#lycan ludgate-dwyer

[ceruleanoctober]

A/A Drabble: Spring 2032: She Wouldn’t Trade A Single One Of Them For Anything (bringing Harper Home)

"Don't move," Andy said. He all but jumped out of the car and rushed around to the passenger side to open her door for her. She rolled her eyes at him, but she was also smiling. She felt it pulling her face, and she thought she probably looked deranged. Even if she did, he wouldn't care.

He offered a hand to help her out of the car, and was met with another roll of her eyes. She wasn't an invalid, she'd had a baby, and her sixth one at that. It wasn't like it was new and unfamiliar territory. No, the only thing new and unfamiliar about it was that the tiny infant they were bringing home this time was a little girl.

April could already sense the excitement in the house. The boys had only been to the hospital once to meet their little sister. But now she was home, and April knew they were going to be the best big brothers a little girl could ask for.

Andy leaned in to get the car seat out of the back. Harper stirred, her tiny little arms stretching as she yawned and slumped right back into sleep. "She's definitely your child," April said. Andy had that same ability to stir but not wake, and just slip right back into sleep. Not April. If she stirred, she woke, and going back to sleep wasn't usually in the cards for her.

"Mommy!" A chorus of voices rang out as the front door opened and the oldest of the Ludgate-Dwyer boys toppled out. Andy reminded them to be careful as Jack and Ian took off running toward their mom. Max tumbled after them, though Lycan stood inside the house, and Arlo was hitched on Sonya Wyatt's hip. Jack and Ian chattered away at April, and Andy by passed them to head inside with the baby.

He reached down to tussle Lycan's hair and followed through to do the same to Arlo. He was infintely thankful Harper's birth hadn't been as traumatic as Arlo's had been just a year earlier. He'd been born two months early, following April's tumble down the stairs. There had been a lot of apprehension around April's pregnancy with Harper, but she'd gotten through it with minimal drama, and now they had a beautiful little girl to show for it.

April was just managing to get inside the door with Jack and Ian and Max crowded around her when Lycan leaned against his father's legs. Lycan was the quiet one, the sensitive one. He didn't say much, he rarely had to. His brothers were usually making more than enough noise.

Andy gently pulled Lycan up to his lap, so he could see the baby. He let out a soft giggle and leaned forward to try and get a better look at her.

"I wanna see the baby!" Ian announced. He broke away from April to rush to the sofa. Jack followed close on his heels, and Max tried, but he couldn't move as fast as his bigger brothers yet and ended up hitting the floor with a thud. April started to bend down to pick him up, but Leslie was there and chiding her for it at the same time she snatched Max up off the floor.

April gave her a grateful smile, and sat down in the nearest chair. "Boys, give your sister some space."

Too many little hands were pawing at the infant seat. April trusted Andy would keep Harper safe from her brother's excitement, but she worried all the same that Jack and Ian were going to pull her, seat and all, to the floor. As if he read her mind, Andy shifted the seat a little further back on the couch.

This wasn't his first baby, after all, though with each passing day it was harder to imagine Jack or Ian or even Lycan and Max had ever been so tiny. April smiled at the scene in front of her, the boys clamoring for a good look, not quite pushing, though there might have been a little shoving going on. Jack and Ian had a bit of a rivalry between them, though so far it had been mostly harmless.

Harper let loose with a sudden wail, making everyone jump. Lycan turned his face into Andy's shirt. "I think her wants to get down and play with us," Ian said.

"She's a baby, dummy. She's too little to play," Jack retorted.

"Mommy! Jack called me dummy!"

"Then don't say dumb things!" Jack protested. April and Andy both gave him a look. He sighed. "Sorry." He glanced at Ian, then turned his attention back to the baby. He reached up to catch Harper's tiny hand, and her little fingers wrapped around his. His eyes went wide, he looked at Andy and then over his shoulder at April. "I bet she knows I'm her biggest big brother," he said.

"I bet she does," Andy agreed and ruffled Jack's hair.

Jack just stared at the baby for a moment, until Ian tried to push him out of the way. He held his ground, Harper still holding his finger in her hand. "Can I hold her? I'll be real careful."

"Me too!" Ian chimed in.

"You can both hold her after you go wash up," Andy said. He glanced over at April who just smiled back at him. This was her life, her crazy, non stop energy and action, never a dull moment family and she wouldn't trade a single one of them for anything.

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[ceruleanoctober]

A/A Drabble: (Prompt: Camping) ~Spring 2030

Andy had enjoyed camping in his youth, and that was something he wanted to share with his boys. He knew April wasn't exactly into roughing it in a tent, in the middle of nowhere, but she'd tolerated it with him, and for him numerous times before they'd started having kids.

He hadn't suggested it for a couple years. But Jack was six now, Ian was four, and Andy felt they were at a great age for their first camping trip. Lycan and baby Max were a little young for it, but it was important to Andy that they all go as a family. He quieted April's concerns about being away from civilisation by reminding her they had cell phones. They also had a cooler that plugged into the car, and a mini grill for cooking.

Watching the boys was a full time job, and April had them corralled within a certain boundary so she could keep an eye on them while watching Andy set up the tent. Andy set out to put up the tent with Jack's help, which April knew wasn't really helpful, but there was no way Andy was going to tell him he couldn't help. They set to work and even with a seven year old assistant and years of years of experience, his efforts to erect the tent were almost worthy of a circus side show perforfomance. He tripped over his own feet, at one point got tangled up in the tent itself, and Jack had to help him get free.

All the while, April watched him, admiring the strain of his muscles against his clothes. Sometimes she missed the chubbier Andy she'd married, but she definitely had no complaints about the firmer, more fit body he was sporting now. She appreciated the effort he'd put into getting healthier, especially now that they had a house full of rambunctious boys.

She marveled at the fact he had managed not to hammer a tent pole through his foot, and grinned at him when he turned to her, deliriously proud of the fact he'd put the family sized tent up with only Jack's help. "I love it when you sweat, babe," April said rolling her eyes, as Andy leaned down to kiss her.

"Ewww, Daddy's stinky," Ian said.

Andy made a show of sniffing his armpit. "Nah, it's not too bad. Wanna smell?" He moved toward Ian with his arm raised over his head, armpit exposed. Ian screamed and ran away from him. April just shook her head and laughed as Jack joined in, and Andy scooped Max up in his arms as he dropped and rolled onto the ground so Jack and Ian could dog pile him, all of them laughing and screaming with delight.

Lycan moved to stand pressed against April's legs. He didn't enjoy horseplay as much as the others, but preferred to stay close to April when Andy and the other boys were rolling around on the ground. April absently pulled him into her lap, and he patted her chest with a little hand. At two and a half, he hadn't entirely given up breastfeeding. He didn't need it, but the doctor assured her there was no harm in it. As long as she was comfortable, the assumption was that he would stop when he was ready.

"Okay, baby," she shifted, lifting her shirt for him. They were in a fairly secluded spot, and even if someone wandered to their little campsite, she wasn't ashamed or embarrassed by breastfeeding her child, even if she felt it was more that he wanted the closeness to her than he wanted the milk. Lycan was her sensitive boy, and she didn't want to discourage him or think there was anything wrong with not being interested in sports and rough housing like his brothers. He was perfect just the way he was.

