I'm honestly so surprised to hear some of you are down for another installment! I was originally planning to write an epilogue in the future at the end of this one instead of a full-fledged story, but if people will read I could probably be convinced to do a forth. That being said…would you want to see the boys being born, a little time jump to the future, or both? No wrong answers, lol – will just help me figure out what course to take.

Jay exhaled and closed the fridge after removing a cold bottle of water to bring upstairs for Erin. His big brother had fallen asleep on the couch beside his girl, intent on being close by should anything happen. He managed a small smile when a snore escaped Will's lips. The red headed Halstead had come so far from the New York playboy that Jay used to resent. He was almost as protective of his girls as Jay was.

Erin had abandoned a sleeping Will to take a shower while Jay bid good night to Hank and confirmed that he'd check in first thing in the morning. They were all confident that Bunny was going to be behind bars for good, but Jay knew his boss wasn't going to relax until he saw her in prison himself.

Just as he was about to marvel at how well Piper had done with the drama of the day, a pained wail and loud thump had him sprinting up the steps.

"Mommy, Mommy," Piper shrieked, stumbling backwards in her bedroom when Jay hustled through the door. The little girl gasped and jumped when she backed into the nightstand, inadvertently knocking her bedside lamp to the floor.

"It's Jay, you're okay," he said quickly, crossing the room to lift Piper off the ground. There were shards of glass everywhere and he didn't want his little girl to cut her feet, "You're okay."

"Don't take me, don't take me," she screamed, pushing away from Jay desperately, "Mommy!"

Jay grimaced. His little girl was still caught in a nightmare, likely spurred by just how traumatizing the afternoon had been. "Shh," he cooed, "You're safe, Pipes. Mommy's here, just taking a shower." Emotion rose in his throat when he realized it was the first time he referred to Erin as Mommy to his little girl. She was her mommy, and Piper knew Erin was her mommy too, but they both agreed to let Piper take the lead on what she wanted to call them.

"What's wrong?" Will asked, hurrying to Piper's bedroom door, "I heard a crash."

Jay was about to reply but was cut off by a terrified scream from Piper when she caught sight of the figure in her doorway. "Don't touch her!" Piper begged, "No, no, no!" Piper tumbled from his grasp and landed on the floor with a thud.

Will immediately backed away as Jay attempted to soothe his little girl. "Just Will, kiddo," he whispered, sinking to his knees, "You're home, Pipes. Nobody's taking you or Erin away."

"Daddy help!" Piper cried, clearly not registering that Jay was right in front of her through her nightmare-addled brain, "Daddy!"

Jay's heart swelled and shattered all at once. "Daddy's here," he managed, holding his hand out, "I'm here, baby. I'm here."

Piper burst into broken sobs, small frame convulsing as she attempted to make herself small. "I want my mommy," she wept, shuddering violently, "I don't wanna leave."

"Can you see if Erin's out of the shower?" he asked his brother who was still standing in the doorway, incredibly concerned, "She needs her." Will nodded and turned for their bedroom.

His chest ached at just how distraught his little girl was. He wished he could have been at the house when Bunny showed up. Knowing that his girls were alone when they were confronted with one of their biggest fears had his blood on fire. He hated how one woman could completely throw off their entire day, which was supposed to be a happy occasion. His girls were supposed to be celebrating the new additions to their family, not reliving the past trauma and abuse from their biological mother.

"Erin's asleep," Will whispered, reappearing in the doorway, "Didn't make it to the shower. Pulse is steady though." He offered a sad smile to his brother. "Anything I can do?"

Jay could have cursed. He was glad that Erin was asleep and doing better, but his little girl was in desperate need of her mommy. He swallowed. Her mommy had two babies growing inside her and really needed to take it easy after an eventful day – he couldn't just wake her up. He shook his head to his brother's question but then paused. He could see Piper's breath becoming slightly labored in the aftermath of her nightmare. "Her inhaler is downstairs in the second cabinet in the kitchen," he said, "Mind grabbing it, just in case?"

