Chapter 44: The Choices We Make

"And as all his friends surrounded him dressed in costumes to make them looks like tiggers too Tigger finally realized that he wasn't alone and he didn't have to go looking for his family because they had been with him the whole time. The end" Ashley closed the book she had been reading to Phinnigan and Faith.

"Read again mommy" Phinnigan urged her.

"Sorry bud but you need to go to sleep" she kissed the top of his head.

"Stay wif you" he snuggled closer to his mom and wrapped his little arm around her. Faith moved her head so she could look up at her mother while her head still rested against the crook of her mother's arm. She gurgled happily while kicking her legs.

"You guys can stay here with me till Dommy gets home but then its bedtime," she told them but it was more for Phinnigan than for Faith.

Phinnigan began to tiredly play with his fingers giggling at nothing. That was what he did when he was tired. Ashley ran her fingers through his hair and it wasn't long before he fell asleep. She could feel soft warm breaths against her neck as his chest slowly rose and fell in a relaxed rhythm.

"You know Faith I kinda wish you were as easy to get to sleep as your brother," she cooed at the infant. She picked up one of Faith's terrycloth animal toys shaped like an elephant and waved it in front of the infant. Faith's eyes went wide in wonder as she watched the toy dance in front of her. Her sand colored hair swept into her eyes. She let out of frustrated howl as she tried to swipe it away but all she managed to do was knock her binky out of her mouth.

Ashley laughed as she picked up the binky and placed it near her daughter's mouth. Faith accepted it back greatfully. Faith's eyes were beginning to change, they were really blue after birth but as she got older they seemed to be changing towards brown. Like her brother she had been blessed with olive colored skin and she probably wouldn't have any trouble getting a tan when she got older.

"What do you say you close your eyes little princess" she whispered.

But Faith seemed in no hurry to fall asleep. Ashley looked at the digital clock on the far wall. Dommy should have been home from work by now. John would be getting home in a couple of hours and she needed to be gone before he did. She knew she should call her cousin to make sure she was ok but both her children were laying on her and she knew that it would be near impossible to get them to sleep if she woke them up. Faith had just started closing her eyes. She opened them as soon as she closed them though. She was struggling to stay awake. Ashley carefully moved Phinnigan so he could lay down on the couch with her children. Phinnigan stirred and Ashley feared that he would open his eyes , but he didn't. Instead he covered his face with his arm. She waited a few minutes before fixing his position so he would be more comfortable. Faith had a fallen asleep by then. Both kids were sleeping on her chest. Boredom was getting to her. She decided to close her eyes too. She didn't want to fall asleep or anything like that, she just wanted to rest her eyes. Before she knew it she was asleep.

John sighed as he entered his home. It was a little after two in the morning and all he wanted to do was go to sleep in his own bed and sleep for the next year. The first thing he noticed was that someone had left the living room light on. He really didn't think too much of it. Opting to go and shut the lights off before heading to bed. When he first entered the room he was surprised to see Faith and Phinnigan asleep on the couch. But as he got closer he could see that they were both cuddled up to their mother. All three sound asleep. He picked Faith up first and carried her into her room. After tucking her into bed he went back and did the same thing to Phinnigan. Finally he returned to the living room and kneeled down close to Ashley. He thought about waking her up and asking her to leave but in all honesty he didn't want her to leave. It was quite the opposite, if anything he wanted her to stay. Knowing he was going to regret this later he picked her up also and began to carry her but instead of putting her in her own room he continued going down the hall and stopped at his own door. If they were never going to be together ever again all he asked is for one more night sleeping together with her in his arms. He kicked the door shut with his foot not having any idea where to go next.

A/N: Sorry guys for the long period of time where I haven't updated I've been kinda busy which isn't a good enough excuse I know but it's the truth. For those of you who haven't check out my new story A Not So Cinderella Story ... you should. Also to all my fanfic friends who have a little bit of time on their hands. I'm asking anyone and everyone who will listen, I'm looking for someone to write me a one shot song fic based on the song Home by Blake Shelton. I love that song and would really love an OS. But it's cool if people are busy or don't want to. I just thought I'd put the option out.