They all were. Jack was the oldest, and tended to mother hen his brothers, Ian had a slightly more rebellious streak, Lycan was her mama's boy, Max was more rough and tumble, even though he was the smallest. He was mighty and fierce, and Andy called him 'boy April' sometimes. They all four had such distinct personalities and April wouldn't trade a single one of them for anything. For someone who resisted having babies for as long as she did, once she started having them she embraced motherhood because it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to her.

The fact she had a troupe of little Andy's didn't hurt. The world needed more men like Andy Dwyer, she reasoned, and she was happy to provide. The trick would be making sure they grew up to be good, honest, compassionate men. She didn't doubt that they would. They were already well on the way.

"Jack! You always gets to go first. I wanna be first!" Ian yelled. April glanced over at them. Andy was on his knees, with Max in his arms while the other two fought over who would get the first piggy back ride. They were good kids, but they were boys, and they were brothers. They argued from time to time. April understood that to be normal, healthy even. As long as no one started throwing punches, she figured it was all right.

"I'm the oldest!" Jack countered. "So I get to go first."

"Daddy!" Ian objected.

"Hey, Jackie. How about we let Ian have the first piggy ride this time, and after that you and me can go fishing at the river."

"Just you and me?" Jack asked, almost as if he didn't believe it.

Andy nodded. April caressed the crown of Lycan's head.

"I wanna go fishings too!"

"Well, you get to go piggy back first, Ian," Jack said. "So I get to go fishing with daddy."

"Okay." Ian wrapped his arms around Andy's neck. He made sure Ian was holding on tight, and with Max still in his arms, he lurched to his feet and started running around the campsite like some kind of crazed madman with three heads.

Jack slumped his way over to April and sat down next to her. She leaned into his shoulder. "You're gonna have so much fun fishing with your dad."

"I know," Jack murmured. She almost could hear him over his brother's giggles. She glanced up at Andy zigzagging all over the place. She always worried that he would fall and land on the boys, and someone would get hurt. He never did, though. When he fell, it was controlled so the boys enjoyed it.

"Then what's wrong?"

"Does it hurt the fish?"

April ruffled Jack's hair. "No, baby. They think it's a grand adventure. When they get caught on the line, and they get pulled out of the water, they get to see a part of the world most fish don't get to see. And then when you throw them back in, they tell their friends all about it." A little lie wasn't going to hurt anyone. She was just going to have to make sure Andy knew he had to throw the fish back if they caught any. Someday Jack would learn the truth, but it didn't have to be today.

"Okay." He sighed as Andy dropped to his knees and shifted so that Ian slid off his back in the grass.

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[ceruleanoctober]

A/A Drabble: Key ~Future Fic

Flying with six kids wasn't practical, which left them little option but to drive. They hadn't been back to Pawnee for a couple years, not since Lycan was a baby. They'd doubled their numbers since then, and April wondered if they had finally lost their minds this time. They had to be insane for taking a road trip with six kids under the age of ten.

Jack had just turned nine on Halloween. The others ranged from seven years to seven months. April thought she wanted to go home for Harper's first Christmas. Now she was seriously questioning that decision, and thinking it would have been a lot smarter and more practical to do this road trip in the summer, when they didn't have bulky winter coats and sweaters to deal with.

But it was too late now. They were scheduled to be on the road already, but who could blame them for being late? Getting all the boys to use the bathroom, and wash their hands was a half hour ordeal, at best. More like 45 minutes really. But once everyone was washed up, Andy started strapping the younger boys into car seats while she fed and changed Harper one last time.

"I think we're ready," She announced as she emerged from the house. Andy was standing beside the open driver's door of the car, all five boys settled in their seats. April cocked her head at him as she made her way to the van. "Andy, what's wrong?"

He patted his hands down the front of his sweater. He didn't often wear more than a sweatshirt or windbreaker, because even when there was three feet of snow on the ground, he produced enough body heat that he sweat. "Babe, I hate to tell you this, but I can't find the key fob," he told her.

April glowered at him. "You've got to be kidding me." The van was running, so she knew it was nearby, or the engine would have shut off. "Did you check all your pockets?" Harper giggled and threw her pacifer down, but since it was on a leash clipped to her coat, it only went as far as April's knee before bouncing back up.

Andy nodded. "I've looked everywhere, babe." He looked completely dejected, and maybe a little concerned April was going to be super mad at him. Because of course she would be.

"Daddy!" Jack yelled from the back seat where he and Ian were situated on either side of Lycan's booster seat. Ian was on the passenger side, and knocked on the window to try and get April's attention.

"What is it, Jack?" April leaned in, careful that she didn't hit her head, or Harper's on the doorframe.

Jack held up the fob. "Daddy gave it to me and said hold onto it so it doesn't get lost."

"Of course he did." She grinned at her oldest son. "Sometimes your daddy is very smart." She swung Harper off her hip and into her seat beside Max. She put a hand out for the fob and smiled at Jack when he handed it to her.

Stepping back once Harper was belted in, she looked over the van full of kids, right down to the big one in the driver's seat, and she wondered what she'd ever done to deserve such a beautiful, amazing family. She closed the side door and climbed into her seat beside Andy and reached over to give his hand a squeeze.

He grinned at her and leaned over to kiss her before he backed out of the garage. April hit the button on her visor to shut the garage door, and they were officially off. The drive to Pawnee was roughly 500 miles. April figured it would take them all day, because they'd have to stop often, and she really had to question her own sanity for deciding to do this.

"It's gonna be so great to see everyone," Andy said, as if he could read her mind and knew she was having serious second thoughts. "I can't wait for Ron to meet Harper."

April turned in her seat to look back at the youngest Ludgate-Dwyer. "He's gonna love her so much," she said. She reached back to tickle the baby, and Harper's giggle filled the car. April's smile was as much for her kids as for her husband. Andy really was the best. She knew it without question, but she loved when he reminded her even without meaning to.

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[ceruleanoctober]

A/A Drabble: You Can’t Learn To Ride A Bike Without A Busted Lip (Prompt: Hurt)

In the yard with Ian and Lycan, April was watching Andy teaching Jack how to ride his bike without the training wheels. She was a nervous wreck about it, but Andy promised her it would be fine. Jack was ready. She hoped he wasn't wrong.

"Look, mama!" Ian called to her, pulling her attention away from her husband and oldest son out in the street. Lycan was on hands and knees moving toward the street. April felt her heart jump to her throat. She'd been so caught up in watching Jack that she'd forgotten to watch Ian and Lycan.

She lurched forward, grabbing the toddler and lifting him up over her head to make him giggle so he couldn't know she was upset. Upset wasn't even the right word. He hadn't made it to the street. And even if he had, Andy was out there.

She bent her arms, bringing Lycan down to her face so she could blow raspberries at him. His giggles were infectious, and she couldn't help but smile. Just about the only thing that cut through the sound of Lycan's laughter was Jack's scream.

April lowered Lycan to her hip, her focus scanning the area for Andy and Jack. She saw the bike in the road first, abandoned with the wheel slowly spinning. Jack was in Andy's arms, and he was rushing to the yard. For a split second, April only saw red and thought Jack was bleeding from head to tow.

"I think he bit his lip," Andy said. He rushed past April, up the porch steps and into the house. April yelled for Ian to come on as she followed Andy with Lycan bouncing on her hip. She put him in his playpen, and told Ian to stay with his brother. Andy had Jack in the kitchen, sitting on the counter by the sink.