Piper lifted her head and startled when she saw Jay crouched in front of her and Will in the door. "It's okay, Pipes," Jay said quickly, holding his hands out, "You're safe. Just me and Will here."

"J-Jay?" Piper stuttered, looking around her bedroom in confusion. "W-where are we?"

"We're home, sweet bug," he whispered thickly, "You had a bad dream, but we're home, and you're safe."

In an instant, Piper was in his arms. Harsh sobs rolled off her lips as she cried, attempting to hold her dad as tightly as humanly possible. "I'm here," he whispered, "You're safe." He grimaced when Piper let out a strangled wail. "Shh, kiddo."

"Erin's gone," she wept, "She's gone, she's gone."

"No, no," he whispered, trying his best to keep his voice even. "She's just sleeping, kiddo. Right across the hall. She's safe and the boys are safe too. Will just checked on her, and she's all good." Jay rocked back and forth, holding Piper closely. The child continued to sob and tremble as he whispered that she was safe into her ear, still trying to distinguish what was real and what wasn't.

"I thought she took her and the boys," Piper choked out, "I-I was screaming for you, I didn't know what to do."

"We're both here," he promised, "Me and Erin both. Just a bad dream."

Piper brought both her hands to the sides of her head. "I don't want any more bad dreams," she cried, hitting her forehead with her palm, "I want them to stop, I want to be done."

"Hey, hey," Jay managed, taking one of her hands gently, "Don't hit yourself, kiddo. I know it's hard."

"I can't keep doing it," she wept, putting her head down on Jay's shoulder, "I'm not a baby, I'm supposed to be able to handle it." Piper sniffled, "And when the boys come they need to sleep I can't keep waking everyone up."

Jay's heart cracked. His baby was exhausted. She'd been through so much in ten years, not to mention the generational and in-utero trauma. She just wanted the bad dreams to stop, and he couldn't blame her. He'd been there. There were weeks when he first returned from Afghanistan, and weeks after Erin left, when all he wanted to do was bang his head into the wall to make them stop. It was crushing him to know that his child was experiencing the same thing.

"I know," he whispered, "I've been there, Pipes, I have. I know how hard it can be with the bad dreams and I am so sorry you're still having them." He rocked back and forth, hoping the motion would soothe her. "We've got Bunny. You're safe with me and Erin, and Will's here too. None of us are going to let anything happen to you, or to the boys, or to Erin."

"I love them so much," Piper choked out, "I don't want anything to happen to them like what happened to me."

"I know," he repeated, "I love that you love them, and I know they are going to love you." He kissed the top of her head. "Erin and I love you so much, baby. So much."

Piper whimpered and buried her face in his neck. Jay resisted the urge to sigh. His poor little girl. He rubbed her back gently, continuing to rock back and forth slightly. "Will's getting your inhaler," he offered, "Might help you breathe easier."

"I don't want it," Piper whined, pushing against Jay slightly, "I want Erin."

Jay swallowed. He was stuck. He absolutely hated ever having to deny Piper what she wanted, especially given how reluctant she typically was to ask for anything. She was generally an agreeable little girl and rarely ever put up any type of argument, so he wasn't ever in a position where he had to say no. Jay also knew that Erin would probably want him to wake her up so she could comfort Piper.

But in one of their conversations with Piper's therapist, the doctor had mentioned that encouraging Piper to self-soothe would help her in the long run. With two babies on the way, it was important that Jay and Erin didn't start saying no as soon as they arrived – it needed to be introduced beforehand so that Piper didn't associate her new brothers with her not getting what she wanted. And Erin also needed rest.

"Erin's sleeping," Jay managed lamely, "She's okay, I promise." He looked up at his brother guiltily. Will looked just as concerned as he did.

"I want her," Piper begged through a sob, attempting to scramble out of Jay's arms, "Please, I want Erin."

"Hang on, kiddo," he tried, holding her closer, "We can go see Erin, but I need you to take some deep breaths for me first." This clearly wasn't the time to try to introduce any type of new parenting technique. His kid needed regulation, and judging by the gasps that escaped her lips, she needed it fast.

