Hello and welcome back! This is the first chapter I'll be posting today, as the second (totally unrelated) chapter is still in progress. You guys are the best-thanks for being amazingly patient and understanding, I hope these two chapters will serve to make up for the break I took last week. Please note, this chapter is VERY sad and I had a difficult time writing it. A lot of the credit goes to idevourbooks for helping me to expand this idea when I had no prospect of what I was going to do with it. Enjoy, and see you later!

IMPORTANT EDIT: Hey again! I'm back. Remember when I said a few hours ago that I would have another chapter up? Hehe, umm, well I realized that I didn't start a chapter. I thought I did last night, but I apparently just filled up a few pages on Google Docs with x's where I fell asleep on the keyboard. I don't even know what I was planning to do. Sorry, but I HIGHLY doubt another chapter will be up today. Back to our regularly scheduled programming!

Summary: Pippa Ivy Stewart was born exactly one year and five months after her older brother and sister.

"Auntie Vida, what's this?"

A four-year-old Amelia toddled in, wearing an oversized concert t-shirt that swallowed her frame and reached her knees, beige shorts just peeking out from under them. A strip of plastic-covered black and grey photographs were held in the grasp of her chubby hands, dragging on the floor. Behind her tangled mess of blonde hair, Finn peeked out behind the mane.

Vida looked up from the book she was reading (for once) and Chubs peered out from over the top of the newspaper he was reading. Once they caught sight of pictures in Amelia's hands, Vida snapped her book shut and Chubs set down the paper.

"Amelia, where did you find that?" Vida articulated carefully.

Even with her young age, Amelia could easily read voices, especially the you're in trouble voice. She gently set the strip on the coffee table.

"We were looking in Mommy's room, and we found it in the box in the closet. I'm sorry."

Chubs crouched down, effectively making the twins taller than him.

"Amelia, you're not in trouble." Amelia looked skeptical, but Chubs switched gears. "Amelia, do you know what an ultrasound is?"

Amelia's nose scrunched up, her trademark confused face. She shook her head, but Finn perked up.

"An ultrasound is used to look inside your belly!" Finn chimed.

"Exactly!" Chubs picked up the ultrasound from the coffee table, pointing at the greyish figure in the fetal position. "This one is inside your mom's belly when she had a baby inside."

"Ohh." The pair dragged out in unison. They inspected the picture carefully, and before Chubs could stop them, Finn turned the ultrasound over.

"Uncle Chubs, why is the date wrong?"

Chubs sighed inwardly. He had hoped neither of them would be able to put the pieces together, but they were very bright for their age. Even so, he really shouldn't be the one to tell them about this.

"Were home!" Liam chorused, flinging the front door open and waltzing into the living room. Ruby shuffled in after him, arms full of luggages and bags from the weekend trip they took. Chubs flung a helpless look at Vida who threw back an equally hopeless glance. "Whatcha got there Chubsie?"

Ruby looked over the stack of luggages the her arms.

And froze.

The luggages toppled to the hardwood floor, the crash a stark contrast to the rest of the silence suffocating the room.

Ruby's skin drastically paled, misting green eyes shining brightly in comparison. One hand was limp at her side and the other trembling at her mouth, wedding ring gleaming with tears that were now streaming down her face.

"I-I'm going to bed." Ruby's voice was riddled with hitches, catching as Ruby tried to muffle them and shove them back down her throat. Her brown hair flashed as she rushed out the room, leaving only silence and baggage in her wake.

"Daddy, I'm sorry. We didn't mean to make Mommy cry." Amelia's shaky voice was the first thing to penetrate the hush, both twins standing side-by-side and heads slightly bowed.

"Oh darlin', it's not your fault." Liam replied, surprised to find his voice tremulous. He kneeled down on one knee and tucked a lock of her wild mop behind her ear. "It's time I told you two this story."

"Lee, we're gonna go." Chubs told Liam, collecting his things. Vida shot him a pitiful look, before exiting the house, Chubs not far behind. The door closed shut behind them, leaving the Stewarts alone in the house.

Liam scooped up Amelia and Finn in either arm, plopping down on the loveseat, and setting the twins on his lap.

"Ready?" Liam asked, customary to what he did before every story before bed.

"Ready."

"A long, long time ago, when you two were almost one years old,"

"We were tiny!" Amelia exclaimed.

"Mommy was going to have another baby. We even picked out her name." Liam's eyes got a faraway look, and he seemed to be unaware he was talking. "'Pippa Ivy Stewart'. Your Mommy was very happy. One day, the baby came. It was way way before Mommy was supposed to have her, and the baby was teeny tiny. The baby was too small, and she passed away."

The twins looked sad, but still wanted to hear more.

"What happened to Mommy?" Finn asked, innocence tangible in her childlike voice.

"Well, your Mommy was sad for a while, but you two always managed to cheer her up."

Liam hugged the children closer to his sides, half lost in a memory. Ruby had been inconsolable for days. Vida and Cate spent her first week home with her, and Vida showed her seldom seen gentle side. But when Amelia and Finn took their first steps towards Ruby, her spirits lifted and she was able to remember all the good around her.

"Daddy?" Amelia tugged on the hem on Liam's sleeve, catching his attention.

"Hmm?"

"You said that we made Mommy happy again?" Finn asked.

"That's right, kiddo. Once she saw you she let herself be happy again."

Amelia and Finn nodded at each other, before hopping off of Liam's lap.

"Daddy, we're going to make Mommy happy again."

Ruby stared at the wall, the duvet up to her shoulders. She hadn't been able to sleep, Liam's muffled voice and the ticking of the clock kept her up.

She remembered everything-the way the baby's kicks inside her stomach felt, reminding her she was there. The extra crib they bought in preparation for the new family member. How they named her early, too excited to wait for the gender. The way her too-small hands felt as her too-small lungs took their first and last breaths in her arms.

Ruby almost jumped in surprise as she felt two warm bodies snuggle into her sides, surrounding her with their comforting presence. Ruby pressed her arms around their backs and tucked them closer to her side, assuring all of them they were there. Liam slipped into the bed next to them, sneaking an arm under Ruby's pillow and cupping her head.

Keeping them together,

Even when the road got rough.