"It hurts!" Jack cried when Andy put a washcloth to his mouth. He wasn't bleeding nearly as much as April had imagined, but there was a lot of blood. It was all down the front of his shirt and Andy's too, and still flowing from his split lip.

"Oh my god, Andy." April wanted to shove Andy out of the way so she could get to her boy. But she also knew it was important for Andy to be the one to clean him up and tend to his wounds because Andy had been the one out there with him.

One hand held the washcloth to Jack's face. His other hand groped for April's hand, to give her a firm squeeze. "He's fine, babe. You can't learn to ride a bike without busting your lip," Andy told her.

April cut her eyes at him. But she had to admit he was the best at damage control. He had been hurt so many times, he knew when something was worth getting worked up over, and stayed calm when it wasn't worth it. April tended to over react.

Which was probably why Andy was telling her to leave the room. "Go check on Ian and Lycan. We got this, right Jackie?"

Jack nodded and mumbled 'Uh huh'.

Andy gave her hand another squeeze before letting go. She didn't want to leave, even though she was just going in the other room. It was hard to walk away from her son when he was hurt when everything in her was saying she needed to wrap him up in her arms and hold him to her chest.

But she also knew she needed to walk away, calm down, and trust Andy to handle it.

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[ceruleanoctober]

A/A: A Love Like Ours (4/?) [Are You Okay?] Future Fic ~For Lunabelle

Her phone had skidded across the floor, just out of reach. She stretched as far as she could, and it seemed like the further she reached, the further out of reach the phone was. Or maybe her vision was skewed because of the tears welling in her eyes. She wasn't sure; the only thing she was sure of was that the phone was out of reach.

The phone wasn't the only issue. There was also Max. She'd been carrying him. She lifted her head, looking for the baby. At eighteen months, he likely didn't understand what was happening. He wasn't even crying. Her heart fluttered, thinking he must be hurt. What if he hit his head, and was unconscious? She couldn't even get to her phone to call help for herself, or for him.

"Max! Maxie! Where are you, baby?"

"Mama," Max chattered back at her. He was part way up the stairs, climbing up on all fours. She heard Lycan at the top of the stairs clapping and calling to his brother to keep coming.

She tried to call out to him. She tried to tell him he was her big man and she needed his help. She felt her jaw moving, but no words were coming out. Everything was going black, and she knew she was about to pass out. She'd be down already if she had been standing, but she was already down, so rather than hitting her all at once the blackness washed over her, covering her like a blanket, rendering her helpless and unable to care for her children.

The next thing she knew, someone was shaking her. She groaned, and it sounded like a wounded animal to her own ears. "Mama, mama. Mama, wake up!" Ian shoved her shoulder hard. She wanted to swat at him, and tell him to stop and leave her alone, but something was wrong. She knew something was wrong. She opened her eyes, and if she hadn't known better, she'd think Ian had sprouted a second head. "Jack! Hers eyes is opened!" Ian said.

She could hear Jack talking to someone in the distance. He sounded so far away. "Her eyes opened, Daddy. Is she gonna be okay?" There was a thud from upstairs, and one of the little ones started crying. April felt her stomach twist and she tried to push herself to sitting up. "She's trying to get up, Daddy. She don't look so good." Jack came closer, and he looked like he was getting bigger as he moved toward her. "Daddy said you don't get up, Mama," Jack told her. "He's coming home. You have to stay where you are."

It was a moot point. April knew she couldn't move if she wanted to. Even if the baby was crying upstairs."Go...go check on Maxie," April said, her voice weak. She cried out then, a sharp pain hitting her right in the gut. Her hands went to her swollen belly. She was seven months pregnant with her fifth child.

She felt rather than heard Jack and Ian communicating. A moment later, Ian took off, and his footsteps thundered up the stairs. Jack was holding the phone in front of himself and poking at the screen. "Okay, Daddy. I putted you on speaker," Jack told him.

"April. April, baby. I'm five minutes away. I'm at the light by the school. I'm coming, cookie. Just hang in there, okay?"

"Andy," April gasped. The sound of his voice had tears pouring out of her eyes. her breath became more ragged, and the pains in her belly became sharper. "The baby, Andy. Hurry!"

"I know. It's okay. Just keep talking to me, okay?" Andy was usually the one to stay home with the kids, but he'd had an appointment and April had taken the day off to stay home with Lycan and Max. "April?"

She sucked in a breath. Jack sat down beside her and lay his little hand against her cheek. "I'm here," she said to Andy, her voice weak. Her eyes closed and she silently prayed for her unborn baby.

"It's okay, mama. Daddy be home soon."

She heard Andy suck his breath in. "Jackie, I need you to do me a big favor. Hang up the phone and then dial 911. Can you do that? And tell them what you told me about your mama."

"I can do that, Daddy." Ian didn't come back downstairs, but Max stopped crying. April wasn't awarer of much else.

"Good boy. I'll be home real soon, okay? Take care of your mama." April knew ending that call was probably the hardest thing Andy had ever had to do. She knew it would be hard for her to break contact like that. But Jack was almost seven, and super smart and they had talked about what to do in an emergency, and he was doing so well already. He'd called his daddy, and now he was calling 911, and April just closed her eyes and bit back the whimpers and screams that clawed at her throat as the pains in her stomach seemed to intensify.

It could have been five minutes or five hours before the door opened and Andy rushed in. April had no concept of time as she lay at the bottom of the stairs with Jack beside her talking to the 911 operator. Andy took the phone from his son. "Hello? Yes. I'm her husband. Andy," he said. "Yes, ma'am. She's still conscious." Andy held the phone to his ear with his shoulder. "April? Babe, talk to me. What's your pain level?"

"Twelve," April rasped.

"Yes, ma'am. She's due in November. November 14," Andy looked April over. "Yes ma'am," he said. "Yes, that's the address. No. He's six. Almost seven. We've been teaching him and his brother the address and our phone numbers. Yes ma'am. He is a pretty special boy."

"Daddy! I heared the sirens!" Jack said, and a trio of little feet could be heard upstairs, the other boys probably running to the window to look for the sirens. A few moments later as the squad approached the house, Ian bounded down the stairs with Lycan and Max sliding down on their bottoms behind him.

The paramedics took the information they needed from Andy while he wrangled the kids. Jack stayed by his mother until she was loaded up on the stretcher and they were ready to take her to the rig. Andy assured her he'd meet her at the hospital after he dropped the kids off with Leslie and Ben.

The next hour was a whirlwind of motion and trying to get things sorted. Andy took the boys to Ben's office. He praised Jack, and made sure Ben knew Jack was the real hero. Jack clung to Andy's neck while Ben distracted the other three and let them all chatter at Leslie and the triplets on the phone.

"I'll call Ben as soon as I can, okay, buddy? I'm gonna go now, so I can be with your mama."

"I want to go with you, Daddy."

Andy pulled back, his big hands on Jack's small shoulders. "I know, buddy. But I need you to stay here and keep an eye on your brothers."

Jack nodded. "Okay, Daddy."

"That's my little big man." Andy gave him another hug then left him with Ben. In his car, Andy allowed himself a few minutes to let the emotions surge through him. After wiping furiously at his eyes, he pulled himself together and drove to the hospital to reunite with April.