"Erin!" Piper shrieked, pushing away from Jay to tumble to the ground for the second time that evening, "Erin!" The little girl stumbled to the door, her feet uncoordinated from the sobs still wracking her frame.

Erin startled awake at the commotion from the hallway. Her heart pounded in her chest when she heard her little girl scream her name desperately before barreling into the bedroom. "Woah, woah, Noodle," she said, quickly pushing herself up, "I'm here, baby, I'm here."

Piper erupted into sobs and collapsed into her lap, unable to make it onto the bed. A heartbroken wail rolled off her tongue. "I wanted you," Piper sobbed, "I-I-"

"Been trying to calm her down for like twenty minutes," Jay said, standing in the doorway with Will behind him, holding Piper's inhaler, "Sorry, I got her."

Erin wrinkled her brow when Piper gasped for air. "Why didn't you wake me up?" she asked, gently rubbing Piper's back as she attempted to mold herself into Erin's legs, "It hasn't been this bad in months."

"I was a little bit preoccupied trying to keep her from passing out," Jay snapped back, grimacing when Piper choked out a painful sob.

Erin scowled at his clipped response. "You need to breathe for me, sweetheart," she cooed, "C'mon Noodle. You're safe here. Everyone's okay." Her frown deepened when Jay just looked at her. "What, you have a better idea?"

He shook his head. "Tried it," he replied shortly, dragging a hand through his hair. It had been an incredibly long day and he was at the end of his rope. His girls needed a break, and he needed a break too.

"Stop looking at me like that," Erin hissed, dropping her hand from Piper's back, "If you think you can do it better, why don't you just do it?"

"If I thought I could, don't you think we'd be in a different situation right now?" he gritted out, "I'm out of ideas here."

"Okay, stop," Will said, reaching forward for Piper, "Uncle Will is taking over." The little girl let out a shrill scream of displeasure when he lifted her up. "I know munchkin, it's okay." He issued a pointed look at his brother and future sister in law. "You two take a second and I'll handle this."

"Will-" Jay tried, cut off by another desperate shriek from his little girl.

"I got her," he insisted, rocking back and forth slightly, "You two need to sort this out." Will held Piper closer as she struggled, turning for the door. "Shh, munchkin. I know you're upset. Mommy and Daddy just need to have a conversation, but you're safe with me."

Their bedroom was quiet, saved for the cries that echoed through the walls of their house. Jay was at a complete loss. Most of the time he knew what do to. There was research and books and techniques to try, and he could usually get his little girl back to some level of stability. The fact that he couldn't turned his stomach. Dads were supposed to be able to handle their children, not allow them to spiral.

"Jesus Christ," Jay swore when another loud shriek was heard through the wall. He brought a hand to his face. He and Erin had done a fairly good job at keeping their disagreements away from Piper. With how open they'd been in communicating since getting back together officially, they hadn't really fought all that much. There were the occasional arguments, but none of them were ever about Piper, with the exception of one when Jay had taken her out to a hockey game without asking Erin. They were always on the same page. This time, he let his frustration get the better of him, and he could tell from the look in his girl's eyes that she was pissed at him. Rightfully so. He hadn't been able to calm their child or keep his pregnant fiancé asleep.

Erin grit her teeth and brought a hand to her belly. "What happened?" she managed, exhaling shortly, "How did it get so bad?"

"I don't know." Jay shook his head. "She had a really bad nightmare, couldn't distinguish what was real. She was worried about you and the boys and started trying to hit her head to stop the nightmares." His voice cracked. "Nothing worked. Usually I can do it but nothing worked."

Erin's gaze immediately softened. "Babe-"

"She was screaming for mommy and daddy," he said, attempting to take a deep breath, "She wanted you and I wanted to calm her down a bit before bringing her in but she absolutely lost it." He rubbed his cheek. "Your heart rate was so high today, I didn't want to stress you out."

