Arms wrapped tightly around his sleeping wife a small yawn passed Steve's lips as he heard Rueben stirring on the baby monitor. Eyes fluttering open he looked down to Sam who hadn't even flinched hearing Reuben. She was still fast asleep. Gently moving away from Sam and out of the bed, Steve headed to Reuben's bedroom. He had been home from his stint in Japan for four months and he was still getting used to everything, mainly Reuben's early wake up calls. It has just gone quarter to six in the morning and Reuben was wide awake pacing in his cot before grinning seeing Steve and gestured for him to pick him up. Picking up his son he pressed a kiss to his head and tried to smooth down his bed hair. "Why so early lil man?" He asked him before he moved him onto his hip as he grabbed his empty bottle out of his cot and quietly headed downstairs, being careful not to disturb Sam, Alfie and Lily. Going into the kitchen he grabbed Rueben a bottle of milk and warmed it up slightly before going into the living room, popping the television on quietly before sitting down with Reuben, flicking the channel to one of the kiddie programs he liked to watch.
Hearing footsteps coming down the stairs some time later, Steve looked up and smiled seeing Alfie and Lily making their way down. Looking to the clock he then looked to his children and smiled as they came and curled up on the sofa with him and Reuben. It was the weekend and since Steve's return he promised Sam that he wouldn't work weekends and it would be their time as a family, especially as the children were now getting older. Alfie had just celebrated his seventh birthday and he and Sam celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary. Time was going too fast for his liking.
"Daddy I'm hungry." Lily mumbled rubbing her eyes a little as she looked up to her father.
Looking down to his daughter, Steve thought for a minute. He wasn't sure how long Sam would be asleep for. "How about…we go to McDonald's for breakfast?"
"I don't want to get dressed yet." Alfie commented with a frown.
"Who said we had to get dressed?" Steve questioned with a smile. "We'll go in our pyjamas and we will go through the drive through."
"That be cool." He declared looking to his father.
Steve smiled and nodded. "Thought you might think so. Now. Can you go upstairs quietly and go get yours, Lily and Reuben's jackets? You can ride up front with me today."
"Yes!" Grinned Alfie as he jumped to his feet.
"Make sure you don't wake mommy though okay?"
"Why is mommy still sleeping?" Lily asked with a frown.
"I'm not sure baby girl. Maybe she's just very tired." He shrugged a little before he sat up a little and scooped up Reuben. "Let's change your diaper mister." He commented grabbing a clean diaper from the side and started to change Reuben looking briefly as Alfie came down with all the jackets. Sitting Reuben up he took the jackets off his oldest son before putting Reuben's on while Alfie independently put his one as did Lily. How did they grow up so fast? Getting to his feet he slipped on a pair of flip flops before he grabbed his truck keys and wallet from the side and slipped his wallet into his pocket before scooped up Reuben before he gestured for Alfie and Lily to follow him. Heading to the truck he opened up the front for Alfie to climb in before he then moved to the back and strapped Rueben into his car seat before helping Lily into her booster seat. Satisfied all his children were strapped in he then climbed into the driver's side as he then started up the engine and looked to Alfie. "What you feeling for breakfast then buddy?"
"Sausage and egg mcmuffin!" Alfie beamed with a grin to him.
"Ooo good shout buddy." Looking to his rear-view mirror he glanced to his daughter. "What about you missy? What would you like for breakfast?"
"Bacon and cheese!"
Steve couldn't help but laugh. "You are your mother's daughter."
Alfie looked to his father. "Mommy likes bacon and cheese?"
"Mommy loves bacon and cheese." Steve told him with a smile. "How about we get mommy something too? Be nice for her to wake up to something to eat."
Alfie nodded. "Yes. It'll make her super happy." He smiled and looked out the window. "I like it when you and mommy are home at the same time."
Steve smiled. "You do?"
"Yeah. Means we can have lots of fun altogether."
"Well I'm glad you do buddy. What would you like to do today when mommy gets out of bed?"
Alfie thought for a minute. "Can we go to the park? You can play with me and Lily while mommy reads a book and looks after Reuben while he sleeps."
Steve couldn't help but laugh a little. "That's a bit specific buddy."
"When you went to protect the angels Uncle Danno used to do it with us. But you're back now so we don't need Uncle Danno and you can play with us instead." Lily told him from the back.
