A/N: Last chapter y'all! Sorry it took longer than expected. School's eating up time again. No worries though.

This chapter is chockfull of Dylan!fluff. Please R&R and thanks!!!

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iii.daddy

I didn't do it!

Dylan was standing beside his sister's crib, wiggling his toes and chewing on his lip. He looked so innocent, looking at us with his big hazel eyes.

Stella went over to the crying infant and carried the bundle in her arms. She rocked Mara gently to shush her. Dylan was still standing on the same spot looking at me, as if pleading me to believe him.

"I swear, Daddy," he said, walking towards me to hug one of my legs. "I didn't do it. Honest!" Stella had her back towards us – probably breastfeeding since Mara had quieted down. I hadn't said a word since my wife and I barged into the room and Dylan took that as a bad thing. "Daddy?" he whimpered, his eyes beginning to tear up. "Am sowry…" He wiped a stray tear away with a small fist.

Uh-oh. The last thing Stella and I need at two in the morning was another crying child. Dylan turned to go back to his room, shoulders slumped, feet dragging beneath him. But before he could reach the door, I called to him in a soft voice, "Dylan."

He looked back at me, his eyes full of hope. "Daddy?"

I walked over to him and gathered him up in my arms. He buried his head on the crook of my neck and whimpered. "It's okay, little guy. No one's blaming you for anything," I assured him. He lifted his head to look at me and tried to smile. His eyes were red and puffy – trying not to cry. "You went in here to look after baby sister, right?" Dylan pouted and nodded slightly.

"Aw… that's my baby boy," Stella said, walking over to us and rubbing our son's back in comfort. I was right, she was breastfeeding. Mara was happily suckling on her breast, eyes wide and looking up at all of us. Her little hands were closed into fists clutched on her chest.

"Mommy… I'm not a baby anymore," he protested after kissing his mother. "I'm big brother already." Stella met my eyes.

We heard a soft yawn and Mara had finished feeding. She had a smile on her chubby face. Dylan placed his palm on her cheek and her eyelids fluttered for a moment. They stayed open, looking at her big brother. "What are you doing awake, Dylan?" Stella asked.

She proceeded to burp the baby. That sent Dylan giggling. And Mara yawned again. "Can't sleep," he simply answered, placing his head against my shoulder. "Not enough sheep, Mommy." I couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Oh poor baby," Stella teased, stroking his cheek. Our little boy pouted at 'baby'. I could sense Stella was getting a bit sleepy as well.

"I'll get you to sleep, Dylan," I said. "Say goodnight to Mommy and baby sister now." He gave both of them a kiss on the cheek, trailing his fingers through Mara's hair. I kissed my daughter as well before leaving the very pink and purple room.

On our way back to my son's room, Blue woke and padded back in there with us. I placed Dylan under his covers; he pushed his feet out and stretched his toes. He clutched the sheets in his hands and looked at me expectantly. "What're we gonna do, Daddy?"

"We're going to count sheep," I said, sitting on his bed beside him, stroking his hair.

He pouted again. "That don't work. Only fifty sheeps, Daddy."

"I know that," I said. He'd been so proud since learning how to count to 'big numbers'. He sank deeper into the mattress. "But you know… fifty sheep is enough."

"How?" he asked, scratching his head.

"Well, little guy… each sheep should do something or go somewhere, right?" I explained. I remembered this one my own mother used on me.

Dylan nodded and he looked very interested. "I guess."

"So we give each sheep a story," I said. "For example, sheep number one is reading a book about bears. Then sheep number two comes along and eats cake."

His eyes lit up as he got the idea. "Yes! And sheep number three rides his bike. Uh… and oh, sheep number four plays the pa-ya-no." I think he meant piano.

"And you know what happens next?" I pitched in. He shook his head but he was smiling. "Sheep number five walks over to all of them and sings the farewell song."

His eyes lit up. For their school's film showing day, Miss Simmons chose 'The Sound of Music'. And ever since, he'd been watching it a handful of times. Sheldon even gave him a DVD of the movie. Stella joked at he's graduated from Barney to Fräulein Maria.

"So long, farewell," Dylan started to sing but stopped at the 'auf Wiedersehen'. He would mumble out that part when he would sing it.

"And what did Gretl say?" I asked after supplying the auf Wiedersehen. Gretl was the youngest of the von Trapp children.

Dylan thought for a bit and replied in song, "The sun as gone to bed and so must I…" I smiled as he finished singing. He certainly didn't get his voice from me, that's for sure. His eyes began to droop and he brought the blankets closer around his shoulders. "Sleepy now, Daddy."

I kissed his brow and tucked him in. Before I could exit the room, he said in a very soft voice, "Daddy, does sheep number five always has to sing the song?"

"No, baby. All of the sheep can sing if you want them to," I said, flicking the night light on. "Goodnight, Dylan." When I didn't get an answer, I was sure he was already dozing off.

Speaking of dozing off, when I returned to the master bedroom, I found Stella curled up on her side of the bed asleep. So carefully, I slid beside her and spooned her. She stirred and asked, "What took so long? Is he asleep?"

"Yes, he is," I answered, kissing her shoulder. "Counting sheep did the trick after all."

She turned to face me and snuggled closer. "What do you do when you can't sleep?" she asked.

Hey, this conversation sounded familiar. "Flip the pillow to the cool side?" I teased.

Stella rose to one elbow and glared at me. "You going normal on me now, Mac Taylor?" she laughed. I pulled her down for a kiss. "That's what I'm talking about…" she moaned after the kiss.

"Huh?" I asked, working on the buttons of her pajama top. "What would you rather do then, if you can't sleep?"

She shrugged off the shirt the rest of the way and settled against my chest. "I'd work. Burn off some steam, you know." She kissed the hollow of my throat and placed her head on my shoulder.

My hand traveled up and down her bare back and down to the sides of her breasts. "Like this?" I whispered against her hair. She writhed as my fingers molded the soft flesh.

"We have at least four hours until Mara wakes up again," she said, her speech muffled by my shoulder.

We slept for only two hours out of that four.

08/16/2007

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Zee End.

MJ – who is Brad Pitt's female co-star in "Meet Joe Black"? ;)

Mo – how's this chapter? Dylan fluff and frisky SMACked all in one. XD