She swallowed. "Come here," she said, holding the hand that wasn't resting on her bump out to her partner, "I'm okay." Erin squeezed his fingers tightly. "You don't have to take on everything just because I'm pregnant, Jay. We're both her parents."

"I know," he whispered, leaning down to kiss his babies, "It was such a tough day for you. I want to take as much stress away from you as I can."

"And I love you for that." Erin ran her fingers through his hair. "But you also blame yourself when things don't go right. We're a team, babe. You and me. I know I'm carrying these two but you don't need to put our entire family on your back, okay?"

Jay nodded slowly. Erin was right. He tended to internalize a lot of their family's collective stress and while he loved to take care of his girls, sometimes he needed to stop trying to shield Erin from it all. They were a team for a reason. "She stopped crying," he said, lifting his head from Erin's bump, "It's quiet."

Erin let out a breath. "Poor thing. She was so strong today but she's absolutely traumatized from our mother."

"Neither of you will ever have to see her again," Jay promised, bringing his lips to the side of Erin's head, "It's over. Now we can focus on helping our little bug move forward." He smiled. "Our daughter."

Erin nodded and rubbed her bump gently. "You want to help me up so we can go find our girl?"

He held out a hand to help her off the bed. "I'm sorry," he whispered, "I snapped at you because I was frustrated with myself."

She shook her head. "I wasn't nice either," she assured him, "It's been a long day. Parents fight sometimes." Erin patted his chest gently. "Still love you like crazy. Even when it's like midnight and our sons are stepping all over my intestines."

Jay chuckled. "Maybe Uncle Will can calm them down too," he remarked, pointing into the nursery. Will had settled himself in the plush rocking chair that had been one of his gifts to his new nephews. Piper was cradled in his lap while Will rocked back and forth, several blankets piled on top of them.

Will looked up at the couple and offered a small smile. "We're okay," he said, "Sometimes pressure is a good way to help regulate." He gestured to the blankets that were on top of Piper. "Picked up a few things in med school."

"A few things, huh?" Erin smiled and squeezed Jay's hand. "Thank you for uh, taking her."

He returned a pointed look. "You two okay?"

Both Erin and Jay gave nods. "Long day," Jay said, "But things are looking up." He kissed the top of Erin's head, "She awake?"

Will nodded. "Hi baby," Erin murmured, taking a step toward her little girl. She smoothed some of Piper's damp hair back. "That was a pretty bad dream, wasn't it?"

Piper sniffed. "I want them to stop," she whispered, "I just want them to stop."

Erin bit her lip and nodded, willing the tears to abate in her own eyes. Her little girl had been so strong for her earlier that day – the least she could do was return the favor. "You want your dad, munchkin?" Will offered, gesturing to Jay, "He looks like he could use a hug from his best friend."

When she gave a small nod of assent, Jay lifted his daughter into his arms, cradling her against his chest. Piper nestled into his shoulder and sniffed again. "I'm sorry," she croaked, "I couldn't stop it."

"I know, baby girl," he cooed, "I've been there too and it isn't easy." He managed a small smile. "Erin's got the magic touch right? That's why you wanted her?" Jay pressed a kiss to the top of her head when Piper nodded. "You know, I'm the same way. Whenever I have a bad dream, all I want is Erin."

"I wanted you too," Piper replied, letting out a breath when Erin threaded her fingers through her hair, "You guys keep the bad dreams away. I know I'm safe when I'm next to you."

Erin stretched slightly as she laid in bed. She and Jay had brought Piper to bed with them after the little girl's intense nightmare and subsequent breakdown. Their little bug slept directly on Jay's chest, clutching tightly to her father amidst additional difficult dreams. Erin had honestly barely slept, so when Jay suggested a mid day nap, she couldn't say no.

Piper had been the clingiest she'd ever seen her. After waking up, all the little girl wanted was her dad. She held tightly to Jay's neck while he made breakfast and started cleaning the kitchen, unwilling to even put an inch between them. Erin's heart ached for just how rattled the child was, but she was also incredibly grateful that Piper sought comfort in Jay. Her partner was more than happy to oblige – having his baby girl on his hip was his favorite thing.

