hand in his own. A broad smile spread across Minseok’s face as the small hand found his much larger one, shaking it in greeting.

“My, what a polite young man you are.” Minseok couldn’t help but beam at the sight. The child, his child, inches away from him. Now that the child – Theodore that was what Kris had referred to him as - was up close Minseok could make out all of the details of his face, a few wayward freckles that played on his nose, chubby cheeks and long eyelashes.

The boy pulled his hand away, turning away and scurrying back towards the maid as his bashfulness got the better of him. Minseok wanted to laugh at the sight, though he didn’t dare startle the child or make the boy think he was making fun of him.

“I am certain you can no longer deny it, D’Adderleigh.” Kris sounded bored, indifferent, as he watched the children resume clinging to the maid.

“We need to discuss this in more detail, Labeaux. Somewhere more private, perhaps.” Minseok countered. He was happy to meet the children, happy to see them for even a second – for a second was far more than he had ever had with them before. Yet he needed to sort things out. Angelique – their mother – was deceased, the children were without the only parent they had ever known. Now that Minseok was certain they were his he wanted to discuss how best to acclimate them into his household. The last thing he wanted to do was cause any psychological harm to children who had just lost their mother.

“What is there to discuss?” Kris quirked an eyebrow, staring at Minseok.

“The arrangements for their future, of course. How best to progress, that sort of thing.” Minseok sincerely hoped he would not have to explain everything in detail to Kris, not here, not now.

“As I see it, D’Adderleigh, they are yours now. There really is nothing to discuss.” Kris drawled, “You may do with them as you please.”

Minseok tensed. Was Kris so moronic, so thick headed as to think that the children did not need some sort of transition period before being into a new life with people that were little more than strangers?

“I think it may be best if we take things slowly.” Luhan chimed in, agreeing with Minseok’s sentiment.

“Is that so?” Kris sighed “Seeing as how my family has been caring for these children for the last three years I would dare say we do not owe them anything else – in fact, you owe me several hundred pounds. And a magistrate would likely agree – they are your responsibility now.”

“This isn’t about money.” Minseok spat, growing angry. He had to check his temper. He had to remember that the children were present.

“Isn’t the world about money, D’Adderleigh?” Kris countered.

Perhaps taking the children away from a home where such a man lived was for the best, Minseok thought. Perhaps it was for the best if his children were with him, not with the Comte, who seemed to measure everything in monetary terms.

“We did not bring a carriage.” Minseok was not sure how they would get two little children home, not on foot.

“That is your problem, D’Adderleigh, now isn’t it?” Kris smiled, a smile that Minseok found most distasteful.

***

“Tao, I didn’t expect to see you here.” Jongdae smiled at the younger man, happy that he was finally able to make an appearance at the office.

“My day off.” Tao explained, taking a seat at the small table next to where Sehun had planted himself.

“Very good.” Jongdae was busy arranging his notes, carefully written bits of information that he needed to piece together. He had called Sehun, Tao, Minseok, Luhan, and Junmyeon to a meeting to discuss their current case, sharing the information that each had collected and discussing what their next steps may be based on what they had discovered thus far.

Jongdae hadn’t thought Tao would make an appearance but he was certain Minseok and Luhan would be present. When they were not in the office at the appointed time he became slightly concerned. Junmyeon was not there either, however he tended to be a bit late by habit. Besides, Junmyeon hadn’t been filled in on any of the details yet and was not exactly holding key evidence at the moment.

“Are D’Adderleigh and Easton not coming?” Sehun pulled his pocket watch out, checking the time.

“I was wondering that myself. It isn’t like them to be this late.” Jongdae considered sending a man over to the newlyweds house to fetch them.

“Hello!” Junmyeon greeted the three men cheerfully as he entered the room, shutting the door a bit too hard he quickly murmured an apology for making too much noise.

“Where are Minseok and Luhan?” Junmyeon was confused as well as he glanced about the room.

“That is what we were just discussing.” Jongdae had to make a decision, they couldn’t wait around all day.

“Should we give them a few more minutes? If they don’t show we could always take a ride over to their house, it is near enough.” Junmyeon suggested.

“Yes, good idea, old boy.” Jongdae pulled out his pocket watch, marking the time, deciding when – if the pair were still not present – they would take a jaunt over to their home.