Steve couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. Those times he had missed so much of their lives as well as not giving Danny enough credit for what he actually did for his family while he was gone. Looking to Alfie he smiled to him. "Well I do like the sound of that. Maybe once in a while we can ask Uncle Danno to pop along? That way he won't feel left out." He told him with a smile before he pulled through the drive through of McDonalds and ordered their food. Collecting the food from the next window Steve then headed back home. He could see the children were itching to tuck into their food but he told them they had to wait until they got home. Pulling up on the drive he got out of the truck and helped Alfie down before passing him the bag of food. "Hold that for me buddy while I get your brother and sister."
Taking the bag from his father Alfie strolled towards the front door. "It's okay daddy I can carry it. I'm super strong." He told him with a smile.
Steve smiled to him as he helped Lily down before scooping up Reuben and resting him on his hip as he grabbed the drinks from the front foot well and locked the truck up before heading to the door. Popping Reuben down onto his feet he unlocked the front door and pushed it open, making sure all three walked in before following them inside. Quietly shutting the door behind him he popped the drinks on the coffee table. "Okay Alfie you go and grab your plates." He told him before grabbing a large cloth that they used for the children to have picnics on the floor and laid it out nicely, smiling as Lily plonked herself in her usual spot in the corner opposite the television. As Alfie came back in and sat next to her, putting her plate in front of her Steve smiled as he grabbed the bag Alfie left on the coffee table and grabbed their food. "Alfie, one sausage and egg mcmuffin with a hash brown and Lily one bacon and egg mcmuffin with a hash brown. Your hot chocolates are a bit too hot so wait for them to cool." He told them before he then sat down on the sofa, bringing Reuben up with him as he sat him next to him and grabbed Reuben's pancakes, breaking some off before passing it to his son before grabbing his own breakfast wrap. He had bought Sam a breakfast wrap as well and was a bit concerned she hadn't woken up yet. It wasn't like her to sleep in this late but at the same time he didn't want to disturb her if she was tired. Taking a bite out of his breakfast wrap he passed Reuben some more pancake before he looked up hearing Sam coming down the stairs. "Hey you're awake…"
Sam smiled a little as she moved and sat down on the sofa, rubbing her one eye a little. "Didn't even hear you get out of bed…"
"Or leave the house…" He commented as he offered Sam her breakfast wrap.
Taking the wrap she frowned a little. "You've been out?"
"Only McDonalds. Lily was hungry and I didn't want to cook." He gestured to their three quiet children. "A massive success as you can see."
Sam smiled a little. "Always is."
Steve frowned as he looked to her. "You okay? Not like you to sleep in so late…"
Sam looked to him and shrugged a little. "I'm alright…just feel a bit drained. Maybe I'm coming down with something, I dunno." She mumbled as she relaxed back against the sofa and opened her breakfast wrap and took a bite out of it, although she wasn't really that hungry.
"You are looking a bit pale." He gently moved Reuben to the other side of him as he shuffled into the middle of the sofa more, he gently pulled Sam to him and kissed her head, holding her close as she curled into him. "How about I take the kids out for the day?" He suggested looking down to her. "You just laze on the sofa and rest. They want to go to the park so I'll get Danny to come with me."
Sam looked up to him. "Are you sure?"
Steve nodded. "Of course. You just rest and get better." He told her with a smile as he pressed another kiss to her head.
Happily curling into her husband, Sam offered him her breakfast wrap. "Sorry babe, I'm not that hungry."
Taking the wrap he smiled down to her. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure Reuben will help me finish it off." He told her with a smile as he took the hash brown out and took a bite out of it before passing the rest to Reuben who happily took it and ate away. Was safe to say Reuben loved his food!
Finishing off her food, Lily then looked over to her mother and got to her feet and happily moved over to her and sat next to her, moving her arms around her as she snuggled into her. "You okay mommy?"
Moving her arm around her daughter, Sam smiled down to her. "I'm okay baby girl." She promised to her as she held her close to her. She didn't want the children seeing her like this.
Alfie moved and sat down next to his sister. "Are we still going to the park?" He asked looking between his parents.
Steve looked to Alfie. "We will buddy. We will ask Uncle Danny to come with us? Mommy needs to stay here and get some rest cause she's not feeling too good."
"I'll make you a daisy chain." Lily told her with a smile.