She wrinkled her brow when she heard faint music coming from downstairs. Curiosity got the better of her, so Erin hoisted herself off the bed and padded downstairs, unsure of exactly what she'd find.

Tears clouded her eyes when she caught sight of Jay lightly dancing around their living room with the Swiffer, Piper asleep on his shoulder. He was humming softly to the music as he cleaned the floors, periodically pressing kisses to the top of Piper's head.

There were a lot of sides to her partner that she loved. She loved his passion – he was passionate about his job, about his beliefs and morals. She loved that he was protective, even when he was arguably being too protective. She loved his goofier side, the side that teased and joked with her. But the side she'd grown to love most was his dad side. It melted her heart time and time again to watch him be the dad he always wanted to be.

Jay paused, his cheeks darkening when he caught sight of his girl standing on the steps, staring down at him. "Hi," he managed, offering a cheeky smile, "How long have you been standing up there?"

"Long enough," she replied, padding down the rest of the steps, "Dancing with our girl, hm?"

He nodded and kissed the top of Piper's head. "I got a small giggle at the beginning," he said, "So I just kept going until she fell asleep. And then I didn't want to stop."

Erin smiled. "She just wants her daddy today," she remarked, stroking Piper's hair softly. The little girl's lips were parted as she snoozed. "Yesterday was tough."

Jay swallowed. "Tomorrow will be better," he promised, "Bunny's done. It's only a matter of time before the judge gives us the stamp and we can stop worrying."

"I don't think I'm ever going to stop worrying about her," Erin mused, continuing to run her fingers through Piper's hair, "She's so precious."

He smiled. "She really is." Jay leaned the mop up against the couch. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," she assured him, "Mama just needed a nap. Just like our little bug." She smiled when Piper snuggled further into Jay's neck. "Do you want to lie down babe? This place is glistening. Can't believe you organized all the baby stuff one handed."

Jay chuckled. "A man of many talents," he quipped, "It's really just all in the closet. I'll bring it upstairs at some point and we can actually set up the boys' room." He brought one hand to her belly. "These two are coming soon."

"I know I should be really excited," she whispered, "And I am so excited. But I just…I don't want her to feel left out." Erin kissed the top of Piper's head gently. "I guess I also just really miss holding this baby. Last night all I wanted to do was hold her in my lap but I couldn't."

"She knows that we love her," Jay whispered, "And she knows that you're her mom. She's going to be okay, I know it. Yesterday was a lot and I think she's just exhausted."

"We should do something special with her. Before the boys come." Erin patted her stomach carefully. "I know I can't do a whole lot. Maybe we could go up to Wisconsin, just the three of us?"

Jay grinned. "I can't believe my city girl is a Wisconsin convert," he replied cheekily. "There's not all that much to do up there at this time though. Hot tub is out because of those two. It's snowy and icy too, babe. 71 minutes from the closest good hospital."

Erin blew out a breath. "You mapped it already?"

He chuckled. "Can't say I haven't thought about bringing you two up there. But with the boys-"

"No, I get it. I don't like it, but I get it." She wrinkled her nose. "We have to think of something. Maybe you could take her on a hike again. She loved that."

He rubbed Piper's back gently. "We did have a good time. I don't know if she wants to be away from you though." Jay gave a knowing glance. "You're kind of her favorite person."

"No way," Erin replied, gesturing to how Piper was cuddled up in his arms, "Look at this. Daddy's girl, through and through. The two of you like all the same stuff. I'm literally your third, fourth and fifth wheel."

"Babe," he chuckled, "You are not."

"Am so," Erin retorted, "Pretty sure she's your favorite Lindsay too." She put her hands on her hips. "Don't you dare deny it."

Jay shook his head. "She's my best friend," he replied simply, "And you're the love of my life. Two very different favorites." He held out his hand to her. "But for a little bit, she's going to be my favorite Halstead girl, til we finally pick a date and get married. Then maybe she'll give you a run for your money."