She was set up in an observation bed by the time he was allowed to see her. The doctor briefed him on bother her and the baby. From what she could tell them, she'd fallen at least halfway down the stairs while carrying Max. Andy hadn't known that, and he'd questioned whether he should bring Max in and have him looked at. The doctor assured him the baby was probably fine, but it might not be a bad idea to have him looked at.

April and the unborn child were his priority, though. April's heart rate was low, and her pain levels were high. The baby was in distress, but the doctor was confident he would be all right. He wanted to keep April in ICU for at least a night, and he'd reassess in the morning.

A nurse took Andy to April's room. She was pale, and she looked so small in that bed. She had an IV in one arm, a blood pressure cuff on the other. They had a heart monitor on her, as well as a fetal monitor. Andy wasn't a doctor, but he'd been to enough prenatal appointments with April over the course of five pregnancies that he could read most of the output. It didn't look good, and he wasn't entirely convinced the doctor had told him the truth.

April lifted her hand to reach out to him. "Hey, babe." She smiled a sad smile. The kind of smile that broke Andy's heart. "Are you okay?"

There she was, in an ICU bed after a fall down the stairs, and she was asking him if he was okay. He blinked rapidly to fight back to tears that threatened to run like a river down his face. "Babe, I should be asking you."

"I'll be fine if you come over here and hold my hand."

He moved toward her and pushed the chair close to the bed so he could sit. And he took her hand in his, kissing her knuckles as the tears fell.

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[ceruleanoctober]

A/A Drabble: News ~For Lunabelle

Leslie insisted on coming over early to help April get everything ready for Ian's birthday party. He was turning six, and six was a pretty big, important number to hear him tell it. April and Andy both wanted him to have a super special birthday, but that was pretty consistent with all their kids and all their birthdays.

"I swear," April gave a little self-amused laugh, "booking Johnny Karate was the hardest part about this whole party. His manager tried to tell me he has too many kids of his own to do kid's parties anymore." She rolled her eyes and flapped a dismissive hand. "Can you believe that? How rude."

Leslie gasped at the horror of it. "I hope you gave her hell."

"Well, he's making an appearance, so I think I made an impression." From somewhere upstairs, there was an ominous thud followed by several high pitched squealing giggles. Both April and Leslie started to get up, but before they could so much as head for the stairs, Andy hollered down that everything was fine.

"Do you want me to..." Ben asked, not quite finishing the question, but gesturing toward the stairs.

April shook her head. "Andy said it's fine, it's fine."

"Would Andy even know if it wasn't fine, though," Ben asked. He wasn't trying to be demeaning or belittling. But he had known Andy for twenty years. He knew Andy wasn't always the smartest, or the most aware. He'd always kind of thought Andy was one ant shy of a picnic. He was a great guy, sure. He cared and his concern was genuine. But he was a little bit dense. Or a lot dense, in Ben's opinion.

April cut her eyes at Ben. She liked him. She really did. He'd been an excellent boss when she'd worked for him. He'd been a decent roommate, before he and Leslie realised they belonged together. April would even go so far as to say she respected him, when she didn't respect much of anyone else. Hell, one of Ian's names was Benjamin, and she wouldn't have named her second son after him in any way if she didn't respect him.

She knew he meant well when he questioned Andy's judgment. "Well, Ben," she said with a serious tone. "Whenever things haven't been fine, except for that one time when he was the one who wasn't fine, Andy's been the one to take control. He's the one who keeps the kids calm and figures out who to call to come and watch them. If he says things are fine, I'm going to trust him."

"Oooh," Leslie looked at her husband with an impish grin. "She schooled you."

There was another thud, and the very obvious sound of small feet running down the hallway upstairs. Ben threw his arms up in a gesture of surrender. Leslie looked at April and snickered. Lumbering footsteps made their way down the steps, and Andy bounded into the family room. "They're having a dance party," he announced. "The triplets are the judges."

"I'm sure they love that," Ben said and it was entirely impossible to tell if he was being serious or sarcastic.

"Hey babe," April put her hands out to call Andy over to her. He practically bounced across the floor and as he approached, April stood up and Andy sat down in the chair where she had been and she plopped down in his lap. It was an easy, fluid motion, obviously something they did often. "I'm glad you're here. I think now's as good a time as any to tell them."

Twenty years later, and they still didn't feel right if they weren't touching each other in some way.

Leslie glanced at Ben, then at April and Andy. April and Andy had always been more physical than they were. Leslie thought it was kind of sweet, even now.

"What did you want to tell us?"

"Well," April grinned. Andy laced his fingers with hers. Her other hand twirled a loose curl at the back of his neck and his free hand rubbed circles along her back. "We're pregnant again."

"Again?" Ben repeated the word. "You two do know you don't have to single-handedly repopulate the world, don't you?"

Andy's hand moved to circle April's waist and he tucked his chin to her shoulder. "We're going to have a girl this time."

April gave him a hard look. "We're hoping for a girl this time."

"Just like the last four times?" Ben said. "Look, I'm happy for you guys, but..."

"But what, Ben? You didn't think we could handle one, but we have five happy, healthy, beautiful boys. They're well behaved, if a little hyper. Andy's the best dad, and we can't all have all the kids we want in one go. We're going to keep having babies until we have a little girl."

"Babe. Wow. We are?" Andy blinked.

April turned her head and kissed him, just a quick kiss on the cheek. Honestly, she wasn't sure why she said that. If this one turned out to be another boy...well, she'd just committed to trying again. As many times as she had to, until they got a little girl. And honestly, she didn't regret it. She set her gaze on Ben, though. She was used to him being the Debbie Downer of the group, if he wasn't talking about one of his nerd games or nerd shows, he was being negative about something. Well, April had enough of it. "It'd be nice if our best friends supported us instead of complaining about it."

"I wasn't -" Ben started, and threw his hands up again.

Leslie cut him off. "Yeah, you kind of were. But I think it's wonderful. I'm a little shocked, because you swore you were done after each of the last three. But I'm really happy for you and I hope you get your daughter this time."

"I didn't mean I'm not happy for you. I just think maybe you're over doing it. People don't have six and seven kids these days. Most couples don't even have three anymore."

"Don't think, Ben," April said to him. "Just sit there and look pretty. Even if you're not as pretty as Andy. That's okay. You're still kind of pretty"

Andy tilted his chin up and nipped her earlobe. "Mmmm. Babe. you're so sexy when you get all bitchy at Ben."

"Babe, stop. You're embarrassing me." Andy knew that absolutely was not true. April didn't get embarrassed. Especially not around Leslie and Ben. "And if you keep it up, we're going to have to go hide out in the coat closet or something."

"Okay. No." Ben shook his head. "That's just wrong."

"But you know we'll do it," April grinned at him. She could have been upset by the attitude he took when she shared her news. But she knew him well enough to know that what sounded like disappointment and disapproval was actually concern. Which on one hand was sweet. He'd always cared about April and Andy and what happened to them. That was why he and Leslie were on the short list to call when they needed something. She didn't take his attitude personally. She knew he meant well, and in his own way was tying to look out for them.

"Hey Ben. Remember that time when you lived with us at Burly's old house, and we had that Halloween party, and Andy kept you in a headlock until you broke his nose?" Sometimes when Ben tried to look out for them, he ended up causing more harm than good, even when he meant well.

