Alex was grateful for the family and friends she had. They all insisted to help clean up before they went their separate ways to give the family their last night alone. Ryan seemed to enjoy it and Alex was happy with how it all turned out. They put the kids to bed and as tired as she was she had to take a shower to get rid of the smokey smell she had in her hair and clothes due to the fire they had.

Stepping into the bathroom she opened the tap on the shower waiting for the water to get warm, Ryan was busy locking up and came into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Alex was nearly undressed when Ryan snuck up on her and snaked his hands around her waist. She stiffened momentarily when his hand rested on her c-section scar, he too oblivious to take note of her behavior.

"Thank you for tonight. And for this weekend." He said making eye contact with her in the mirror and she smiled slightly nodding her head. "You're welcome." Then tried to get out of his hold and into the shower.

"Is everything okay?" He asked frowning as he looked at her.

"Mmmmm, I'm just tired." She shrugged and headed for the shower.

Waiting until there was enough steam on the glass he decided to get in the shower with her, standing behind her he wordlessly started washing her hair, Alex being all to grateful accepted the help of her husband. Once that part was done, Ryan leaded in to kiss her neck, giving him more access she turned her head to the side as his hands moved towards her stomach caressing her skin and her hips…

"No no no Ryan stop. Don't touch me." She said removing his hands from her body turning around to face him as he turned off the tap behind her.

"I'm sorry. I thought….What's going on? Are you okay?" He asked his hands up in surrender utterly confused by his wife's behavior.

"I have gained weight. I have stretch marks, lots of stretch marks. Not to mention cellulite. I have a c-section scar on my stomach that will always be there. And when you touch it or look at it I cringe because I am so self conscious about it, and I feel hugely unattractive." She explained looking at him but the look on his face made it seem like he was even more confused that when she ordered him to stop.

"But earlier on the porch…."

"I had a dress on you couldn't see anything."

He nodded, that made sense. Not that they needed visuals to figure out what had to go where but that was besides the point. "Alex, we've been down this road before after Phoebe-

"You don't know how it feels Ryan! You still have abs and everything else in place. I don't. And don't get me wrong I'm not saying I regret having children. It's just that no one tells you about all the after effects thereof."

"Alex." He started looking at her, taking her hands in his. "I love you, and everything about you, including your imperfections. I never wanted a perfect wife, although in my eyes you're perfect, I want a real one. And sweetheart you're as real as it gets. " He placed his hands on her hips stroking the stretch marks that formed across that part of her body all the way up to her abdomen, his finger tracing a line along the scar.

"Ryan please." She whispered bearly audible almost pleading for him to stop but he refused to.

"If you didn't have these, we wouldn't have those perfect children right now. And I know I've told you countless times before that Phoebe and Asher are one of the greatest gifts anyone could've ever given me. And you are the one who made that happen. I'll never be able to repay you for that." He said looking into her eyes, embracing her in a long hug. "And I think we need to get out of the shower now because Phoebe's standing at the door." He added as he wiped a spot of steam away from the glass so Alex could see their daughter confused looking for her parents when they weren't in the room, and she started crying.

Alex kissed him quickly. "I love you." She said hoping he know that she meant every word as she got out of thr shower and wrapped a towel around herself to tend to Phoebe. "Hey bub what's wrong?" She asked seeing hiw distraught the toddler was trying to explain why she is crying.

"Maaammmaaaaa." She continued lifting her hands up towards her mother.

"Hey it's okay. Calm down then you tell me why you're crying." Alex said picking her up and putting her on the bed with her.

"Der….a…..a…monsta in da room. Unda da bed…I hear it mama." She continued sobbing.

"Honey, it's okay. You just had a bad dream there is no monster under the bed okay." Alex explained when her husband emerged from the bathroom dressed in his sleepwear but clearly he only caught the last part of the conversation and was confused about the crying. It wasn't long before Asher also cried and Alex threw on the first oversized t-shirt of Ryan she could find and some underwear before heading to tend to her son.

"Ashie also ss…cared da monsta." She almost yelled at the fact that her parents didn't believe her when she said there was a creature in the room, and now that her brother is crying as well proves her point.

"Where is the monster?" He asked still confused as two crying children aren't really helping the matter.

"Under the bed." Alex answered his question when she came into the room with Asher to try and settle him down.

"Okay. Come here I want to show you something." Ryan said picking Phoebe up and walking back into the room she and her brother slept in. She became hysterical when her father took her back into the room but he assured her that everything was fine. "It's okay, I'm not gonna let anything happen to you." He held her hand while they entered the room and he moved the bed away from the wall so she can see there was nothing, even after getting down on the floor and checking the bottom of the bed for the monster.

"No more monsta Dada?" She asked wanting a confirmation from her father first before she believed it.

"No more monsters." He assured her as she walked back into the bedroom with her father, Asher looking around the room, all traces of sleep seemed to vanish from him.

"Mama, der no mo monstas. Dada chased dem 'way." Phoebe announced proudly at what her father had achieved.

"Wow well that's awesome. So you're gonna go back into the other room to sleep there?" Alex asked confused when her daughter got onto the bed and made herself comfortable next to her brother.

"No mama. I sleep wif you." Phoebe announced, any romantic plans her parents might have had are gone now.

"I'm sorry I tried." Ryan shrugged when his wife looked at him.

Hey guys. It been a while since my last post but I have been really really busy. Exams are done but I have a holiday job starting Monday, so I'm not sure when I will be able to update then but I will try my best to write something. Thank you for your reviews on the last chapter I appreciate it. Hope you enjoy this one. I got a request from someone who asked that Alex have some intimacy issues after the birth I hope I did it justice. I know this chapter is short, please forgive me but I am really swamped. Thank you for the love aand for reading.

Lovies-S