A/N: I thought I'd redeem myself by adding babies in. Again, thanks to Team Malley for the generous contribution to Stand for the Silent. And, of course, thank you to Club Doccubus and participants.
"Hip hip"
-Weezer, Island in the Sun
A few years later...
"Charlie, don't run too far from your brother," Lauren called after the large sun hat running in front of her.
"Otay, Mommy," Charlie said, adjusting the big straw hat on top of her head that her godmother, Kenzi, let her borrow. The brim was almost as wide as she was tall. "I'm just looking fow the sand cwabs." She squatted in front of a small hole the diameter of her finger. "Look, Ethan!"
Ethan drooled happily and babbled at his sister as he held on to his mother's fingers for support. Walking was fun but it was a little complicated on sand. He pumped his little chubby legs and pulled Lauren along.
"Mommy, they move too fast," Charlie pouted.
"If you're small and tiny, you would want to move fast," Lauren said.
"Why?" Charlie said, blinking up at her mother with large chocolate eyes.
"So that you won't get eaten by predators," Lauren explained.
"Predators like big bad wolves!" a voice growled from behind them.
Lauren rolled her eyes.
Ethan gurgled, cheeks pink despite the generous amount of sunscreen all over him.
"Uncle Dyson! There are no wolves in beaches," Charlie stomped her feet in a very Kenzi-like manner. "You scared away the sand cwabs."
"Charlie," Lauren warned.
The little girl stared at her sandy feet, "Sorry."
"S'okay, little lady. I shall endeavor to not scare away any more sand crabs with my intimidating predator presence." Dyson scooped her up with one arm. "How about I show you something else?" He offered her a paper cup. Inside were little hermit crabs trying to crawl out. "Wanna race?"
"Okay!" Charlie took the cup and peered intently at the creatures inside. "Let's go, baby. We're gonna beat Uncle Dyson."
"Me!" Ethan said, hugging Dyson's leg. The cop indulged the little boy and picked him up, too. Charlie showed him the cup's contents, much to his delight.
"You keep an eye of them," Lauren nodded to Dyson.
He grinned and shifted the precious load in his arms slightly, "They're in good hands." He turned to walk away but paused, "Oh, by the way, your wife was looking for you."
He winked.
"Bo, I'm— " Lauren opened the door to the cabin and was ambushed by a very eager mouth on her own.
"What took you so long?" Bo said in between kisses.
"Well, I was showing the kids the wade pool—"
Bo quickly shifted into mom mode. "Where are they? Did you re-apply the sunscreen?"
"They're with Dyson and yes, I did."
"Good," Bo sighed happily and tangled her fingers in Lauren's hair, pulling her in for a kiss. "I missed you."
"Honey, we just saw each other an hour ago," Lauren said, giving her wife an eskimo kiss.
"What? I'm not allowed to be clingy," Bo said, scratching her nails lightly on Lauren's scalp.
"Hm, nope," Lauren replied, eyes fluttering shut.
"We have about twenty minutes before the kids get bored with hermit crab racing, are you really gonna waste it by being mean to me?" Bo whispered in her ear as her hands roamed under Lauren's shirt as they fell into a messy heap on the bed and clothes started to come off.
"Put your knickers on and open up, ladies!" Vex pounded the door.
"What happened?" Lauren said, pulling her shirt back on and opened the door.
"Mama," Ethan ran to the bed, Charlotte right behind him. They were happily received by Bo who showered their cheeks with noisy kisses even as they got sand all over the bedcovers.
"They're just a little irritable from the heat," the man replied, scratching at the small tattoo on his cheek. "Look, Dyson's an idiot so just take them, alright?"
"He said a bad word," Charlie gasped and pointed an accusing finger.
"What?"
"We're not allowed to say the 'I' word, it's not nice," Charlie said, much to the amusement of her parents.
"Apologies," Vex inclined his head. "That incompetent ninny jumped in the water and there were some jellyfish. The tots are alright but I had to the noble thing and urinate all over the stupid git's leg."
"You said another bad word," Charlie slapped herself on the forehead.