***

Luhan had never held a child before. In fact he had never touched a child before. No, nannies took care of children not Earls. He was having a very difficult time keeping the young boy in his arms, the child squirming and crying and all childlike and such.

Luhan glanced over to his husband and realized he wasn’t faring any better. The little girl – Lillian – was not at all happy to be taken away from the maid she had been clinging to. She was crying, sobbing really, balling up her fists and hitting Minseok’s chest as he attempted to make some kind of ground carrying her.

“I hate Labeaux.” Minseok muttered under his breath, Luhan catching the words and agreeing completely. It would be a long, difficult walk home if they were unable to secure a hackney carriage.

***

Jongin stared at his fellow valet. Kyungsoo didn’t seem to notice Jongin’s attentions, he was busy polishing a silver vase, aggressively. Very aggressively. Kyungsoo hadn’t said more than a few words, yes or no or there or confound you, since the day before. Not since the time he had learned that his master had children, children that may very well make an appearance in their life very soon. Jongin wanted to comfort Kyungsoo, offer words of encouragement – or say something that would make him less on edge. Yet he had no idea where to start.

In the last few months they had started something, some sort of relationship, though it was hard to really describe it with one or two words. Jongin had kissed Kyungsoo once, at the D’Adderleigh estate, under a huge apple tree. Kyungsoo had blushed and smiled and then yelled and well…Jongin had smiled like a love sick fool. Perhaps that was the issue, Jongin considered, that he was a lovesick fool. He wanted very much to kiss Kyungsoo every day. Or more – yet Kyungsoo held back. He blushed, he got angry, and he ignored it.

Of course occasionally Kyungsoo would flirt – or speak words that could be very much taken for flirtations. Such words made Jongin want to blush, though he didn’t believe that he ever did so. Kyungsoo was an enigma, a puzzle that Jongin hadn’t solved yet. And there was never a time he wanted to solve the mystery more than now when he thought Kyungsoo was hurting inside.

A loud knock on the front door wrenched Jongin’s attention away from watching Kyungsoo's angry exertions. Jongin glanced up the stairs, towards the entry way. “I shall answer it.” He offered, not wanting Kyungsoo to encounter any more undue stress than he was already suffering from.

Jongin arrived at the front door quickly, taking the stairs two at a time as he liked to do when no one was watching – when no one was there to criticize how it was unseemly for a valet to practically run up stairs. Before opening the door he made sure that he assumed a straight posture, as was expected of him.

“Is your master home?”

Jongdae, Sehun, Tao, and Junmyeon were standing on the steps – not a wholly unexpected sight given their business and friendship with Luhan and Minseok.

“No, sir. They went out for a bit. If you would like to wait inside I am sure they will be returning soon.” Jongin offered, standing a bit away from the door to let the men pass if they were so inclined.

“Do you know where they went?” Jongdae questioned, afraid that they were on their way to his office.

“I believe they -“Jongin started, though he didn’t have a chance to finish. He was interrupted by a hackney carriage stopping in front of the house, the sound of crying coming from within. The noise distracted the four visitors as well, all turning around to see who it was.

Jongin watched as Minseok alighted from the carriage, slipping the fee to the driver before he reached inside and pulled out a tiny bundle. Except it wasn’t a bundle. It was a child.

***

The parlor was bristling with a mutual feeling of awkwardness. Everyone felt it even if Minseok had tried to explain the situation and ease the surprise, at least a little.

“I – they – I have children it seems.” He had told his friends as gently as he could, given the magnitude of his announcement.

“Children?!” It was a unison of confusion before Minseok clumsily attempted to explain what had occurred when they had visited the Labeaux household the day before.

The children, both in tears, were handed off to the valets – who very much looked like they wanted to cry themselves.

“Are you certain you shouldn’t be with them now?” Sehun seemed the most alarmed by the situation. Children scared him.

“I will be, in a moment. We need to discuss the case.” Minseok hadn’t felt great about bringing the children to his home and handing them over to Kyungsoo and Jongin as soon as they arrived, but he didn’t know what else to do. He had committed to the investigation and he wasn’t about to drop out of it. No, he would meet with Jongdae and the others briefly and then have the rest of the day to devote to acclimating the twins to their new environment, if that was even a possibility.

