Chapter 221

Sorry for the long wait in updating, I have been EXTREMELY busy at school. I lost track of the story kind of so this is a random chapter that I am hoping will flow and will make sense so I can pick the story back up where I left off.

"Girly day?" Phoebe questioned, jumping on the bed while her mother changed her little brother's diaper. They were almost ready to leave for yoga having had a perfect morning in Phoebe's opinion: They snuggled and dozed in bed for an hour, phoned Lukie and Daddy at work to say hello, ate cereal, had a shower together while Asher slept and now she was allowed to jump on the bed.

"Yes, we're having a girls day" Alex confirmed, looking forward to a quiet day with her children. "You wanna hold him for me?"

"Yes!" Phoebe answered, stopping jumping immediately and sitting down to show that she was ready.

"Here you go" She murmured as she carefully positioned Asher on Phoebe's lap, making sure that his head was supported.

"Chubby bubby" Phoebe commented, tickling Asher's belly with her free hand.

"You got him? I'll be one minute" She asked as she stepped into the bathroom, washing her hands before looking at herself in the mirror. After applying mascara, fixing her hair and double checking her clothes she headed back into the bedroom. Taking the baby, laughing uncontrollably, from the beaming toddler on the way downstairs. Packed into the car they were off to yoga, parking was always an issue so Alex tried to arrive early to secure a space. It gave Phoebe and Caitlin a chance to play before the class started, running and dancing wildly in the massive empty space. Asher slept in his car seat the whole time giving Alex and Phoebe plenty of time to play together, under the guise of yoga, with lots of sneaky tickling when Gina the instructor wasn't watching. She gave in to Sharon's demands to at least give yoga a try for once and if she didn't like it she was allowed to bail.

"So what's the secret?" Sharon enquired as they stood around eating cupcakes after yoga, watching the girls play with a few of the other children.

"To?" Alex asked, confused at what seemed to be half a question.

"Looking that hot six weeks after having a ten pound baby!" Sharon exclaimed, gesturing up and down at her friends entire body.

"Um...running after an almost two year old?" She answered after a moment, there wasn't a secret and there certainly hadn't been a conscious effort.

"It's gotta be more than that? I call it baby weight but Caitlin's two and I don't think it's going anywhere" Sharon laughed. They were of accord when it came to not caring how they looked most of the time, feeling good was far more important.

"Breastfeeding helps, but I'm eating so much at the moment..." She shrugged.

"You're lucky" Sharon sighed, adding a smile afterward to show that she wasn't being serious.

"Yeah...I really am" Alex agreed as she turned to check on Asher, Phoebe had sneaked around with Caitlin and they were both crouched down watching Asher and whispering as quietly as two year old's could.

"Mama!" Phoebe hissed, her voice little more than a whisper. It instantly caught Alex's attention, the toddler rarely did anything quietly, especially at the shops. Phoebe raised her arm, pointing to the end of the shoe aisle where a display of Frozen merchandise was visible.

"Let's buy your awesome new shoes and then we can go home and watch Frozen" Alex enthused, more excited about the footwear than Phoebe and desperate to avoid buying more than they needed. Not working meant that she was more careful about spending money on Phoebe, it was incredibly easy though.

"But Mama..." Phoebe started, mind racing to find a reason to buy something Frozen related.

"You don't need any more clothes" She cut her off, even the toddler could understand given the daily struggle to get her drawers to shut.

"What 'bout Ashie? he not got clothes" Phoebe questioned with a small smile.

"He has plenty of clothes too" Alex shook her head, sliding the car seat up her arm so she could hold the shoes in that hand, using the other to take Phoebe's.

"But not Elsa clothes" Phoebe reasoned, a vital part of any decent wardrobe.

"No, he doesn't need Elsa clothes. Boys don't wear Frozen clothes that's for big girls like you" She said, trying to sound final, unfortunately the best way to the check out was past the display.

"Please?" Phoebe asked, her manners had to work.

"Not today"

"But please Mama...Please" Phoebe attempted again.

"Thank you for using your manners but it's still a no Phoebe, Asher doesn't need clothes" Alex explained firmly, glad that they were almost past the display, she couldn't resist for much longer.

"He need blankie?" Phoebe questioned excitedly, grabbing the edge of the fleece blanket, Elsa and Anna with Olaf and Sven printed in the middle.

"A Frozen blanket?" Alex nodded, asking herself if it was a sensible purchase, blankets were practical.

"Pleaseeeee" Phoebe begged. Now they were stopped in the middle of the walkway, Phoebe had created a blanket barricade so there was little room for other shoppers.

"Maybe, let's look" She agreed, the start of a slippery slope.

"Please Mama... " Phoebe pleaded.

"You don't want one?" She asked, it was sweet that Phoebe wanted something for someone else and she didn't want to read too much into it.

"No it for Ashie" Phoebe smiled.

"You're sure? I'll get one for you as well."

"No Mama for Ashie" Phoebe argued, taking the second blanket from her mother and shoving it back up onto the shelf.