"Alright, alright, no need to be cross," Vex said. "I'm leaving. Give me a hug, Chuck."
Charlie jumped off the bed to give the man in mascara a hug and kiss on the cheek. A wry smirk spread across his face as he rubbed her head. She reminded him of a little boy he once knew. With a light pat on her butt, he sent her scurrying back to her mother.
"Is Dyson okay?" Lauren asked.
"Yeah, yeah, we got it covered. We've been invited by the luscious lifeguards to drink over their break," Vex waved her off and walked away. "Ta!" When he turned around, Lauren an unwanted view of his ass. People must have been so confused seeing him walk the babies over.
Lauren blinked and closed the door after him and turned to regard the love pile on the bed. Bo was cooing sweet nothings in Ethan's ear while she rubbed Charlotte's back. The little girl was spread out face first on the cool sheets.
"What are you doing, Charlie?"
There was a muffled reply.
"I can't hear you, silly." Lauren tugged playfully on a small toe.
Charlie turned her head and yawned. "I'm a stawfish."
"Well, do you want something to drink, starfish?"
Charlie pretended to think about it. "I am a wittle firsty. May I pwease have juice?"
"Juice!" Ethan agreed. "Peas," he added.
"His sippy cup is still in the fridge," Bo said, burying her face into Ethan's hair and giving a soft kiss. Lauren poured them some fresh coconut juice which both tots drank eagerly.
"Mama, you want some?" Charlie said, offering her mother the mug.
"No, thank you, baby," Bo said as she took the mug and placed it on the bedside table. "I do want a kiss, though."
"Otay," Charlie said, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand before indulging her mother's request.
"What about me?" Lauren asked, sitting cross-legged back on the bed. "Oomphf!" She grunted when Charlie jumped onto her lap, all knees and elbows. Little arms wrapped around her neck and wet lips pressed against her cheek.
Ethan, deciding that he was not going to miss out on the kissing fest, crawled over to his sister and drooled on her face. "Ew, Ethan," Charlie complained. "You're fuw of sawiva."
"You were like that once, too, you know. Sometimes you still are," Bo said, brushing Charlie's messy hair over her ears. Her little Einstein.
"Nuh-uh," Charlie protested.
"Yuh-huh," Bo said, shaking her head.
"Mommy," Charlie pouted, looking to her other for support.
"Babies make a lot of drool," Lauren said. "You were once a baby."
"You'll always be our baby," Bo corrected as Ethan began to babble loudly.
Lauren nodded, "Well, yes, you and Ethan will always be our babies."
"Even when I'm old wike grampa Twick?" Charlie wrinkled her forehead.
"Even then."
"Otay," Charlie nodded, "But I don't dwool like him." She pointed at her brother who started gnawing on the edge of a blanket. She gently took the sheet from him and offered him his sippy cup.
"What are you thinking?" Bo whispered as they lay quietly on the bed. Like clockwork, the children fell asleep after they ate their lunch.
Lauren was propped up on an elbow, her free hand was tracing Ethan's eyebrows and lips as he slept peacefully. His sister was next to him, snoring softly clutching a colorful stuffed unicorn. Bo and Lauren laid on either side of them, watching them nap.
"Nothing," Lauren breathed, lips quirking into a soft smile. "Just happy."
"Me, too," Bo said.
Silence was upon them like a soft blanket and Bo sighed contently.
"I was really looking forward to a different use for this bed though," Lauren blurted.
Bo stifled her laughter, shoulders shaking.
"Me, too," Bo admitted. "We can bribe Kenzi later," she whispered into Lauren's ear giving it a nip. "If we can find her. I'm sure she's joined the land of the living by now," she said, knowing that Kenzi still refused to wake up early especially after a night of partying and hard drinks. Her wife nodded in amusement and agreement.
"I love you," Lauren said, kissing her jaw.
"And, I love you," Bo replied and caught her mouth in a proper kiss.
They snuggled closer together and settled in to join their little ones in dreamland, knowing that they'd need the energy for later.
It was just another day in paradise.