A/N: There's quite a bit of dialogue in this chapter that's why the format is slightly different to the previous chapters. If I had carried on with the same format, the dialogue would have been super difficult to read :)

Three weeks later, Aria was in the twins room getting them changed after they spilt food down their clothes during a meal out with Aria, Mike and Mike's new girlfriend.
"It's daddy's birthday in a couple of weeks. Do you know what you want to get for him?"

"A puppy." Scarlett told her.

Aria giggled. Aria knew Scarlett's reason for suggesting a puppy. Aria and Scarlett had ran into Noel Kahn a couple of days ago while they were out buying cupcakes. Noel's girlfriend was cradling a puppy in her arms and let Scarlett stroke him. Ever since, Scarlett hadn't stopped talking about it.
"Are you sure daddy will want a puppy?" Aria asked.

"Yeah he will! He loves 'em!" Scarlett replied excitedly.

"He does?" Aria responded as she helped Colton put his tshirt on. It was a struggle as Colton insisted on holding onto his toy as he changed and not putting it down for just two seconds.

"Yeah. I love them and he does!" she replied as she twirled around in her pink skirt.
Aria smiled as her daughter chattered on and danced around.

-

Twenty minutes later Jason got back from his seven hour shift at work. He wasn't meant to go in but two other architects were off ill with a bug so he felt as a partner he should get into work and take care of the business even if it meant going in on one of the days which he had planned to take off. "Daddy!" Scarlett squealed as he came through the door. Jason laughed to himself when she came running through to the foyer. He squatted down so he was eye to eye with her when she got to him. Scarlett threw her arms round his neck. "I missed you today!" she told him as she squeezed him tighter.

"I missed you too baby girl." Jason replied as he pulled back.

"Me and Mama was talking about your birthday. We getting you a puppy!" she told him as she grabbed his hand and lead him into the living room. Jason dropped his briefcase near the door. Aria was sitting on the couch on her laptop shaking her head, mouthing 'no'. Jason nodded his head a little, understanding that there were no plans to buy a puppy and it was just their daughter's imagination going wild. She always seemed to believe that everything they mentioned would actually happen.

"How was your day?" Jason asked as he sat down next to Aria with Scarlett on his lap. Aria was looking at the asos website, searching for some clothes to buy for Jason aswell as a couple new items of clothing for herself. She found a nice grey blazer with black inside lining and buttons. She thought he would look amazing in it when they go double dating with either Hanna and Caleb or Spencer and Wren.

Aria pulled her eyes from the screen infront of her. "It was good." she answered after a delay. "We went to see Mike and his new girlfriend. Didn't we Scar?" Aria said as she shut her laptop and tied her hair up in a messy bun.

"Yeah we did! Mikey's girlfriend looks like me." she told Jason proudly.

"She does?" he asked as he threw an arm around Aria's shoulders, who cuddled into his side and pressed her lips up to get her second kiss of the day from Jason.

"Yeah, she's got blonde hair and greeny eyes."

Aria nodded when Jason looked down at her. "Who did I say she looked like when we were in the car coming home. Do you remember?" Aria asked Scarlett.

"Aunty Ali. I look like Aunty Ali too don't I daddy?"

"You do look your Aunty Ali baby." Jason confirmed as he looked over at the photo which was sitting at the other side of the living room. It was of him and Alison when they were children.

"So I look like a princess?" Scarlett asked sweetly as she smiled at her parents.

"Yes a very beautiful princess." Aria told her.

"Where's your brother?" Jason asked Scarlett.

"I dunoo.." Scarlett shrugged her shoulders as she stared down at her white shoes and tapped them together repeatedly.

"Colton?" Jason called out.

"Yeah?!" they heard from upstairs.

"Come downstairs kid!" Jason called again, louder this time. Scarlett covered her ears. Jason looked down and laughed to himself.
"You are exactly like your Aunty Ali. She was a drama queen too." Scarlett shuffled off Jason's lap and onto Aria's, burying her face into Aria's chest.

"What's wrong?" Aria asked as she stroked Scarlett's hair.

"Daddy just said something nasty to me."

"Is being a drama queen bad?" Aria asked, placing a kiss to the top of Scarlett's head.

"Yes."

"I'm sorry baby." Jason leaned down to try and kiss Scarlett's forehead. Scarlett pulled herself away from Jason to avoid getting kissed.

"I'm not your friend." Scarlett told Jason. "I'm mommy's friend today."