"Alright" Alex smiled, at least she knew Phoebe couldn't be bought. Not with blankets anyway, the stop at the bakery suggested otherwise, her stomach always her biggest weakness. Phoebe seemed convinced that the world would end if she didn't get the pizza role with three olives instead of four. "The second one back please" Alex instructed the young man serving them, both trying to work out which one the toddler was pointing to. She wasn't sure why she was bothering, she had already caved once and the number of olives seemed completely irrelevant.

"Thank Mama" Phoebe nodded when he put the one she wanted into the paper bag. Phoebe carried it carefully through the shopping center and held it possessively in the car all the way home. They put Frozen on then cuddled on the couch, under the new blanket, to eat their lunch.

Alex waiting until Phoebe wasn't looking before taking the olive from Asher's hand. It quickly found something else to hold, playing with his mother's necklace as he continued to feed hungrily. Past the stage of absolute loathing Alex was starting to like the movie again, the early days when Phoebe had wanted to watch it constantly had settled to a more reasonable once or twice a week. The moment the kids were both asleep Alex lost all interest in the movie, their soft, even breathing completely synchronized. Looking at their sleeping faces the similarities and differences were obvious, most attributed to age. Asher's eyelashes were already darker and longer than his sisters and Phoebe's cheeks were a rosy pink, they were both perfect. There was plenty to be done but time seemed to slow as she watched them, it wasn't long before sleep claimed her too.

The alarm on her phone woke all three of them some time later, reminding them that it was time to leave for the doctors appointment. They were in the car five minutes later, but it still looked like they were going to be late. Even with the music Asher always managed to fall asleep in the car and it made waiting in the waiting room so much easier. There was no need for the rush given the doctor was well behind schedule. Entertaining Phoebe was simple, challenging her to find things of certain colours in the magazine. Which indicated that they had to spent more time learning colors. A message from Ryan, checking that they were at the doctors, made her smile. He wouldn't let her miss this particular appointment for anything.

"Booth" The doctor called a moment later. After stuffing her phone into her pocket and getting the magazine off Phoebe she followed the doctor. She wasn't sure if her six week postpartum check up with Phoebe had been conducted with by a lazy doctor or if this one was just especially curious. They seemed to discuss everything in detail, frustrating Alex who desperately wanted to get home, it didn't make much sense given Ryan wouldn't be home until eight. It was just a strange feeling. Putting it aside she was thrilled when the doctor moved on to vaccinating Asher, the last thing before they could leave. Holding Phoebe back was more of a struggle than Alex had anticipated, the first needle had Asher whimpering and Phoebe couldn't believe the doctor was going to do it again. While it was tense it only took a few minutes and soon enough they were in the car on the way home.

"Mama!" Phoebe demanded after a few minutes of silence, she hadn't yet requested music and her mother was enjoying the peace.

"What?" Alex questioned in response, focusing on driving.

"Mama!" Phoebe repeated more urgently.

"Music?" She suggested, reaching for the dial only to let her hand relax when she heard Phoebe's answer.

"No"

"What then?" She asked when Phoebe didn't elaborate.

"Mama" Phoebe instructed firmly, making eye contact with her mother through the rear view mirror to communicate her seriousness.

"Yes bub?" Alex prompted.

"Mama" Phoebe yelled, increasingly unsettled.

"We're almost home, what's wrong?"

"NO MAMA!" Phoebe shouted, fighting against the car seat restraints.

"MAMA STOP!" Phoebe instructed, sliding as far down in her seat as she could to kick the back of the drivers seat.

"Why?" Alex asked, she needed more information and there was nowhere to pull over even if she wanted to.

"ASHIE... MAMA STOP!" Phoebe tried to explain, now crying as she did everything she could think of to stop the car, pulling on the lock and door handle, both child locked.

"What's wrong with Asher? Did he spit up?" She suggested, though she knew Phoebe wouldn't be causing such a fuss if it wasn't something serious. But in her case her brother spitting up always made her cause a scene as she would label it as 'yuck' in her toddler fashion, but there was just something about her daughter's tone of voice that made her glance in the rearview mirror to see what all the fuss was about.

Alex's heart sank, there was something majorly wrong. Miraculously the car behind them turned off and there was no longer any traffic behind them, flicking the hazard lights she got out of the car. The need to vomit rose suddenly but she continued around the car, concentrating on getting to her baby as fast as she could. Through the window she could see that Asher hadn't been sick, he was fine, sleeping. Heart pounding, stomach churning she decided to be more thorough, opening the door to get a better look. Phoebe was watching on in silent horror as her mother's hand came to rest on Asher's chest. Alex just realising that the window tinting hadn't made her baby's lips blue. Asher wasn't breathing.

Hey guys. I have been busy this past few weeks that made posting impossible but things at uni seemed to have calmed down now. So here is another chapter, sorry it took so long. I hope you enjoy this one and thank you for the new follows and favourites.

Lovies-S