"Yeah," Ben said, giving her a sideways look, wondering why she was bringing that up now. "That was like 20 years and ten kids ago."

"Yeah, but Andy wasn't mad at you for it. Because friends don't get upset with each other. I know you wouldn't make the choices we made, but this is our choice. It's our kid just like Jack and Ian and Lycan and Max and Arlo are our kids. They're good kids, Ben. And they're all going to be awesome big brothers."

"Awww, Babe. You're the best." Andy's hands moved to her waist and he shifted a little under her. He looked up at Leslie and Ben. "Isn't she the best?"

"Well, almost the best," Ben reached for Leslie's hand.

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[ceruleanoctober]

A/A Flufftober: 1. Breakfast (Fanfiction: Parks and Rec)

"Mama's gonna be so happy, isn't she, daddy?" Jack asked. He looked up at Andy, his eyes wide and reflecting hope. April had finally come home from the hospital, but baby Arlo was still there. He had to stay a little longer. Jack knew his mom was sad because of that, and he wanted to help her feel better.

"She sure is, big guy," Andy grinned. Making pancakes for April her first morning back home was Jack's idea. Andy was overseeing the whole thing, but Jack was running the show. It was his idea, and he was in charge of measuring and mixing. Andy wouldn't step in until it was time to use the stove. He sat at the table, close enough to keep an eye on the boys without being right there with them.

Jack handed Ian the measuring cup full of Bisquick. He dumped it into the big mixing bowl with a little too much gusto, and the powder cloud poofed and rained powder down on the counter around the bowl. Ian jumped back with a giggle, but Jack scowled at him. "Ian! You gotta be careful! That's for mama! We gotta do it right!"

"But we gotta have fun too!" Ian protested. He pinched a bit of the spilled Bisquick in his hand and threw it at Jack.

"Ian!" Jack yelled. He glowered at his brother, then suddenly reached into the bowl and grabbed a handful of the Bisquick, which he threw at Ian. Ian retaliated by grabbing a handful of the powder to throw at Jack. Both boys squealed as they threw handfuls of Bisquick at each other. Within a few seconds, the bowl was nearly empty and Ian made a grab for the box. He knocked it over, spilling Bisquick on the floor.

"Damn it, Ian!"

"Jack!" Andy scolded at the same moment Ian yelled for him.

"Sorry dad," Jack picked up the box and looked in it. "But Ian dropped the box and now maybe we can't make pancakes for mama."

"Maybe you shouldn't fool around when you're trying to cook," Andy said.

"Yeah!" Ian chimed in, agreeing with Andy.

"You started it!" Jack said, glaring at Ian.

"Hey, Jackie. let's measure the Bisquick together and make sure there's enough," Andy suggested. he got to his feet and picked up the measuring cup. "How many cups do we need?"

Jack turned the box over in his hands until he found the recipe for the basic pancakes. They were adding chocolate chips, but that wasn't part of the recipe on the box. Jack's brow furrowed for a moment as he read the instructions. "Three cups," he said after a minute. "Right?"

"You're reading it, you tell me," Andy smiled to encourage Jack to look again and double check. He knew Jack wanted to make the best pancakes ever, but he also knew April would love it no matter how good or bad they were.

"Three cups," he said again, and nodded for effect.

Andy held the measuring cup out to Jack and he started to fill it with Bisquick. He dumped the first cup into the bowl, then filled it up again. He hesitated before dumping it, and instead held it out to his brother. "You wanna dump it, Ian?"

"Uh-huh." Ian took care this time, holding the measuring cup down lower to prevent the powder cloud. Andy sat back down, but sat facing them so he could watch as they prepared the batter. He couldn't help but grin at them. They'd had a little hiccup, but they had sorted it out and were working together now to make the world's best pancakes for their mom.

Andy stepped in when it was time to heat up the skillet, carefully monitoring the boys around the hot stove. When the pancakes were done, Andy helped Jack put them on a plate. He helped Ian pour a glass of orange juice. The boys put everything on a tray, but let Andy carry it up to the bedroom.

"Mama! Mama!" Jack and Ian ran into the master bedroom. April rolled over and smiled at them as they climbed onto the bed. "We maked you breakfast in bed!"

"You did, did you?" April sat up. She pushed her hair out of her face and smiled as the boys moved in against her sides. She patted them both and looked up at Andy. "This is a very special surprise, boys. Thank you."

Andy carefully set the tray over April's legs. "They did it all themselves."

"I read the recipe all by myself!" Jack said.

"I helped mix and stir!"

April kissed the top of Ian's head, then Jack, then looked at Andy. He leaned in and kissed her lips, at the same time fumbling on the tray for the fork. He cut off a bite of the pancakes and held it out to her. She made a satisfied noise to show how delicious the pancakes were. "You just might have a future as a gourmet cook," she told Jack.

"Me too!" Ian bounced a little, and his foot kicked the breakfast tray.

April caught the glass of orange juice before it toppled over. "You too, baby," she assured him. She looked up at Andy and smiled.

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[ceruleanoctober]

A/A Drabble: Writing on the Wall

It was quiet. Too quiet. Silence in the Dwyer household was suspicious. Especially when Andy was upstairs with the kids and April was in the kitchen. Andy did most of the cooking. He wasn't a great cook, but he could make things that appealed to small children. And when he cooked, April didn't have to.

She was off work for a four day weekend, though, and decided to give Andy a break from kitchen duty. She stirred the spaghetti sauce, and turned the heat to low just to be safe since she was going upstairs and check on Andy and the kids. She wasn't worried, not really. Maybe just a tiny bit.

One of the kids started crying. April felt her body react; it didn't take much to make her leak. It was almost time to feed Max anyway.

She could hear Jack's voice, but couldn't make out the words until she got to the top of the stairs. "Daddy, give me the marker." He sounded stern. All business. April didn't have to see him to know he had his hand out, his dark eyes set on Andy. At six years old, he was far more mature than his father most of the time.

"Daddy! Mama's gonna be mad. Do you want mama to be mad at you?"

"No." Andy said. April crept to the open door of the playroom. The baby gate would keep the kids from escaping.

Jack tapped his foot. "Then give me the marker." He held his hand out, just as April had pictured, and she watched Andy begrudgingly give Jack the marker. He already had three others in his hand, and she had no doubt he'd taken then from Lycan. The two-year-old had colored scribbles on his face, and he was the one who was crying. Baby Max was in his playpen, and Ian was pressed against the netting making faces at him.

Jack dropped the makers in a storage bin and shut it with a bang. "Mama gonna put you in time out, Daddy. 'Member when Ian did the scribbles in the living room?"

"I don't do that no more," Ian said. Max's little hand pushed against his brother's face, but Ian didn't seem to mind. He was super patient with Max. He always had been.

Lycan had stopped crying. With the markers taken away, he climbed into Andy's lap and put his chubby little fingers in Andy's beard. Andy turned his face into one of Lycan's hands and blew raspberries into his palm. Lycan giggled and dropped backward, tumbling over Andy's legs, but Andy's hands caught him as he went down so he didn't hit the floor but sprawled across Andy's legs.

April slipped away from the door before any of the boys saw her. She'd deal with the marker on the wall later, but she kind of wanted to wait and see if Andy told her about it. Or Jack. Jack would probably tell her about it before Andy had a chance.