Colton came into the living room. "What are you all doing?" he asked.

"Hey, come here man. I want to spend some time with you." Jason said. Colton got onto the couch next to Jason.

"Uncle Mike got me this toy today." Colton proudly showed off his Captain America figurine.

"I hope you said thank you to him."

"I always say thank you daddy."Colton smiled.

Jason removed her arm from Aria and wrapped both around Colton, pulling him closer to him. "That's good. What does your toy do?" Jason asked as he gently took the figure from Colton. Trying to figure out the purpose for himself.

"Nothing really. He just looks super cool."

"He does." Jason nodded.

"What are we going to do today? It's still light outside." Colton asked as Jason handed the figure back to him.

"How about we go and play some soccer in the garden?" Jason suggested as he pulled out his phone to reply to an email.

"Yeah cool!" Colton jumped off the couch and ran towards the back door.

Once he finished his email, he told Scarlett who was still stuck to Aria's chest. "You can play with us too." Scarlett shook her head. Jason pouted, trying to get Scarlett to feel sorry for him. "Okay then." Jason got off the couch and went in the same direction as Colton.

"That wasn't nice baby. Your daddy said he was sorry." Aria told her with a gentle tone to her voice. Scarlett shrugged her shoulders. "So.." Aria lifted Scarlett from her chest and turned her so she could see her face. "while daddy and Colton are outside, what are we going to do?"

"Hmm, we could make cupcakes and cookies." Scarlett smiled.

"We don't have enough ingredients to make both. Which do you like better?"

"Cupcakes."

"Okay, go and wash your hands then." Aria lifted Scarlett off her lap and let her rush off to the downstairs bathroom.

-

Aria and Scarlett were in the kitchen mixing together the ingredients, when they heard the doorbell ring. "Be careful Scar.."

"Okay mommy." Scarlett continued to mix the batter round and round while Aria went to answer the door.

"Hi mom." Aria smiled. "You're just in time to help us make cupcakes." she told her as Ella walked through the door.

"You know how much I love baking." Ella smiled as she and Aria walked to kitchen.

"Hi Nana." Scarlett said as she looked up from the batter bowl. Scarlett continued to mix and mix the batter with her special pink whisk which she had begged Aria to buy for her a few months ago.

"Hello sweetie." Ella replied as she dropped her handbag on the kitchen table. "Where's Colton? Didn't he want to bake with you and your mommy?"

"No.. him and daddy are outside doing boys stuff." Scarlett told her without looking up.

"Boys stuff? What's that?" Ella asked as she walked to stand next to Scarlett.

"They're playing soccer." Scarlett looked at Ella this time.

"That sounds fun. I'm going to say hello."

"Okay make sure you come back quickly." Scarlett kissed Ella's cheek.

"I will. Don't worry." Ella laughed as she walked to the back door.

"Hi.." Ella greeted Jason and Colton as she walked into the garden.

"Hey Ella!" Jason waved from the other end of the garden.

"Hey Nana!" Colton ran over to Ella. "What are you doing here? Do you want to play soccer with me and daddy?"

"I think Scarlett wants me to bake cupcakes with her sweetie."

"Okay, have fun!" he ran back towards Jason.

-

Thirty minutes later, the cupcakes were baked and cooled. Ella and Aria sat on the kitchen table drinking coffee, watching Scarlett decorate them with icing and sprinkles.

"She's so cute." Ella commented as Scarlett's tounge stuck out of the corner of her mouth.

"That's her concentration face." Aria told her.

"Nana do you want chocolate sprinkles or pink sprinkles?"

"Pink sprinkles please."

Scarlett gently placed a couple of sprinkles on top of the cupcake at one time.

"What do you think daddy would want?" Scarlett asked.

"Why don't you go and ask him?" Aria suggested.

Scarlett pulled a face.

"Scar.." Aria warned.

"I think he would want chocolate."

"But what if he doesn't.."

Ella furrowed her brows and looked at Aria.

"She's fallen out with Jason, so I'm just trying to get her to make an effort with him.." Aria explained quietly.

Ella nodded. "Shall I take you out to ask him?"

Scarlett thought about it for a few seconds before nodding and getting down from the chair she was sitting on. Ella and Scarlett walked hand in hand to the garden.
"Colton, do you want a cupcake?" Scarlett asked as Colton ran around kicking the ball.

"Yes please Scar!"