A wide grin spread on Erin's lips. "She is gonna be a Halstead," she whispered, "That day can't come soon enough."

"She's shaking," Jay whispered to Erin as quietly as he could. Erin had coordinated with Taylor's mom regarding trick-or-treating, and she confirmed that Maddie's parents would also be there. He was feeling a lot better about the situation knowing that he would be near to his little girl, who had been very subdued following the unfortunate run in with Bunny.

Even though Bunny was behind bars and slated for trial at both the federal and state level, both of his girls were a bundle of nerves. It had only been four days since seeing Bunny and each night had Piper desperately screaming for Erin or Jay, but the most heartbreaking nightmares were when she cried out for Mommy or Daddy. Jay had been spending the night on Piper's bedroom floor in order to reach their little girl as quickly as possible, but it didn't stop the bad dreams about Bunny from plaguing Piper's sleep.

Erin paused. "Are you okay, Noodle?" she asked, attempting to meet Piper's gaze. Her little bug was dressed as a doctor, kiddie scrubs courtesy of Will. She looked absolutely adorable, save for the worried look behind the child's eyes. "Is your head hurting?"

Piper shook her head. "You guys are staying, right?" she whispered, looking up at Erin worriedly, "I won't be alone?"

"We're staying," Erin confirmed, offering a wide smile, "You are the cutest doctor I have ever seen."

The little girl blushed. "Will's not going to like that," she warned, "When he gave me these he said the one rule is that he had to be the best looking doctor."

"No way," Jay said, "Erin's right. You look way better in those scrubs." He gave Piper's hand a light squeeze. "If you knocked on my door, I'd give you all the candy I had."

Jay was cautiously optimistic about trick or treating. He had honestly completely forgotten that both he and Erin agreed to costumes but was incredibly thankful that Erin had thought ahead and provided him with a clown nose. It had made his little girl laugh, which was a welcome relief after several days of shy Piper.

The other parents were nice enough. Taylor had two moms, and one of her moms was filling in Erin on some of the adoption details they went through growing their own family when she explained their family situation. Jay had a nice conversation with Maddie's dad, who was also there with her little brothers. Seeing two young boys, one a toddler and the other in Kindergarten, had his heart fluttering. Soon, he was going to have two boys as well.

"You call your parents Erin and Jay?"

Jay's eyes immediately widened when he heard Piper's friend Taylor ask his little girl the question. The four girls were walking ahead of their parents and siblings. Piper had followed the other girls up to the houses to trick or treat, and typically hung back. The other girls were clearly more accustomed to diving into the bowls of candy for fistfuls, whereas his little girl was far more reluctant and nervous. He was so proud of her for stepping out of her comfort zone, but it also made his chest ache to know how anxious she was.

He was honestly curious as to what she would say in response to the other child's question. Both he and Erin knew that Piper considered them to be her mom and dad, as evident by the middle of the night screams when she was trapped in a nightmare. Piper had only dropped Mommy once when she was awake as a means to grab Erin's attention, and Daddy once when she was almost asleep. He looked over at Erin, hoping that she was hearing the same thing but Erin was deep in conversation with one of Taylor's moms.

"I'm gonna get adopted," Piper said casually, "Erin's really my big sister. But she's my mom too. And Jay's my dad."

Jay smiled proudly. He never got tired of hearing Piper refer to him as her dad. "Oh," Taylor said, "I was adopted too. So really, I have three moms. My real moms, and my tummy mommy."

Piper paused. She hadn't really thought about where she came from. She knew Bunny was her biological mother, but the realization that she actually lived inside Bunny was something she'd not considered. "Was your tummy mommy bad?" Piper asked, "Did she hurt you?"

Taylor shook her head. "She's really nice," she offered, "I got to meet her a few times. And she sends cards on my birthday."

