After hearing the news that they were having twin grandchildren, Carmen and David didn't want the night to end and they invited Mike and Emily home with them for the night. Once they were home, David took Mike down to the basement, where he said he had kept some stuff from when Mike had been a baby that would be useful for the twins as they grew up (and would save Mike and Emily some money). Carmen kept Emily company in the kitchen and was making a special tea she insisted helped her with her morning sickness when she had been pregnant with Mike.

"It's not always going to be moments of joy," Carmen was also giving Emily some advice about pregnancy and warning her of some of the ups and downs that came with every trimester. Emily knew some things already from Serena and her research from her previous short lived pregnancy, but she did enjoy listening to her mother in-law. With both twins sharing half of Mike's genetics, it was comforting to hear Carmen's experience. It gave Emily hope that the morning sickness, the heartburn, and the aches and pains would settle down eventually. Carmen handed Emily a mug of tea, as well as a box of teabags for Emily to take home, "Don't get me wrong, some days you're going to wish the babies would just come out, especially towards the end when the novelty of the pregnancy has really expired, but you're always going to miss that feeling. There is nothing quite like being pregnant.

"It is a cool feeling," Emily smiled and rubbed her stomach. "Especially now that we know there are two in there. Sometimes, I look at Terran and I can't believe what's happening. It's surreal. A pain in the butt, but amazing."

Carmen smiled, "Emily, sweetheart, I know you have your sister and your mother, but I do want you to know that if you ever need anything, I'm more than ready to help you out."

"That's very sweet of you," Emily answered with a smile. "I'll remember that. I'll… oh, I completely forgot!"

Emily reached into her bag and pulled out an ultrasound picture. She placed it on the table to show Carmen.

"It's for you. I was freaking out when I was told it was twins, but I didn't forget to get enough pictures for the family. I promise, you'll get one of these every time I do."

Carmen looked down at the picture with a big smile on her face. Her husband, just like her son, was useless at reading the ultrasound pictures but she knew exactly what everything was. She saw her little grandchildren in the picture and traced over them lightly with her finger. Already she was falling in love with them. As a little tear slid down her cheek, she reached across the table and held Emily's hand.

"Em! Look at all this!" Mike came up the stairs with his father in tow and was grinning from ear to ear, "Mom and dad saved like… everything! I've got old train sets and action figures and…"

"A Barbie?" Emily turned to her husband and chuckled. He shrugged his shoulder.

"In case we have a daughter."

"I thought we would find the Barbie at my parents' house."

Mike suddenly turned very red and tossed the doll over his shoulder, almost hitting his father in the face with it.

"What Barbie?"

"Mike went through a phase," David chuckled and gave his son a pat on the back.

"No I didn't," Mike shook his head, "That was for… you know… once I started liking girls."

"Okay," Emily chuckled and turned to Mike's mother, who with a simple shake of the head told Emily all she needed to know.

-Samurai-

In Riley's bedroom, Mia sat on her daughter's bed with the four year old on her lap. It was time for Riley to go to sleep, but she wouldn't without a bedtime story. Just as Mia finished reading the little girl her fairy tale, Riley put her hand on the page.

"Why do people get married? Do you have to get married to have a happily ever after, like Cindyella?"

Mia shook her head and closed the book. She set it on Riley's night table and started to tuck her daughter in.

"You don't have to get married."

"What happens when you do get married?"

"Nothing really happens…"

"So why do you and Kevin have to get married?"

"We love each other, Riley. When two people love each other, sometimes they want to get married."

"Are we going to get married?"

"No," Mia chuckled and shook her head, "Why do you ask that?"

"I love you, and you love me, right?"

"It doesn't work that way," Mia took a seat beside Riley on the bed, "You don't have to worry about the wedding, Riley. It's not… it's not life-changing. Kevin and I are always going to be here for you. This wedding isn't going to change that."

"What is it going to do?"

"Kevin and I love each other. A lot."

"I know," Riley grumbled and rolled her eyes. Mia laughed and tickled her daughter.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with Kevin, and only Kevin."

"And…"

"And you. Of course you," Mia smirked, "But what Kevin and I have, it's special. I love him very much, and he loves me too. We want to celebrate that."

"But why?"

"That's what some people do."

"Why do they do it? What happens when you get married?"

"It's… it's… People get married to show each other and everyone else just how much they love the person they marry. This is hard for you, sweetie, but imagine loving someone so much, you don't ever want to lose them."

"I love you," Riley wrapped her little arms around her mother, "And I don't ever want you to go away."

"It's kind of like that, but different. You know how Kevin and I had to adopt you?"

"Yeah."

"Marriage is like that. You get to pick a very special person and adopt them as your husband or your wife. When you get married, that's where you make a promise to love, care for, and support that person you chose forever."

"And then you live happily ever after?"

"If you made the right decision. I know I did. Kevin and I are going to live happily ever after."

"With me, right?"

"With you," Mia gave her daughter a kiss, "That's why we want to get married. Kevin and I adopted you, but we haven't adopted each other yet."

"Are we going to be like a mommy, a daddy, and a baby?"

"Exactly like that. But we already are like that. The wedding is just… it's just going to be a ceremony and a party to celebrate that."

"My old mommy and daddy were married, right?"

"I believe so."

"I love my old mommy and my old daddy."

"I know you do."

"And my old mommy and my old daddy love me too, right?"

"Very much."

"They do," Riley answered her own question, "Mommy said she did every night after reading me a bedtime story. Hey! Just like you!"

"Yeah, Riley, just like me. And Kevin, he loves you very much too."

"I know," Riley sighed, "He tells me all the time."

Mia chuckled. She gave Riley another kiss, "Goodnight, Riles. I love you."

"Nighty night, new mommy Mia. I love you too," Riley grabbed her Cinderella Barbie and her pink Ranger teddy bear and cuddled them as she settled into her bed to fall asleep.

Mia had to keep her composure as she walked out of the room, turned off the bedroom light and slowly closed the door until it was open just a crack. She tip-toed down the stairs. When she was at the bottom, she sprinted to the living room where Kevin was watching TV. She jumped on the couch, almost knocked him over, and wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm a mommy!"

"What?"

"Riley and I were talking!" Mia was so excited Kevin could barely keep up with what she was saying. "She was asking about the wedding and somehow she figured it all out! I'm a mommy! I'm her mommy!"

"Mia, that's great," Kevin hugged his fiancée and then felt something wet on his shirt. He pulled away for a moment and saw she was crying, "Mia?"

"I'm happy," Mia assured him and pulled him in for a kiss, "It's… it really is… mom wasn't lying, Kevin, this is the most amazing feeling in the world."

Kevin smiled, pulled Mia back in for a hug and gave her another kiss. He knew how much this meant to her. Though she had made her love of weddings very obvious to anyone who knew her for more than minutes, what she wanted even more than that was to have a family: the husband and the kids. Now she had it. In spite of everything, she her dreams had come true.