A/N: So I ended up not getting the last chapter done before moving. Still not completely finished moving but at least now I have a little bit of time compared to before. This chapter is sorta is what it is. The rewrite I had planned for the epilogue I can't even remember anymore cause it was too long ago. Not pleased with the chapter but I guess it's better than nothing.

John woke with a tired sigh. He brought a hand up and rubbed his eyes. He then cracked one eye opened and looked over to see that the sunlight was just beginning to filter in through the blinds. He then turned his head. He lightly frowned when he saw the thrown back covers on the other side of the bed. John then spotted a sticky note on the pillow. Upon picking it up he could immediately recognize the messy scrawl as his wife's handwriting.

Terrific called, League mission, didn't want to wake you.

PS you snored all night. I got no sleep.

John smirked at the note. Shayera teased John about his snoring as much as he teased her about stealing the covers throughout the night. They could both agree on one thing that, even though they would deny over and over again their obvious quirks, John was the deep sleeper of the two. This was more than likely the reason why it bothered Shayera so much that he emitted obnoxious noises as he slept because, as long as he was sleeping, Shayera couldn't fall asleep herself as she was typically a light sleeper.

The Green Lantern then let out a sigh as he dragged himself out of bed and into the hallway. As much as he wanted to, John knew he couldn't sleep in today. There was no telling when Shayera had left during the night or when she would be back and John knew he needed to make the most of his time.

"Rex?" John called out when he peaked through the bedroom door. He slipped into the bedroom and made his way to squat down next to the small, sound asleep figure lying on the twin-sized bed. He lightly rustled the sheets. "Come on buddy wake up." The six-year-old resisted as he rolled over to face away from John. "Come on Rex, rise and shine. You promised me you'd help do something special for your mother's birthday."

"Not her birthday for two days," came a mumble almost unheard as it was spoken directly into his pillow. John lightly chuckled at his son's reluctance to get up, stubborn like his mother.

"True but you guys have school and won't be here in the morning to do anything special with her."

"Wanna sleep," Rex mumbled once more.

"Alright you win," John replied as he stood up, feigning defeat, and began to back out of the room. "But don't complain if we don't let you eat any of the cupcakes later."

"Cupcakes?" Rex's eyes opened fully as he stumbled out of bed and raced after John into the hallway. "Wait I'm awake!"

"That's what I thought," John said with a small smirk. "Let's go wake up your sister."

Rex let out a small groan as he titled his head back, "Do we have to?"

"Rex," John started in a warning tone. "What did we just talk to you both about yesterday?"

The young boy let out an exasperated sigh, "I gotta be nice to Emma and she has to be nice to me and we have to stop fighting."

"Exactly," though John couldn't help but smirk once his back was to Rex. It amazed John how much their children were like himself and Shayera. Especially when it came to their constant bickering. They seemed to be able to argue about every and anything; just like how he and Shayera still were.

Before John could even open the next bedroom door, a small redhead had flung it open and John felt two small arms wrap themselves around him. He looked down to see that his eight-year-old daughter had latched herself onto him.

"Dad are we going to have cupcakes now? I heard you say cupcakes and I love cupcakes," Emma looked up at him with a small smile. "I wanna have chocolate ones. Oh, oh can we have ones with sprinkles? I love sprinkles."

"Don't worry you'll get plenty of cupcakes later as long as you help us," John assured her. "I promise."

"If helping means cupcakes then I'll do it," Emma then sneezed which caused John to grimace as he watched as she wiped her nose with the back of her hand and sniffled. Perhaps having his daughter, who was just getting over a cold, help make cupcakes wasn't one of his most sound decisions.

"Ew gross," Rex quietly commented with a disgusted look. "Booger face shouldn't help."

"You're a booger face!" Emma immediately retorted.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"You're gonna get snot over everything."

"No I'm not," Emma argued as she once again sneezed, this time directly onto John.

John let out a defeated groan as he looked up at the ceiling and tried to ignore the fact that Emma had now just coughed directly onto him as well. "No way I'm not getting sick by the end of this," he muttered to him before taking a deep breath. "Look Emma, your brother has a point. You can help but not with the food."

"But I won't sneeze I promise," she replied with a stuffy sounding sniffle before she coughed again.

"You can help with cleaning. Alright?" He noticed the pout on the girl's face causing him to sigh. He silently cursed the fact that his children learned how to tug at his heartstrings just like his wife. "You're still going to get cupcakes in the end whether you help make them or help clean up."

Emma immediately perked up at that, "As long as I get cupcakes. Can I play video games?"

"This early in the morning?" John asked her. "Wouldn't you want to watch cartoons instead? I remember when I was a kid. Watching cartoons on the weekends was the best thing ever."

"Mommy lets us play video games in the morning when we don't have school," Rex blurted out. "Oh wait, can we play video games with Mommy later?"

"Please Dad?" Emma pleaded with him. "We play video games all the time with Mom when you're not here."

John raised an eyebrow, "What video games do you guys exactly play with your mother when I'm not here?"

"Grand-" Emma then cut herself off as her brother elbowed her on the arm. "Um...I don't remember."

Rex nodded, "Yeah it was a weird name."