"You got some really good stuff in there, Noodle," Erin remarked, rifling through Piper's pile of candy on the kitchen counter. She was beyond proud of her little bug. Piper had successfully made it through the trick or treating route. She'd made it through as well, but after a mile her feet were aching and Erin was looking forward to the foot rub Jay promised. "Skittles, Reese's cups, snickers…you've got everything."

"I got the Skittles for you," Piper offered, extending a few packets of skittles to her big sister, "'cause you like them. And I got the peanut butter cups for Jay." She gave a sweet smile when Erin looked surprised.

"You are the sweetest kid in the whole world," Jay declared, lifting Piper off the stool to place her on his hip. He chuckled when she giggled. "Did you have fun trick or treating?"

Piper gave a small nod. "I think the littler kids have more fun," she informed him. "Taylor and Maddie's brothers ate so much candy. One of Taylor's mom's said that last year her brother ate so much candy that he got sick." Piper wrinkled her brow. "That's how come I didn't want to eat any."

Erin wrinkled her brow as well. "Well, too much candy isn't good. But you can have a few pieces if you want. Or you can save it for later."

"I didn't get it for me," Piper explained, "I got everybody's favorites 'cause I think ice cream is better than candy." She pointed to the pile of candy. "Will likes the snickers, and Hailey likes the ones with just caramel. And Hank said he wanted me to get him the blue ones." She made a face. "Julia tried it and spit it out because she said it tasted gross."

"Just when we thought you couldn't get any sweeter," Jay said, kissing the top of Piper's head. "Well, how about some ice cream then if you're not going to eat any of your candy?"

Piper nodded excitedly. "Yes please," she said, resting her head down on Jay's shoulder as he pulled open the freezer. She cupped her hand to her mouth to whisper into his ear. "You better tell Erin she shouldn't have more Skittles otherwise she's gonna get sick."

Jay turned to see Erin opening another bag of skittles and grimaced. "She's either gonna be mad at you for telling her not to or mad because you didn't stop her," Piper warned, "You don't have a good solution."

If he wasn't so concerned about Erin, he would have burst out laughing. Their little bug had her hormonal and pregnant big sister all figured out. "What are you two gossiping about?" Erin asked, plucking another skittle from the packet. She frowned when Jay and Piper just looked at her. "What?"

"Jay's trying to not get in trouble," Piper explained, patting Jay on the shoulder gently while he tried to find words.

Erin raised her eyebrows. "What did Jay do?" she asked, teasing lilt to her voice, "Who's he in trouble with?"

"You," Piper said simply, shrugging her shoulders.

"Me?" Erin pointed to her chest, "Jay's not in trouble with me." She offered a smile to her partner, confused when he didn't return it. Erin looked to Piper. "Did I do something?"

Piper shook her head. "I was going to warn you about eating too many skittles because it might make you feel sick," Jay managed, grimacing when Erin's eyes darkened, "And we knew you would get mad at me for it. But if I didn't say anything, you'd get mad at me when you started feeling sick."

Erin's jaw dropped slightly when Piper nodded in agreement. Her gaze immediately softened. "Have I really been that bad?"

"No, babe," Jay rushed out when Erin's eyes watered, "We just worry about you. And we don't want to upset you, or see you feeling sick. The whole morning sickness thing at the beginning really freaked us out."

"We just love you," Piper explained when Erin sniffed. She held out a hand for Erin. "We like it when you feel good."

Erin sniffed again. "Our kid even knows I've been mean to you," she said to Jay, "I'm sorry babe."

"Er," Jay said quickly, setting Piper on the counter, "You're carrying twins. You're allowed to be a little bit hormonal. That's what Pipes and I are here for. We're just looking out for you, that's all."

She nodded. "I shouldn't eat so many skittles," she said, "Especially after the pumpkin pie incident." Erin managed a small smile when Jay kissed the top of her head.

"How about some ice cream instead?" Jay suggested, "I already promised some to our very observant little bug. And I bet our boys would like some too."

Had to toss Halloween in there because there was a sweet request...and some good Erin and Jay time up next :) Let me know what you think, and your thoughts on the note at the top too!