It should be clear to everyone by this point that I suck at these AN's.

Mari & Ilna-you're the best.

McRollers-thanks for reading.

It Never Hurts to Ask (1/1)

"Den da Easter Bunny comes an' hides cookies in da yard so we has to look for dem," Angie reported excitedly.

"The Easter Bunny hides eggs," DJ corrected gently.

Angie smiled a toothy smile. "When I seed him at da mall I told him I ra-ver hab cookies."

Grandma Ang chuckled. "That's my girl. You'll never get what you want if you don't ask for it."

DJ sprinkled more glitter on the 'GO CUBS' sign he was making. "I'm not sure it works that way. I'm pretty sure he just brings eggs. Some of them can open and have things inside but not cookies."

Grandma Ang exchanged a sly look with Elizabeth who was helping Angie with her sign. "Don't be so sure."

"There!" DJ checked to make sure the glue was dry then held up his sign for the others to see. "I think it's finished."

"Perfect," Grandma Ang said. "You can wave that tomorrow when we watch the game. As bad as the pitching was in the first game those bums need all the help they can get."

DJ shook his head solemnly. "Eleven walks. That's a lot."

"The weather was really cold," Elizabeth said. "That didn't help."

"It was cold for both teams," Grandma Ang grumbled.

"It was just the first game." Elizabeth moved the glue out of Angie's reach. "They need some time to get back in the swing of things."

"Don't defend them," Ang groused. "They played like bums."

"BUMS!" Angie parroted.

"We're home!" Angie called as she burst onto the deck after returning from a Saturday afternoon outing with Carrie and John. "DJ got a boo boo and he has a band-aid."

Steve and Catherine's alarm eased immediately when a smiling DJ was next through the door followed by Carrie and John.

"I fell in Aunt Carrie and Uncle John's driveway," the young boy said. "It hurt at first but Aunt Carrie took care of me. I'm ok now."

Angie planted her hands on her hips. "Show dem your band-aid," she said with undisguised disgust as she pointed to her brother's knee. "It pwain."

Carrie chuckled. "Unfortunately my band-aid selection did not meet Angie's expectations. No cammo and not a cartoon character in sight."

"It's ok," DJ assured her.

"No, no it's not." Carrie grinned at him. "If I'm gonna be the cool aunt I need to be better prepared. I'll be stopping at the store tonight to stock up on better band-aids so I have them if they're ever needed again."

"Good." Angie said, causing the adults to chuckle. She then turned her attention to Catherine. "Mommy, DJ need a LEGO band-aid."

"You guys go change your clothes and get the box from the drawer in your bathroom and bring it here," Catherine said. "We'll change to a LEGO band-aid."

"YAY!" Both kids cheered momentarily then DJ stopped and looked at Carrie. "Thanks for helping me when I fell, Aunt Carrie. I really didn't mind the plain band-aid."

"Thanks, kiddo." Carrie ruffled his hair. "I appreciate that."

As soon as the kids entered the house Carrie turned to Steve and Catherine. "It really is just a little scrape."

"It was the cutest thing though," John said. "When DJ fell it took a second for the pain to register but once it did he started to cry. Angie ran over right away and held his hand and she started to cry too."

"And she was all over making sure I was handling things right," Carrie remembered.

"Are you hurt anywhere other than your knee?" Carrie asked as she gave DJ the once over.

"I don't think so." He sniffled as he rubbed his hands on his shorts then looked at them. "My hands hurt, but they're not cut."

"You ok, DJ?" Angie asked tearfully. "You hit your head?" she asked, repeating words she'd often heard Catherine ask after a fall.

"No," DJ said. "Just my hands and knees."

Angie rubbed his arm soothingly. "You be ok. Ann Carrie fix you up."

"That was before she realized I was severely lacking in the band-aid department," Carrie snorted. "She stood right there while we were in the bathroom cleaning out DJ's knee though. When I put the antibacterial on and he flinched, she flinched. She didn't smile until he did."

"They really watch out for each other," Steve said proudly.

"I don't think I've been scrutinized like that since the Academy." Carrie smiled. "She was making sure I did everything just the way you two do it."

"Well, other than the band-aids it looks like you passed the test," Catherine said.

"Can you guys stay for dinner?" Steve asked. "I'm gonna throw some fish on the grill."

"We'd love to but we're helping out at the base Easter party," Carrie said. "We'll take a rain check though."

She and John said their goodbyes and were almost to the door when Carrie turned back, her eyes sparkling, and said, "Oh, just one other thing. I gave them some peanut butter eggs after the bandaging was done and then we stopped for ice cream on the way here. So they might not be all that hungry for dinner. Cool aunts rule!"

Steve and Catherine were sitting on the deck drinking coffee and enjoying peaceful Sunday sunrise before the anticipated Easter chaos when Joseph and Elizabeth crept quietly around the corner.

"Easter Bunny's helpers reporting for duty," Elizabeth said softly as she held up two bags of colorful plastic eggs for the day's egg hunt.

"Thanks for taking care of filling those eggs, Mom," Catherine said. "This week has been a little crazy and I just ran out of time."

"My pleasure." Elizabeth placed the bags on the table and removed one egg from each. "All of DJ's eggs have a LEGO sticker on them. All of Angie's have an aardvark sticker."

"What a great idea," Catherine said. "Were there enough of those little toys I dropped off to fill them all?"

"I used some of those, yes," Elizabeth said, suddenly looking everywhere but at her daughter.

Catherine looked at Joseph, who could barely contain his laughter, then back at her mother. "What's in the eggs?"

"It's mostly what we talked about," Elizabeth said. "Little toys. Plus your grandmother put two dollar bills in a couple of them. And your father and I did a few with quarters and dimes and nickels. You know … to help with learning to count money."

"Mm-hm," Catherine said. "What else?"

"I hope it isn't candy," Steve said. "Between the baskets we made for them and the ones Danny and Jenna made them we've got more chocolate than Halloween."

Elizabeth shook her head. "Not candy."

Joseph couldn't stand it any longer. He reached into Angie's egg bag and gently shook a few until he found what he was looking for. He opened the egg and showed it to Steve and Catherine.

Steve barked a laugh. "Are those miniature cookies?"

"Mom, please tell me you didn't go to the trouble of baking little tiny cookies that would fit inside the eggs," Catherine said with a smile that made it clear she wasn't angry, but in fact thought it was the cutest thing ever.

"Well, Angie told the Easter Bunny at the mall she preferred cookies and we didn't want her to think he didn't give her her wish," Joseph said. "Plus DJ was a little skeptical the Easter Bunny would actually bring cookies so we figured it would be a chance to show both of them wishes do come true sometimes."

"You are amazing," Catherine said as she stood and hugged her parents. "The kids are so lucky to have the two of you in their lives."

"They're not the only ones," Steve smiled. "We're all lucky."

THE END

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