"Really?" John raised an eyebrow, "So you guys never played Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty before right?"

"Uh," the two half-Thanagarians looked at each other and then back up to John. "No?"

John gave them an incredulous look, "You really think I'm gonna buy that?"

The two siblings looked at each other again before looking at him once more, "Yes?"

"You know what?" John rhetorically asked before shrugging. "I'm gonna let it slide this one time and only because it's your mother's birthday."

"Is Mom gonna get in trouble later?" Emma asked.

"No since it's her birthday soon. Next time though she'll be in trouble."

Rex gave John a confused look as he tilted his head, "You're gonna ground Mommy?"

John lightly chuckled, "You could say that. Now come on, I don't know when your mother is getting home so let's get to work."

John leaned forward as he rested his elbows onto the counter and his face into his hands in utter defeat. He couldn't stomach the sight of the kitchen currently. Keeping Emma out of the kitchen had proved to be in vain. That and the two siblings just could not get along for even three seconds the entire morning. It didn't take long before the flour started flying once the argument began.

"You're cleaning this mess up Lantern." John immediately looked up to see Shayera standing in the living. She had her arms crossed over her chest but he could see that she was rather amused by the scene she was teleported in to. Shayera lightly chuckled and shook her head, "I don't even want to know why there's flour and who knows what else everywhere."

"We're supposed to be making cupcakes," Emma readily replied. "I wanted chocolate ones with sprinkles."

"Yeah but then snot-face tried to help," Rex added on and then grunted as Emma pushed him from behind. "Not my fault you sneezed on it."

"Rex don't call your sister names and Emma don't push your brother," Shayera warned both of them before turning her attention to Emma. "And why are you out of bed?"

"But I feel fine," Emma whined before sneezing.

Shayera rolled her eyes as she made her way into the kitchen and knelt in front of her daughter. "You have flour all over you and in your hair," she noted with a sigh before placing her hand on the girl's forehead. The Thanagarian then shook her head as she stood, "Uh uh in bed now and later on your taking a shower."

Emma groaned, "But Mom."

Shayera narrowed her eyes slightly as she pointed towards the hallway, "In bed now."

Emma overdramatically sighed as she began to walk towards the hallway at a deliberately sluggish pace, "Fine."

Shayera then turned towards her son, "And you are taking a shower right now Rex."

"But I don't want to," he likewise whined.

"You have flour all over you and you have..." Shayera paused as she tilted her head. "I don't even know what that is on your arm."

Rex looked at his arm and poked at the translucent, liquidy film that was on his left forearm before looking back up at his mother, "I think it's egg."

"Whatever it is go wash it off." Rex sighed as he rolled his eyes and likewise began to trudge towards the hallway. "And don't roll your eyes at me Rex."

"We meant well," John tentatively stated as he scratched the back of his head.

Shayera lightly snorted as she moved next to him, "I can see that Lantern."

"Um well happy early birthday I guess," he said in an uncertain tone. "So much for the surprise."

"Oh so this is what this whole mess is about," she snickered. "I completely forgot that was coming up. You know me and how much I care about my birthday."

"Yeah I know," John lightly smirked as he kissed her cheek. "You could give two shits about it."

"You know me too well Lantern," Shayera stated as she leaned against him. "You really thought having Emma help would be a good idea?"

"Yeah I know that wasn't one of my best ideas," John sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. "She seemed fine this morning. She was energetic and spunky. She didn't seem that sick still besides the sneezing and coughing."

"John she's been energetic the entire time she's been sick. I've been having a hell of a time trying to keep her in bed," Shayera rolled her eyes as she placed her hands on her hips. "And here I thought fevers made kids lethargic."

"Well she is your daughter after all," John quipped before flinching in pain as his wife roughly elbowed him in the side. "Normally you get rough at night not during the day Shay."

Shayera slyly smirked at him, "You're bad."

"You're one to talk but I did have another surprise," John wrapped his arms around Shayera's waist and pulled her closer as he spoke. "How about Uncle Wally agreeing to watch the kids after school on your birthday so the two of us can spend a little alone time together? It may or may not have already been arranged," John hinted as he kissed her. "And I may have already made plans on going to your favorite bar in the universe."

"That sounds quite enticing and intriguing," she replied as she felt John's fingers trailed up her neck and jawline. He cupped her face in his hands and moved in to kiss her. Although she kept in mind that the kids weren't too far away, Shayera kissed back enthusiastically, running her hand up John's arm before pulling away. "So what's the plan for right now? I mean your little cupcake idea went to shit after all."

"Well Emma and Rex did want to play video games with you," John casually stated. "So I think that might be in order."

"I think that can easily be arranged," Shayera stated. "Though first order of business is getting this kitchen cleaned. It literally looks like a flour bomb went off in here."

John raised an amused eyebrow, "I thought you said I had to clean this up myself?"

She shrugged in response, "I'm feeling merciful enough to help."

"That or you're going soft on me," he jokingly said as he playfully nudged her.

Shayera smirked, "Don't push your luck Lantern."

A/N: Whelp that's the end of another project. Idk what'll be next. Maybe a Small Talk rewrite. Just gotta wrap up Lost. I do have an idea for another one-shot I might do.

Until next time.