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[ceruleanoctober]

A/A: A Love Like Ours (8/?) Future Fic ~For Lunabelle

"Here you go, bubby," Andy held the bottle out to Max. The toddler took it from him and promptly threw it to the floor. Andy bent down to retrieve it and held it out to him again. Max took it and launched it at Andy's head. "Damn it, Max!" Andy groaned. Max let out a frustrated toddler scream that made everyone flinch and cover their ears.

"Daddy?" Jack's voice sounded so small, so uncertain.

Andy looked at Jack, his green eyes bright with emotion. "Don't start with me, Jack." Andy threw his cell phone at the wall. It clattered to the floor and with it, Andy's shoulders slumped.

Jack looked back at him for only a moment. Just long enough for Andy to see the dark shadow of pain and betrayal in his features. Where any other kid might have yelled 'I hate you' or something just as damning, Jack said nothing. He turned away, and ran from the room, stomping all the way up the stairs.

Ian stopped what he was doing, holding very still. Lycan grabbed the toy Jack had been playing with and giggled. Ian's focus shifted to Lycan and the two resumed playing together like they didn't have a care in the world. Max babbled nonsense and banged on the toy xylophone in front of him.

Andy dropped onto the couch and ran a trembling hand through his hair. His fingers dragged down the curve of his skull and followed through along his jawline. If he could have taken back the last minute or so, he would have done so in a heart beat. But he couldn't. And his cell phone laying on the floor seemed to mock him, reminding him that he'd thrown it in a fit of rage. He hadn't thrown it at Jack, hadn't thrown it anywhere near Jack, but that wasn't the point.

He'd thrown it because he was frustrated. Because he couldn't answer Jack's questions about when Mommy and baby Arlo would come home. He sighed and lurched forward to retrieve his phone. he knew it would serve him right if the screen was cracked and the phone was unusable. He was almost afraid to look at it.

He drew a deep breath and looked. There was a small crack at the top of the screen, but it seemed fine otherwise. He took a moment to be grateful for that, then cued up Leslie's number and called her. "Andy? Is everything all right?" Leslie answered on the second ring, her voice frantic and worried.

"No. I mean yes. But no. I yelled at Jack." He'd yelled at Max first, but it was more significant that he'd yelled at Jack. Andy couldn't have said when he'd raised his voice to any of his kids. He wasn't that kind of parent.

"Oh, Andy." Leslie sighed. "Do you want me to come over and get him? I can take him to the hospital to see April."

"I knew you'd know what to do." Leslie was the smartest person Andy knew, besides April of course. And Ron. Ron was pretty smart.

"Give me half an hour."

Andy nodded even though Leslie couldn't see him through the phone. He hung up and slid the phone into his pocket. He moved to pick up the bottle Max had thrown, but Ian realised he was going for it and picked it up to hand it to him. "Thanks, big guy."

"Mommy always holds him," Ian said. "That way he don't throw the bottle."

Andy pawed at his face. He glanced at the steps, and felt like he should go up and check on Jack. But he couldn't leave the other boys alone. April stressed that to him all the time. Ian would probably be all right, but Lycan and Arlo were too little to be left unattended. He sighed and put his hands out to Max, and the little one toddled over to him and lifted his arms for Andy to pick him up.

Max was asleep in Andy's arms by the time Leslie arrived. Sonia and one of the boys followed behind her. Andy was never sure which one was which. "I brought reinforcements," Leslie said. "Ben and Westley will bring pizza in a bit," she added. Sonia and Stephen had already moved in toward Ian and Lycan, and the moment Sinia sat down, Lycan crawled into her lap.

Leslie nodded at Andy. He set the bottle on the table and stood, carefully cradling Max against his chest. He gave Leslie a grateful nod then headed upstairs to put Max down for his afternoon nap. After putting the baby down, Andy crept out of the room and over to Jack's closed door. He knocked once. "Jackie?"

Jack didn't answer. Andy knocked again, and when his son still didn't respond, he pushed the door open. Jack was face down on his bed, fingers stuck in his ears, and didn't react to Andy coming into the room. Andy sat on the bed and put a hand out to Jack's shoulders. "Jack. I'm sorry."

Aside from a slight tremor that Andy felt through his hand on Jack's back, Jack didn't acknowledge him. Andy sighed. "I know I shouldn't have yelled at Maxie, or at you, and I'm sorry." There really wasn't an excuse for it. Andy was a stay at home dad, and he loved it. He loved being home with his kids all day. He was really just a big kid himself, but he'd had to grow up fast with April and Arlo in hospital. "I guess I got frustrated and I forgot how to handle it. Do you think you can forgive me?"

Jack shifted, turning over on his side so he was facing Andy. "I don't like when you get angry."

Andy smoothed a hand over Jack's dark hair. "I wasn't angry, Jack. I'm just worried about your mom and your little brother and sometimes that comes out like anger. But I'm not angry. I don't even know how to get angry, right? Isn't that what your mom says all the time?"

Jack pushed himself to sitting up and wrapped his little arms around Andy's neck. Andy's arms circled around Jack, holding him close. "Aunt Leslie is here, and she wants to take you to see your mom. Just you. I'm gonna stay here with your brothers."

"Just me?"

"Just you," Andy confirmed. "I thought you'd like that and I know your mama will be happy to see you."

"But what about Maxie?" Jack asked, his brow furrowed. Andy loved that Jack worried about his brothers so much. He was like another parent to them at times. Sometimes, Jack was more of a parent to them than Andy was.

Andy pressed his forehead to Jack's. "I'll bring Maxie and Ian and Lycan later."

Jack moved out of the circle of Andy's arms and slipped behind him, pressed against his back with his arms clasped around Andy's neck. "Will you carry me piggyback?"

"You better hang on tight!" Andy lurched to his feet. He moved toward the door and stumbled into it deliberately so that he bounced back and made it more fun for Jack. He was a little more cautious on the stairs, especially since April had fallen just a few days ago, but once they were downstairs, Andy zig zagged like he was out of control until he reached the couch, and carefully dropped and fell back with Jack giggling wildly.

Lycan crawled off Sonia's lap and threw himself at Andy's legs. "Do me, Daddy! Piggy me!" The little guy climbed up on the couch and hooked his arms around Andy's neck. Andy bent one arm behind himself to give Lycan a little extra support as he stood up, then gripped both his ankles before he started to run around the house with Lycan bouncing on his back.

Leslie cringed as she watched him, but she knew Andy did this kind of thing all the time. He'd done the same with Sonia, Stephen, and Westley when they were little. it had terrified her then, and it terrified her now but she trusted him to be careful. Even if it looked like he was clumsy and stumbling, she had to believe he had it under control. April would be devastated if Andy or one of the boys was hurt now, or ever really, but especially now.

"So, Jack," she said, turning her focus to the little boy. "Do you want to go and see your mama?"

Jack nodded. "Daddy said just me." He said with an air of pride.

"That's right." Leslie got to her feet and held her hand out to Jack. She almost wanted to wait till Ben and Westley arrived with the pizza, but that could be another hour or so. She just had to trust that Andy could manage, and that Sonia and Stephen could handle the damage control. That was a lot to put on a couple of teenagers, but they'd known Andy since the day they were born, and they knew how he could be.