Jongdae wanted to talk some sense into his friend, urge him to forget the investigation and focus on what was important at the moment – which most certainly were two screaming and crying children. Yet Jongdae knew it would do no good, D’Adderleigh would do what he wanted. Therefore Jongdae started.

“The facts as we know them; Kyuhyun is carrying a letter that may have cause immense damage to the throne, specifically the Prince Regent. He disappeared and it would seem that Victoria, the sister of the Comte Labeaux is with him. Victoria’s maid was found in the river yesterday, deceased. She was carrying a crimson feather.”

“The Comte claims that Victoria did not associate with radicals to the best of his knowledge.” Minseok relayed the information they had obtained from Kris, though he desperately wanted to snicker at the mention of Kris’s knowledge. Because, judging by how Kris had so rudely handed the children over to Minseok only an hour or so before, Kris seemed seriously lacking in discernable knowledge.

“How did the Comte react to the news of the maid’s death?” Jongdae inquired, feeling a bit awkward at referring to the woman as ‘the maid’ now that he knew about her children...Minseok’s children.

“He was shocked, though I dare say that had more to do with the children than anything.” Minseok kept his answer short, trying to separate the two very different situations at hand. “He claimed she went missing alongside her mistress, which may indicate that Victoria herself has met with foul play.”

“I may know something.” Junmyeon added “Though I dare say I didn’t think it was important at the time. I spoke with Shim Changmin yesterday, we attended the Wayside Exhibit together.”

“Changmin?” Jongdae had to think for a moment before he could place the man.

“Yes, he told me outright that Victoria had run off with Kyuhyun, though he wanted me to keep it a secret. I found it a bit curious considering we are not that close to each other. He described the situation as his best friend running off with his intended.”

“Interesting.” Tao had never met Changmin, though he could sense something peculiar about any man who would so freely tell others about such a thing without being questioned first.

“Interesting indeed, considering we only learned that Victoria may be with Kyuhyun recently. I believe Sehun, you have something to share.” Jongdae couldn’t help but be a bit proud of the work Sehun had done over the last day, he didn’t want it to go to waste.

Sehun cleared his throat, turning a bit red as all eyes turned to him, “I was curious about the feather, if it held some significance. I inquired about the color with a dressmaker and was told that the specific dye is rarely used. In fact there are only two known dressmakers, milliners, or tailors that work with such a bold color.”

“Good work.” Jongdae beamed. “I propose that Sehun and Tao investigate the feather. Junmyeon, please focus on Changmin – if possible I need you to find out more about his relationship with Victoria and Kyuhyun. I have my men fanning out across the city and into the country investigating any possible sightings of the missing pair.”

“What about us?” Minseok asked, realizing his friend had yet to suggest that they pursue a lead.

“Old boy, I dare say you have enough to worry about at the moment.” Jongdae answered.

Minseok wanted to argue, was about to, when he felt Luhan’s hand on his arm, a physical gesture telling him to remain silent. He acquiesced though it killed him.

As the men stood to leave, Jongdae held back. Luhan walked the others to the door, leaving Minseok alone with his best friend.

“How are you? Honestly?” Jongdae asked, worried, truly worried.

“I – I am fine.” Minseok looked at the floor, not wanting Jongdae to understand how emotionally affected he was by the day’s events. His life had been changed, forever changed within only a day’s time. He had barely digested the fact he was a father, now he had two children in his house.

“Don’t lie to yourself.” Jongdae reached out, putting his hand on Minseok’s shoulder “I know you want to be able to do everything, be everything, but you are human Minseok. Remember that.”

“I am not leaving the investigation if that is what you are implying.” Minseok finally raised his head, looking Jongdae square in the eyes. “Even if I barely knew her, the fact stands that the mother of my children was likely murdered. If I want to be able to face my children with an honest face I need to find out why.”

Jongdae wanted to argue, but he couldn’t. Not if he considered his best friends reasoning. Minseok absolutely had a right to continue with the investigation, now that it was so personal. Now that it involved his family.

“Take care of yourself. That is all I am asking. Take a day or two before you dive back in.” Jongdae smiled, patting Minseok’s shoulder.

“I will.” Minseok breathed a sigh of relief that Jongdae was not going to argue with him, urge him to quit, urge him to settle his family matters first. The trust that Jongdae had in him was something he truly appreciated. “Thank you Jongdae. I mean it.”