"Do you want pink or chocolate?"

"Pink or chocolate what?" he shouted from the other side of the garden.

"Sprinkles!"

"Chocolate please!"

Ella gestured for Jason to come over.

"Here you can ask your daddy." Ella whispered as Jason came closer.

Jason stood infront of Ella and Scarlett. "What's up?"

Scarlett looked to the ground. "I made some cupcakes.."

"Did you?" That sounds nice."

"Me, mommy and Nana made them."

"Did you have fun?""

"Yeah."

"Are you going to look up at me?" Jason asked as he stepped closer to Scarlett before squatting down.

Scarlett looked up at him. "Mommy said do you want pink sprinkles or chocolate sprinkles."

"Your mommy said that? I thought she didn't put sprinkles on cupcakes.."

"Okay. I wanted to know what you wanted."

"Can I have pink sprinkles?" Jason asked with a smile on his face.

"Pink?! Are you sure?" Scarlett exclaimed.

Jason laughed. "Why can't I have pink?" Jason picked Scarlett up and hugged her tightly.

"Ahh daddy stop!"

"Are you my friend now?" Jason asked as he released his hold on Scarlett.

"Okay."

"Thank you." Jason put Scarlett down and she swiftly ran off back to the kitchen.

Aria was washing her mug out when Scarlett and Ella came back in. "I hope you are friends with your daddy."
"I am!" Scarlett answered as she climbed back onto the chair she was sat on.

-

"You're getting better and better at soccer every time we play kid. I'm proud of you." Jason prasied Colton and picked him up as he walked them back into the house.

"Thanks dad! Can we play again tomorrow?"

"Yeah of course."

Jason put Colton down when they got into the kitchen.
"Here's your cupcakes!" Scarlett told them.

"Thanks Scar!" Colton rushed over to get his off the plate.

Jason casually walked over to the table and sat next to Aria who moved her legs to rest over Jason's lap. "My mom and your mom are taking the kids out for the day tomorrow." she told him.

"They are? Where are they going?" Jason asked as she peeled down the cupcake case and bit into it.

Aria leaned over slightly to wipe Jason's top lip with the pad of her thumb. "They're going to the aquarium."

"Nice. So we get the day to ourselves?"

"I wish. Your dad called earlier and asked me to cover Miranda's hours as she's got a family wedding to attend."

"So I'm going to be alone all day tomorrow?"

"Yeah.. ask Wren and Caleb around.." Aria suggested.

Jason made a noise of agreement as he bit into the cupcake again before pulling out his phone and texting the men.

"Do you like it daddy?" Scarlett asked from across that table.

"It's delicious baby." Jason told her as he licked the icing from his fingers while texting Wren and Caleb with his other hand.

-

Colton and Scarlett went to bed about an hour later. Ella stayed for a glass of wine and a snack before leaving the couple, stating that she was expecting Mike's new girlfriend round tonight. Aria and Ella exchanged their thoughts on her. Ella had met her a couple of times, the same as Aria. But they had both gotten an amazing vibe from her. She was a year younger than Mike, with a business and economics degree, had a stable job from the age of 17 and had done some charity work in Africa for a month last summer. They were pleased Mike had matured from his choices of sexy, slutty girls. They were glad he was with someone with redeeming factors. They both loved that they could already tell she liked Mike just as much as Mike liked her.

"So, how was the meal today?" Jason asked Aria as they lay together on their bed watching the basketball on their tv.

"It was nice. The food was good. It was just embarrassing when Colton AND Scarlett dropped their plates onto their laps."

Jason laughed. "They didn't!"

"Oh they did. I couldn't wait to get out of there!" Aria told him as she pulled her hair down from the bun it had been in all afternoon and evening. "How was work? When are Jeremy and Daniel coming back to work?"

"I don't know. They haven't called in to tell us yet." Jason shrugged as he checked his emails on his phone.

"But you definitely don't have to fill in for them tomorrow?"

"No I don't. I'm looking forward to my day of sleeping and eating."

"Wren and Caleb aren't coming round?" Aria asked as she leaned on her forearm facing Jason.

Jason shook his head. "Wren has to work and Caleb promised to take Hanna out somewhere."

"Aww baby, you're going to be by yourself until I get back from work.." Aria said sympathetically before placing a long kiss to his lips.

"Yeah.. oh well, I don't mind." he answered as he wrapped his arms around her petite form, kissing her hair before looking back to the tv screen.