A short little fluff piece for my dear friend SilverHuntresses' birthday! I'm used to giving her angst so I decided that I'd just write some fluff about our favorite pairing and the fan kids we've created for them. SilverHuntresses and I have been talking for a long time and I can't imagine not being internet friends with her. So I hope you enjoy it! Have a wonderful birthday!


"Adrian, if you don't stop kicking the seat I'm going to turn the car around," Octavian warned his son, exhaustion and irritation wearing on him like a seatbelt that was just a little bit too tight.

"I want ice cream," Adrian whined.

"You're not getting ice cream if you don't behave." Adrian sulked in the backseat.

"Are we there yet?" Isabelle asked, piping up when daddy and Adrian stopped arguing.

"No, sweetheart," Rachel said, "we have another hour."

"And then ice cream!" Adrian said.

Rachel laughed, Octavian did not, "And then ice cream."

Four-year-old Belle and seven-year-old Adrian cheered. Adrian only kicked dad's seat one more time before settling down to color in his notebook, and Octavian miraculously did not have to pull the car over. Rachel keeping a hand on his shoulder to calm him helped a whole lot.

Until they hit a block of traffic, at least.

"Mom, you said we'd be there by now!" Adrian whined, a little quieter since his sister was now asleep, snuggling the stuffed raccoon that had once belonged to daddy.

"We will be there soon, dear, just hit a bit of traffic, it's okay. Let's play a game! Let's see how many states we can see on the license plates nearby."

Adrian nodded and looked around, losing enthusiasm after a moment.

"Mom, they're all from California."

Rachel sighed, "So they are."

"Let's play a game called how many red lights can dad hit before he loses his damn mind?" Octavian muttered, feeling even more irritated than before.

"Octavian! Watch your language!" Rachel chastised.

"Sorry, sorry, darn mind."

Rachel frowned at him but Octavian's comment earned a little giggle from Adrian in the back.

"Honey, I know this isn't the ideal way to spend the first day of our vacation but we're okay. We're safe, we're together, the kids are safe. Isn't that enough?"

Octavian thought about it and managed to smile, "Yeah, it is. Love you, Rach."

"Love you, Ian," Rachel glanced back at her son, "And Mini-Ian."

Adrian giggled again.

"Ice cream soon?"

"Ice cream soon. Once we get out of all this traffic."

Soon the family had checked into their hotel and found the nearest ice cream shop, which was an acceptable dinner only on the occasion of summer break and mostly because Rachel and Octavian were both too worn out from handling the kids on their first ever big road trip. Plus, Rachel and Octavian really wanted ice cream too.

After their ice cream dinner, Rachel and Octavian put their kiddos to bed.

"Tomorrow we're going to the beach," Rachel said excitedly.

"Which means you two little troublemakers need to go to bed as fast as possible so that you can wake up tomorrow refreshed and ready for beach fun," Octavian added hastily, not wanting his kids staying up late from excitement.

"Like with Santa," Adrian whispered to Belle, which made sense to her. Soon they were fast asleep and Rachel and Octavian were in the bathroom, brushing their teeth and getting ready for an early bedtime themselves.

"Hey," Octavian said after he was done brushing.

"What's up?" Rachel asked quietly, trying not to wake up their children.

"I'm sorry about earlier. Sorry I was so crabby while we were driving."

Rachel leaned up and kissed her husband.

"Well, if I remember right, I signed up to marry you, through crabbiness and cheer. I love you, Octavian. Even when you're being a grouch."

"How'd I get so lucky?" Octavian asked, leaning against the counter, looking at his wife.

"Hm. Fate. Destiny."

Octavian reached out for her hand, "No, no, I saw the future, this was never in the cards. I don't deserve you, Rachel."

"Maybe the universe said we don't deserve each other, but it really is fate that we're together. Because we wrote our own stories. We changed our destiny. We saw the future and said no. I love you, Octavian. I love our present and our future and everything that comes with loving you. I will always love you. It wasn't luck, Octavian. We fought for this."

"Well, it was worth fighting for. It still is. I love you, darling. I will always fight for you." Octavian pulled Rachel in close for a kiss and she happily obliged, and for a moment, that was all that mattered in the world. Their two frames pressed together, love pulsing between them.