Jongdae nodded, giving Minseok one last pat on the back before he left. He prayed his friend would be able to adjust to the recent changes with his sanity intact.

***

Kyungsoo wanted to cry. Oh how he wanted to cry. Though he couldn’t, because if he did the children would probably cry more – sniffling little things that they were. The small boy and girl, Theodore and Lillian, were perched on chairs in the kitchen, Jongin scurrying around the room trying to find something, anything that would gain their attention and cause them to forget their tears. Kyungsoo, arms folded, watched as every object Jongin held in front of the pair only elicited more tears. Finally Kyungsoo decided to try his hand at the game, lest he go insane from the noise of it all.

“Look! Look! Do you know what this is?” Kyungsoo held up a small block of tallow “Look at the pretty tallow! Look!” He moved the cream colored block in front of the children and it was though a magic spell fell over them. They stared as Kyungsoo began waving the object back and forth through the air.

Theodore sniffled, hiccupping slightly though his attention never swayed from Kyungsoo. Lillian, nose running, ran a hand across her face but seemed entranced by the show. Kyungsoo couldn’t believe it worked.

“Beautiful, isn’t it. If you stop crying I shall let you touch it. Pretty, pretty tallow.” Kyungsoo was hesitant to make any sudden moves lest the crying start again so he continued gently moving the block back and forth, the children’s heads moving in time.

The boy reached a hand forward, grabbing at the object. Lillian was not about to let her brother claim the fascinating new toy before she did; she lurched forward suddenly in an attempt to snatch the block from Kyungsoo. As she did so she slipped from the chair, falling. Thankfully Jongin, always quick with his reflexes, caught her before she hit the floor. However the scare threw the child back into a fit of hysterics which only ignited her brother’s tears.

Kyungsoo shut his eyes tightly, dropping the tallow on the counter as he counted to ten in his head. How was he going to bear it, how?

***

As Jongdae left, shutting the front door behind him, Luhan could hear a break in the crying - the echoes of children’s wails no longer sounding from downstairs. He took the opportunity to have a word with his husband.

Minseok was walking out of the sitting room, his expression grim. Luhan felt pained at the sight. So many things had happened in such a short period of time. Luhan wanted nothing more than to scoop Minseok into his arms, hold him tight, and tell him all would be well.

“They stopped crying.” Was all he offered up, all he could vocalize at the moment.

Minseok nodded, not speaking, glancing towards the stairs that led down to the kitchen.

“We will need to have a room prepared for them. I was thinking, Minseok, that I should contact my parents and see if Lisbeth can move in.” Luhan referred to his nanny, the woman who had raised him, the woman that was more a mother to him than his actual mother.

“A nanny?” Minseok sounded surprised. He had met Lisbeth before, liked the woman, but hadn’t considered calling for her to take care of the twins.

“Yes. Kyungsoo and Jongin can’t take care of the entire household and the children.” Luhan was very well aware of Minseok’s propensity to keep a very, very lean staff yet raising children without a nanny would border on the ridiculous.

“She raised me, she isn’t a stranger.” Luhan hoped Minseok would listen to reason.

“Luhan, can we talk about this another time. I..we should see them first.” Minseok dismissed the idea for now, turning towards the stairs, eager to see the children. As he did so cries were heard once again, echoing from the kitchen.

Luhan sighed, watching as Minseok quickened his pace down the stairs. He had a feeling everything had changed. Everything. And he wasn’t sure how to feel at the moment, because it was to be seen if everything had changed for the better or for the worse.

---------------

a/n- And the babies hath arrived! Kaisoo trying to keep them from crying gives me life. And Jongdae understanding Minseok’s logic about continuing with the investigation…what a good friend!

Thank you to those who have subscribed recently! Also the upvotes and commenters. I read each and every comment and try to respond to all of them, if I missed yours I am sorry. I will be uploading this to my LJ as well, though I get kind of lazy with cross posting so I am not sure when that will happen. If you are bored you can find me on twitter. I also have an Exo tumblr (I am Admin L, Admin R is a fellow fic writer). Give me a shout if you are bored, or want to talk Xiuhan, or don’t like my story, or want to buy me a basketful of puppies.  <3 - LC