"That would be amazing." Sam told her with a smile as she softly ran her fingers through her daughter's blonde hair. "Shall we go and get you guys dressed?" She asked looking down to Lily and Alfie before looking to Reuben and laughing slightly and looked to Steve. "I'll leave you to sort out mister there." She mused as she got to her feet. "Come on you two." She told them as she headed to the stairs, Alfie and Lily following behind her.
Steve looked down to Rueben who was looking rather sticky. Chuckling he grabbed the packet of wet wipes from the side and started to clean the toddlers hands.
Heading upstairs, Sam went into Lily's bedroom first. "What would you like to wear today baby girl?" She asked looking to her.
Following her mother into her bedroom Lily thought for a minute. "My pink butterfly top!" She beamed as she jumped onto her bed.
Nodding Sam grabbed the top and the rest of Lily's clothes before popping them onto her bed. "Okay you get dressed while I check on Alfie." She told her as she then headed into Alfie's room, leaning on his door. "How you getting on buddy?"
""I can't find my avengers top." He commented with a frown.
Stepping inside his room more she frowned a little. "Well it should be here." She told him before she went over to his draws and began to dig through it. "Here we go." She mused as she pulled the top in question out and handed it to her eldest.
"Thanks mom!" He beamed taking the top from her.
Sam smiled and kissed his head before she went back to check on Lily. "All done princess?"
Lily smiled and nodded to her mother as she grabbed her daps and popped them on.
Sam smiled to her before she then frowned a little hearing Reuben giggling hysterically from the bathroom. "I'll be back in a sec to do your hair." She told her with a smile before she then headed into her bedroom then the en suite where Reuben was happily splashing in the bath, soaking his father in the process. "Having fun?" Laughed Sam as she looked to the two.
Wiping his wet face with a towel, Steve looked back to his wife. "Clearly soaking me is hilarious."
"So I see." She smiled to him. "I'll go get some clothes for him." She told him as she headed down to Reuben's room. Grabbing a diaper and some clothes she headed back to her and Steve's room. "His stuff is on the bed." She called to Steve before she went back to Lily's room and grabbed her hair brush from the side. "Come on then missy. Ponytail or braid today?" She asked sitting on her daughter's bed.
"Ponytail." Beamed Lily as she moved onto her mother's lap.
Sam smiled as she happily done her daughters hair. Kissing her head she smiled. "There we are princess."
Jumping down Lily smiled to her mother before she ran into her brother's bedroom.
Getting to her feet Sam smiled as she headed into her bedroom, smiling as she watched Steve getting Rueben ready. Heading over to the bed, she sat herself down, rubbing her eyes a little suddenly feeling exhausted.
Looking to Sam he frowned a little. "You sure you're going to be okay on your own?" He asked as he finished putting on Reuben's socks before scooping him up and sitting down on the bed next to Sam.
Sam looked to him and nodded. "Of course. I'm going to sit on the sofa with a nice cup of tea and possibly have a snooze." She told him, smiling as Reuben moved over to her, moving her arm around him she kissed his head and smoothed his hair down before looking to Steve. "Have you text Danny?"
Steve listened to her and nodded. "As long as you're sure. Promise if you're not feeling better Monday you'll go see a doctor?" He nodded. "Yeah, he's going to meet us at the park, he has Charlie today." He told as he got changed himself before moving to sat back down next to his wife once more.
Sam nodded a little, kissing Reuben's head once more before she looked to the door as Alfie and Lily came in.
"We're ready." Alfie beamed with a smile.
"Awesome buddy." Steve mused with a smile as he got up; stealing a kiss off his wife he then scooped up Reuben before looking to Alfie and Lily. "Come give mommy a cuddle and kiss."
Running over, both Alfie and Lily hugged their mother tightly.
Sam smiled as she hugged her children, kissing each of their heads she smiled down to them. "Make sure you're good." She told them with a smile.
"We will!" Alfie promised with a grin before they followed Steve out of the bedroom.
Watching them go Sam smiled to herself before she let a yawn pass her lips as she got to her feet and headed to the bathroom to get washed and dressed into some fresh pyjamas. She just wanted to relax. She hated feeling so crappy. Once she was changed she headed downstairs, doing a quick tidy up before she then went into the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. Popping the kettle on she grabbed a mug off the side before heading over to the fridge to get the milk before going back to her mug. It wasn't like Sam to get sick, but when she was poorly she was really poorly. As the kettle boiled she went to grab the kettle before her eyes widened feeling someone put something over her nose and mouth as she quickly lost consciousness, not even having the energy to fight back. Everything just went black.