A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for all the great words and reviews. You're so good to my and little Dylan. I'm having fun writing kids again. Good thing I live near a preschool haha so I have a lot of material to work with.

Anyway, school starts again next week for me. Phooey!

Enjoy this one!

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The next day, about 6 in the morning, Stella felt somebody tugging on her pajama top. Mac felt something poking him on the side. Drifting in and out of sleep, the couple felt as if they were bouncing. Well in fact, the bed was. "Mommy! Daddy! School today!" a very up and excited Dylan was on their bed, shaking them awake.

Mac lifted his head off his pillow and he could see fuzzy green numbers display – 6:07 a.m. He groaned as he felt his son's full weight on his stomach. "Alright, I'm up!" he said. When he opened his eyes, he was met with identical hazel ones from above. "Good morning, baby."

"Morning!" the boy said, snuggling closer. He settled on his father's chest and turned sideways to poke at his mother's arm. Stella has her back to them, still asleep. "Mommy…" he continued to poke.

"Stella," Mac tried to help, placing his hand on her arm and shaking her.

Stella grunted and slapped Mac's hand off her arm. "Go away… too early," her sleep-filled mumble sounded like. She wrapped the blanket closer around her.

Dylan pouted, looked at Mac and shrugged. "You're up early," he said to the boy.

"Don't wanna be late," he whispered, keeping in mind his sleeping mother.

"But it's just six in the morning," Mac sighed. "Can we go back to sleep and I wake you up again at seven? How's that?" They're taking him to school anyway; no bus to catch. The school bell would ring at 8:30 a.m. They would have enough time to prepare and drive him to the preschool.

His son seemed to consider that. But he's smarter than the average four-year-old. "Taffic?" he pressed. Monday's morning traffic can be a pain on the backside – and Mac knew that. He also knew that the does not like being late for work. Dylan wouldn't want to be late for school either.

"Okay, 6:30," he conceded. "Fifteen minutes and then we're up." Dylan nodded and closed his eyes. Stella hadn't moved from her previous position and seemed to be still in deep sleep.

The fifteen minutes flew by faster than Mac would want but he couldn't go back to sleep anyway. Dylan jumped off the bed and straight to the bathroom. Mac found him there, standing patiently with an expectant smile on his face. He made it his responsibility to give Dylan his baths.

Halfway through the bath, Stella came into the bathroom with a sleepy smile. "Who shook me?" she said, wetting her face.

"Good morning to you too, Stella," Mac chuckled.

"Where's Dylan?" she asked, sitting on the toilet lid and kissing him soundly on the lips.

Suddenly, the mound of suds jumped up and there was Dylan. "Here I am, Mommy!" he exclaimed with his hands outward. A pile of soap was on his head. "Good morning."

"Morning, baby," she laughed. "I can't hug you yet, though." Then she winced, gripping Mac's shoulder hard. "Oh Bumpy says 'good morning' to both of you, too," she said, soothing the spot where the baby kicked. "Well, I'm off to make breakfast."

Dylan was wrestling his shoes on when the scent of blueberry pancakes wafted through the air. Mac picked up the aroma of freshly brewed coffee – just for him. Stella retreated to warm milk upon learning of her pregnancy. Once Dylan was done with his shoes, his dad made a move to put the necktie on him.

"Nuh-uh, Daddy," he said, taking the piece of cloth from him. "Mommy said she'll put this on me." Mac smiled and carried him downstairs for breakfast.

Their noses were right, Stella had a platter of blueberry pancakes on the table and a steaming mug of coffee on Mac's place on the table. She was pouring a cup of fresh orange juice for Dylan and a tall glass of milk for herself. Dylan had outgrown his booster seat so it was stashed in storage. On the sofa in the living room, his Bob the Builder bag was ready and Stella has packed a PB&J sandwich and an apple to take with him.

"Hug now, Mommy?" Dylan said.

"And kiss," Stella replied, embracing his little boy and kissing his forehead. "Excited?" she asked, knotting the tie gently. He nodded happily.

By 7:30 a.m., they were on the road to the preschool. Their son was hugging his bag protectively while the parents were excited themselves. Mac's left hand was on the steering wheel, holding Stella's hand with the left.

"We're here," Mac said, turning to look at his son. Dylan looked worried, biting his lower lip. "What's wrong, baby?"