Jack took Leslie's hand and they headed for the door just as Andy crashed into the wall at the bottom of the steps and staggered around to sit on the steps, giving Lycan an easy way off his back. The little boy was giggling with the unrestrained glee only a child could possess.

Leslie looked back at Andy. "I'll get him dinner, so you don't have to worry about that," she said. Andy raised his hand in a salute as Leslie lead Jack out the front door.

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[ceruleanoctober]

A/A: A Love Like Ours (7/?) Future Fic ~For Lunabelle

The baby didn't have a name yet. His name card read 'Baby Boy Ludgate-Dwyer. April wanted to name him Andrew, Andy wanted to name him after April somehow. He was probably their last baby. Andy didn't think April was going to want to try again for the little girl they dreamed of. He was okay with that, though, because she was going to be fine, and the baby was holding his own. He was two months premature, but he had ten perfect fingers and ten perfect toes and he was strong. He'd already proven he was a fighter, like his mama.

The first attempt to get the baby to suckle had ended with April in tears while the nurse helped her pump. They were going to try again, because the baby had the instinct, it was just a matter of getting him to latch properly. They decided that she would nurse Max if the baby didn't take. Andy arranged for Ben and Leslie to bring the other boys to meet their new baby brother, and they were in the waiting room so that Max was close by.

The baby gave it a good try. He managed to latch, but not well. April grit her teeth against the discomfort she felt, she was willing to tough it out so the baby could get as much of her milk as he could. "It'll come in time," the nurse assured them as she took the baby from his mother's breast. "We just have to be patient." None of the others had had any trouble, but none of the others had been eight weeks early. Jack had been little more than half that, the other three had been born within a couple days of their due dates.

"I'll get Maxie," Andy said, looking to April for her okay. She nodded and let her eyes close. She looked so small again, and it broke something in Andy that he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to mend. He knew April felt like a failure. She'd fallen, and that had caused her to have the baby two months early. Now he was struggling to feed. She must feel like her body was betraying her, and her child.

Andy would reassure her that wasn't the case. But for now, he headed to the waiting room, which was pulsing with the energy of three small boys. Jack was sitting in a chair next to Ben, looking pensive. He was every bit his mother's son, Andy even sometimes called him April's mini-me. He seemed far too introspective for a not quite seven-year-old kid.

"Daddy!" Jack jumped down from the chair and practically catapulted across the small space and into Andy's arms. The other three made their way to him too, all of them wrapping arms around his legs.

"Hey, guys. How's my favorite boys?" They all seemed to chatter at once. Andy grinned and dropped to his knees, his heart swelling with love for this perfect little family. Over Jack's head, Andy made eye contact with Leslie, and she moved in to scoop Max up, to take him to April so that Andy could stay with the other three boys. Ian and Lycan pressed against him on both sides, and he fell back to sit on the floor. Lycan crawled into Andy's lap with an innocent giggle, ridiculously happy to see his daddy. Ian tumbled over Andy's legs and landed sprawled across Andy's knees with a giggle to rival his brother. Andy pulled Ian into his lap along with Lycan, and looked up at Jack as the two younger ones fought for real estate on his legs.

"Hey, buddy," he said and offered his oldest son a smile.

"Where's Auntie Leslie taking Maxie?" Jack asked.

Andy had never been able to lie, he'd just never really developed that skill. He wasn't about to start now, even though he knew Jack might get upset that Max was going to see April and he wasn't. "He's going to see your mama. She needs to feed him."

"He's been eating, and Auntie Leslie gived him a bottle."

Andy nodded. "I know. But you know he still drinks mama's milk, just like you used to do."

Jack looked to the door where Leslie had gone out. "I want to see mama too."

"I know you do." Andy's hand snaked out to catch Lycan so he wouldn't fall over and hit the floor. "And we will soon, I promise."

"Okay." Jack climbed back up in the chair beside Ben. Andy knew it wasn't okay, not at all. Jack wanted to see his mother. Maybe he needed to see her, and see for himself that she was all right. And she was. For the most part. She was weak and tired, and she'd been through hell and Andy knew she felt like complete and total crap. But she was going to be okay. Jack just needed to see that for himself.

Leslie came back to the doorway. "She wants to see the boys," she said, and Jack slid down from the chair. "The nurse said we can only stay about five or ten minutes."

"Why don't you take Jack? I'll stay here with these two for a little bit. We don't want to overwhelm her with everyone all at once. And I think Jackie needs some time with her." Ian and Lycan probably did too, but they were younger and not as aware as Jack. Ian knew what had happened, but his understanding of it wasn't as advanced as Jack. And for the moment he was happy to play with Lycan and with his daddy.

"That's a really good idea, Andy. Come on, Jack. Let's go see your mama." Leslie held her hand out and Jack reached for it, walking with her.

Because Max was nursing and Jack was quiet and well behaved, the nurse let Leslie stay with the two boys a little longer than the original five to ten minute time frame she'd given. When Max was done, Leslie took him back to the waiting room and left him with Ben while she and Andy took Ian and Lycan to see their mother.

Jack was sitting beside April in the bed. Andy held Ian, Leslie carried Lycan. Lycan buried his face against Leslie's shoulder. Where just a few minutes ago he'd been giggling, he was quiet now and sucking his thumb. He'd always been the shy one, and the machines at the side of the bed were probably a bit intimidating for him.

Ian was also quiet, but he was watching April. Jack sat beside her in the bed, and she had her arm around him.

"Hey, Jackie. Do you want to go see your new little brother?" Andy asked him. He had a feeling he knew the answer, and it wouldn't be a slight against the baby. But Jack was super worried about April. Andy hoped seeing her now would settle his concerns. He didn't need to be worked up about things he couldn't control. That was Andy's job.

Jack shook his head. "I wanna stay with Mama."

"Okay. We can see him later." Andy wouldn't push. It wasn't like the baby's feelings would be hurt. He had no idea who Jack was, even though Andy had told him he had for awesome big brothers who were going to love him so very much once they met him.

"Have you guys come up with a name yet?" Leslie asked. She had walked to the window, trying to distract Lycan with the view outside.

"Andrew," April said at the same time Andy said "Robert".

"Arlo?" Jack tilted his head up, looking from his mother to his father and back to April.

Andy had no idea how Jack had heard 'Arlo', but the two names had kind of morphed together into one. And Arlo was as good as anything else. Andy actually kind of liked it. He looked to April. She held his gaze for a moment, then nodded. "Arlo. Do you like that, Jack?"

Jack twisted his mouth in a thoughtful expression as he contemplated the question, and the name. "Arlo. Arlo is a good name. I like it."

"Me too!" Ian said. Ian had a habit of agreeing with Jack, and was probably just going along with him because it was easy and because he seemed to worship his big brother. Either way that was two official votes for it.

"Then Arlo it is. Maybe Andrew Robert and Lawrence after my dad," April looked up at Andy. Her father had passed away a few years earlier. And while Lycan's legal name was Larry after April's dad, they hadn't used Lawrence. "And something that starts with an O, to spell out Arlo."

"Orin, obviously," Andy said. Orin was one of April's closest friends. She'd known him longer than she'd known Andy. They didn't see him much, but April kept in touch with him. And they tried to meet up whenever they were back in Pawnee. "And I think Indiana should be there too. It's the state where we met after all."

