This picks up after the last chapter.

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Catherine drove around in circles before finally deciding to go home. She hadn't wanted to tell Steve over the phone, but she ended up doing it. She didn't know how to tell him in person, though, and she certainly didn't know what his reaction would be. They already had two perfect kids. Would Steve think that another one would be too much? Catherine hoped not.

When she walked into the living room, Catherine found Serenity doing her homework and Willow leaning against Steve, half asleep. She didn't know how to describe the look on Steve's face when their eyes met. It was a combination of shock and unknowing of what to do. Catherine thought there might even be a bit of happiness there, but the shock took over most of the look.

"Hey, Mom," Serenity greeted, looking up from her homework.

"Hi, Serenity," Catherine said with a smile. Just being in the same room as Serenity and Willow for not even ten seconds made Catherine realize how amazing her daughters are, so a third child would be amazing, too, right?

"Hi, Mommy," Willow said sleepily.

Catherine walked over to her youngest daughter. She softly placed a hand on Willow's head. "Hi, Willow. Is the medicine helping at all?"

Nodding, Willow responded, "I feel a little bit better. I'm very tired."

"Just rest, honey," Catherine said. She turned her head to look at Steve. "We need to talk. Let's go."

Serenity's head snapped up from her paper when she heard that. "What's wrong?" she questioned.

"Nothing's wrong," Steve replied immediately.

Looking from her mom to her dad, Serenity asked, "Then why do you have to talk so Willow and I won't hear you?"

"It's just sometimes, Serenity...well, there are times when things need to be discussed between your father and me before we all talk about them."

"Oh." Serenity turned her gaze to the floor. "So you don't trust me?"

"Of course we trust you, sweetie," Catherine stated. "It's just something that should be talked about by adults first."

"So I'm not mature enough or something?"

Steve stepped in at this moment. "We want to talk-alone-about something we both know about already. So after we talk about it-alone-we'll tell you when we're ready, okay?"

Looking at them both again, Serenity sighed. "Okay."

Steve and Catherine went upstairs in their bedroom. Immediately Catherine said, "Don't you think you were a little harsh when you just spoke to Serenity?"

"And telling me over the phone that you're pregnant isn't harsh?" Steve asked.

"Well I'm sorry for being scared to tell you in person!" Catherine exclaimed angrily, her voice rising at the end.

"Why would you be scared to tell me?" Steve's voice was softer when he spoke this time.

"Since we already have two kids, I thought you..." Catherine shook her head. "Never mind, it's stupid."

When Steve reached for Catherine's hand, she hit his arm away. "Stay away from me! Don't think I'm going to forgive you for the way you just talked to my daughter!"

"She's my daughter, too!"

"Then act like a parent! She's thirteen and she's been abused all her life before we adopted her! She doesn't need you to yell at her when she didn't even do anything wrong!"

"I didn't yell at her, Catherine!"

"But you snapped at her, Steve. In Serenity's mind that's basically the same thing as yelling."

"That's not even what we're talking about! We're talking about you calling me and telling me that you're pregnant!"

"Don't try to distract me from your bad parenting! You're Serenity's father, take some responsibility for what you said to her! Do you understand?"

Back downstairs, Willow and Serenity couldn't hear what their parents were saying, but they could hear they were yelling. Willow cuddled into her older sister's side. "Serenity? Why are Mommy and Daddy yelling? I don't want them to yell. Make them stop. Please, Serenity, make them stop."

Glancing in the direction of the stairs, Serenity placed a comforting arm around Willow's shoulders. "It's okay, Willow. I'm gonna go to tell them to stop, alright?"

Willow nodded, pulling her blanket tighter around herself as she leaned back into the couch.

Serenity stood up and climbed the stairs, heading down the hallway toward her parents' room. "Hey, do you think you could maybe lower your voices? You're scaring Willow out of her mind! She begged me to get you to stop!" she exclaimed angrily. "Do you care what you're doing to her?"

Their heads turning in Serenity's direction, Steve and Catherine both wore guilty looks on their faces immediately. They had allowed their argument to grow out of control.

Glaring at them for a few seconds longer, Serenity stormed back downstairs.

"She's not only talking about Willow," Steve stated. "She's trying to be strong, but it's affecting her, too."

Catherine nodded in agreement. "I'm sorry I told you over the phone."

"Why were you scared to tell me?"

Catherine sighed. "It's stupid, it really is, but I was afraid of your reaction."

Steve looked at her with confusion. "Why would my reaction be bad? Do you think I'd say I didn't want to have another kid?"

Sighing again, Catherine admitted, "Yeah, that's generally what I was thinking. I mean, we already have two kids. I didn't know if you'd think three would be too many."

"Just because we already have two great, amazing kids doesn't mean another one would be too many. Besides, if this kid turns out to be anything like our daughters, we're going to be the luckiest parents in the world with three perfect kids."

The faint traces of a smile appeared on Catherine's face. "Come on, let's go tell them. I think Willow's going to be happy but Serenity's probably going to by upset."

Steve nodding, showing that he agreed.

Before they walked out of their room, Catherine said, "We tell each other everything from now on and not make a stupid decision like I did to tell you something important over the phone." She pulled him down closer to her for a kiss. "Let's go."

They found Serenity doing her homework again. Willow looked up at them when they walked into the room. "Are you done yelling?" she asked, staring at her parents pleadingly.

"Yes, Willow. We're sorry we yelled," Catherine apologized. "And you have something to tell Serenity, don't you, Steve?"

Turning to Serenity, Steve nodded. "Yeah, I do. Serenity, I'm sorry for talking sharply to you earlier. I was mad at the time and taking out my anger was uncalled for. But now your mom and I have something to tell you."

Noticing the looks on the girls' faces, Catherine smiled. "Don't worry, it's good news. You're going to have another sibling!"

Serenity grinned while Willow scowled, the exact opposite reaction that Steve and Catherine had expected. They thought Willow would be excited and Serenity wouldn't be thrilled with the idea of another sibling, but it ended up being the other way around. Willow walked upstairs to her room.

"I'll go talk to her," Steve announced, following his youngest daughter. He caught the door just in time before it slammed.

"Leave me alone!" Willow exclaimed, taking a pillow off her bed (pink, of course, just like everything else in the room) and throwing it at him.

"Willow!"

At Steve's tone, Willow immediately regretted throwing the pillow. "I'm sorry, Daddy." She picked the pillow up and put it back where it belonged. "I didn't mean to throw it."

"Yes you did. Don't lie."

Willow stamped her foot. "Get out of my room! I just wanna be left alone!"

"You need to calm down. Take a deep breath."

"No!" The eight-year-old lifted the pillow once more and again threw it at Steve. "Go away! I hate you! Leave me alone!"

Steve turned Willow around and landed a swat on her bottom.

"Ow!"

"Are you done or do I have to continue?"

"I'm done!"

"Then let's talk about why you're upset."

Willow crossed her arms, a pout on her face. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"Why not?"

"Because I just don't wanna, okay?"

Steve sat down on Willow's bed and gently pulled her down beside him. "Why don't you want to have another sibling?"

"'Cause then I won't be the littlest one anymore. Serenity will be the oldest and the new baby will be the littlest and I'll just be in the middle."

"But if you're in the middle you get to be a little sister and a big sister."

"I get to be both?"

Steve nodded. "That's right, honey."

Willow thought about that for a moment. "I think that'll be good."

"So are you happy you're going to be a big sister?"

Smiling, Willow nodded.