He was gazing at the school building and at the other kids with their parents. He looked apprehensive. He slowly looked at his parents as if begging them to say something.

Stella opened her arms just in time because Dylan crawled over to the front seat to hug her. "Scared, baby boy?" she said, stroking his hair. He nodded and sniffed. "Oh, you'll be fine. You'll do well," she comforted her son. "I'll stay with you, if you want." He looked up at her hopefully and showed her a small smile. "Okay?"

"Okay," he squeaked. Mac exited the car and went around to let Stella and Dylan out. Hand-in-hand, they walked towards the school building.

They found Dylan's room and saw a few kids already seated and waiting for the teacher. There were also parents looking on. One of the teachers they talked to a month prior was there. "Ah Detective and Missus Taylor," she said, shaking their hands. "I bet little Dylan's looking forward to today."

"Yes, he is," Mac answered, glancing at his son on his desk, starting to silently color the book he brought with him. "My wife will be staying here, if that's okay."

"Separation anxiety?" the teacher inquired. The parents nodded. "It'll pass. Some of them won't have it, actually. Maybe sweet little Dylan won't too."

"We were kind of hoping that," Stella sighed. "But I still want to be here. His first day of school." She saw a little boy seated beside Dylan and she realized that they were talking and laughing. His first friend.

"As I understand, you used to be a teacher, Mrs. Taylor?" she asked. "So being in a school is not new to him."

"Yes, I used to teach college students in California," Stella answered, managing not to flinch when she felt the baby kick. "Dylan used to stay at the department daycare while I was in class. He loved it there."

The bell rang before they could say anything else. Bigger children rushed to enter the rooms while the kids inside Dylan's room straightened themselves up. Their parents took seats at the back of the room.

"I'll be nearby," Mac whispered in Stella's ear and kissed her. He waved goodbye to Dylan and went to work. Stella, on the other hand, found an empty seat beside another pregnant woman.

"Hi, I'm Emily Feehily," she said, shaking Stella's hand.

"Stella Taylor."

"Oh you must be Dylan's mom," Emily said. She pointed to the desk up front. "My son is that boy beside him, Bobby. And that redhead girl behind your son, that's Bettina, my daughter."

The teacher entered the room. "Wow, twins," Stella said. "And you're pregnant, too?"

"Oh yes… three months. And you?"

"Seven," Stella answered. "A baby sister for Dylan." They were silent for a while, the teacher was introducing herself to everybody and the parents were listening to what she was saying. Most of the kids had their attention to her, too. A handful was glancing from time to time to the back of the room, checking if their mommy or daddy is still there. "Where's your husband?" she asked after the teacher's attention turned to the kids.

Emily smiled and answered, "We own a coffee shop near the court house and one in Yonkers. The Sligo Room. It's a family business my husband's family owns for twenty years. They brought it over here from Ireland. Thus my daughter's red hair." They laughed. "It doubles as a pastry shop – that's my addition to the biz. I love to bake so… yeah." She gave Stella a card of the coffee shop. "How about yours?"

"Oh, he's an NYPD detective," Stella answered proudly. "Crime Scene Unit; First Grade. That's where I… where I met him."

The woman beside her perked up right away. "You worked together? And fell… oh that's so sweet," she said and Stella blushed.

"Well, it's a long story but in a way, yes," she chuckled.

"Wait, so you're a cop, too?"

"Was. For the past two-three years, I worked as a college instructor," Stella explained. "But I was a cop for ten plus years. Half of that, in the crime lab."

The woman beside her was impressed. Sure she saw a lot of female cops in their coffee shop through the years but this is the first time she's talked personally to one. "Crime lab. So you're one of those behind the yellow tape with the silver kits?" Stella nodded. "Wow. Dylan should be a very smart little boy."

They looked over to their children and smiled. The three were talking about whatever normal four-year-olds were in to and laughing. Dylan saw Stella looking over at him and he waved. She waved back.

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Mandi – I can't stop writing Dylan haha.

Mo – of course, he's Mac and Stella's son after all. How can he not like school? XD

csinyfreak12 – I'm glad you like this one.

Murgy31 – oooh, maybe… ;)

Paly – hey, I hope you're feeling better now.

Volonta – hahaha, oh yes… a dog with a green mind.