April nodded. All the boys had at least five names, so tacking Indiana on the end seemed perfect. She turned just enough to kiss the top of Jack's head. "Are you sure you don't want to go see Arlo? You can look at him through the window."

"Okay, Mama." Jack nodded. He scooted to the edge of the bed.

"Take Ian too," April said. as Andy juggled the five-year-old in his arms and helped Jack down. Jack reached for Andy's hand.

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[ceruleanoctober]

A/A: A Love Like Ours (5/?) Future Fic ~For Lunabelle

They kicked him out around 10:00 that night. He'd stayed with her, refusing to leave her side all afternoon and into the evening. She'd held his hand, even while she slept. At one point he'd tried to pull his hand away just to stretch, but she'd gripped his fingers the second he started to move, and held on tight.

They gave her something to help her sleep, and he convinced the nurse to let him stay until she was out. He didn't want to go at all, but he wasn't allowed to stay overnight in the ICU. Besides, he knew he should get home to the kids. He'd called, and talked to Jack just as he'd promised, and he'd promised he'd come and get them.

Then he'd talked to Leslie who suggested they all just stay, Andy included. He stopped by the house to get some clothes for the boys, and various other things he knew they would want. Jack and Max were the only ones awake when Andy got to Ben and Leslie's place. Jack all but flung himself at his dad and Max greeted him with nonsensical baby babble.

Leslie assured him Max was fine. Not a mark on him except a couple bruises around his knees which was consistent with a toddler who wasn't entirely steady on his feet, not a fall down the steps. Andy still wanted to make sure for himself, so he looked Max over head to toe but found nothing that would indicate he'd taken a fall. The only conclusion was that April had protected him even if she didn't remember it.

Ian and Lycan were asleep in the guest room, and there was a collapsible playpen set up for Max. Jack insisted on sleeping in the pull out with Andy, even though Andy tried to tell him he'd be more comfortable in the bed with his brothers. He didn't really put up much of a fight, though. Truthfully, he was kind of glad.

"Daddy, is mama and the baby gonna be okay?" Jack asked him a short while after Andy had turned out the light. Andy thought he was asleep, and had been laying very still so he wouldn't disturb him.

"I sure hope so, buddy." Andy turned over on his side facing Jack. "You were super awesome brave today, you know that right? You got your mama the help she needed."

Jack yawned. Andy knew he must be tired. "I knowed something wasn't right when Mama didn't greet me and Ian when he got off the school bus. Cause she said she was gonna be home instead of you and I knowed she wouldn't forget."

"No, she wouldn't forget about you guys. You did the right thing, the super most best thing when you called me." Andy was super glad they'd taken the time to teach Jack what to do in an emergency. And while he probably should have called 911 first, it was probably better in the long run that he hadn't. Because Andy had been able to get home to be with the boys and get them to Ben and Leslie so he could go be with April.

He didn't not want to be with Jack, but he felt like he should be with April all night. He didn't like the idea of leaving her alone. He trusted that the nurses would keep an eye on her. She was in ICU, after all. The nurse's station was right outside her door. But he still hated the idea that she was in the room all alone. Hopefully the sleeping pill they gave her meant she would sleep all night, and he'd get back before she woke up and she'd never know he was gone.

"I knowed you would know what to do."

Andy let his fingers drift over Jack's arm. He sometimes did that when he was trying to get someone to go to sleep. "But you knew just what to do too, Jack. Your mama is so proud of you."

"Do I have to go to school tomorrow? I wanna go see Mama."

"I know you do, bubby. but Mama's in ICU. Do you know what that means?" . Jack was quiet for a moment and Andy thought he might have fallen asleep. When he started talking, Andy figured he'd needed a minute to think about what he knew. "I think it means someone's really sick. But mama's not sick, is she? Is she sick and that's why she fell? Is the baby sick too?"

Andy propped his head up on his hand. Leslie had plugged in a night light so there was a little bit of light in the room. Not much, but enough Andy could see Jack's face. He looked so much like April it was almost scary. Of all the boys, he looked the most like her. Right then, that was causing Andy's heart to ache even more, and it was all he could do to stay where he was when everything in him was telling him to go back to the hospital and demand they let him stay with April.

"The doctor thinks your mama forgot to eat enough, remember she has to eat more because of the baby. And it made her real weak and that's why she fell. And she's okay. They can give her medicine to help her. But they have to be super careful because some medicines can hurt the baby."

Most people, or at least a lot of people, thought Andy was kind of dumb and kind of slow. He'd be the first to say yeah, there was some kind of disconnect between what was in his brain and what came out of his mouth. Sometimes when he said what was on his mind and in his head, people looked at him like he was crazy. He was easily confused about basic facts and information other people took for granted, like wondering why he couldn't see the faces of the presidents at the Grand Canyon, or what the other 98% was when milk said it was 2%. He wondered why oranges were called orange, because carrots were orange too. He pondered by cars drive on a parkway, but park in a driveway. And did it really matter if you say you're on a plane or in a plane? But when it came down to it, Andy was actually very smart. He knew a lot of random facts, and things that shocked other people when they realised just how smart he was. And if there was one subject he knew a lot about, it was babies. He hadn't known much at all about babies when April got pregnant with Jack, but through Jack and his brothers, Andy had learned a lot.

"But the doctors know which medicines will hurt the baby, right Daddy?"

"Yeah, buddy. They do. And they're taking super good care of your mama right now." Telling Jack that helped Andy believe it too. He had to believe it. He had to believe April and their unborn child were in the best possible hands, and they would be fine. Both of them would be okay.

He looked at Jack. He'd been a miracle baby. April hadn't had any real issues while pregnant, but she'd gone into labor after traveling back to Pawnee, five weeks early. But he had been strong and determined, and after just a couple weeks in hospital he was fine. And look at him now. Andy didn't want to scare him by telling him he had probably saved his mama's life, and he'd definitely saved his little brother or sister's life as long as the baby survived. Andy wouldn't accept anything less, but he knew it was possible. And he knew Jack was a hero either way because he'd acted fast, and he'd gotten help for his mama.

Jack shifted against Andy, turning on his side and curling up against Andy's side. "Daddy, will you sing to me?"

"Of course I will, Jackie." Andy didn't feel much like singing, but he wouldn't refuse. Not when Jack asked him. He cleared his throat and stretched out his neck. Then started to sing a lullaby, soft and soothing. His hand moved to run his fingers through Jack's hair.

After a few minutes Jack's breathing evened out and Andy knew he was asleep. He thought about carrying him up to put him in bed with his brothers, but decided not to. Jack had asked to stay with him, Andy would let him stay there with him. He sighed and shifted a little to try and get comfortable, though he knew he wasn't going to sleep. How could he sleep, when April was in hospital and he was on a sofa bed in Ben and Leslie's living room?

How had it come to this? Just this morning, everything had been fine. April and Andy had seen Jack and Ian off to school together. April had gone back to bed while Andy fed Lycan and Max breakfast. He'd played with them for a while before April took over so he could go to his appointment. It had started out as a great day, and now it felt like the bottom had fallen out and nothing would ever be the same again.

Andy looked up at the ceiling and prayed to anyone who might be listening to take care of April and their unborn child. The doctor had said April was all right, but Andy knew that would change dramatically if the baby wasn't all right.

Sleep didn't come easy for Andy.

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Shameless pimping: Read all my fic at AO3

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My Prompt Table; Request via asks!

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