Anonymous: "TGO 4 of July or maybe MIMB...but I will love whatever u choose :-) Happy 4 of July :-)"

Right now the plan is to do both a Julian and TGO 4th. Because you guys were literally split and I have oneshots to make up anyway…I have NO IDEA what a MIMB 4th would look like, sorry….The TGO idea just came to me first. And thank you! If you're from the U.S, same to you…if not…I hope you have a happy 4th too, you just obviously have no reason to care about this holiday.

AN: 4th stories are actually pretty hard…I mean I guess it's just BBQs or fireworks but for some reason it feels harder than other holiday oneshots…., just a thought.

100 Encore, Day 42: "Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl"

"Shh…shhh it's ok princess, relax…it's just pretty colors look sweetie…" two-year-old Tenley shook her head into her mother's chest. April was trying to soothe her and Braelyn at the same time. Both were wailing, not a fan of fireworks.

They lived down the block from a park that did a big barbecue for the holiday. Jackson had worked during the day, but made sure to be home in time for them to go out for dinner and fireworks. Arabella was very excited for the show this year, and he knew April was going a little bit stir crazy with three kids in the house all day now that school was out.

Arabella ran over to her sister, bursting with energy. "Tee they not a real 'splosion, just a cool one, why you cryin?"

"Scared."

"Don't be scared it not real, not gon' hurt you! C'mon wit me and daddy and watch!"

"NOOOO!" Tenley screamed and started crying harder as another firework made a loud banging noise.

April kissed the top of Tenley's head. "Arabella the fireworks are real explosions, that's why you and daddy are staying far back. She doesn't have to go if she doesn't want to. And I told you to please be careful running with your cast on."

"Whateber, they jus' cool. She will see if she take her head out of your boobies." Arabella shrugged. April held back a full laugh, but she couldn't help grinning. Bellie was not trying to be mean, in fact quite the opposite. She just wanted her sister to have fun. But she was brutally honest to a fault.

"Daddy sayed time fer ice cream an' eve-one can get anythin' they want. Only rule is one thing. There's two ice ceem mans here, Tee. Come wit me to pick."

That got Tee to turn around and pay attention. Both of the girls had a sweet tooth, but Tenley's was as big as the one April fought against her whole life. "I-ceem?" She abruptly stopped crying and looked at her sister, wide-eyed and hopeful.

"Yeah! Any kind you wants, eben a big kind, right mom?"

"Sure I guess." It was late for sugar, but a holiday, and even Tee had done enough running around before the fireworks to be exhausted by bedtime. She cautiously started to get up, but another bang sent her retreating back toward the safety of her mother's lap.

Jackson strolled up behind Bellie, huge smile on his face. This had been the perfect day. April woke up and made him breakfast before work, he'd done two surgeries and checked on post-ops and made sure not to be at work or on call once the fireworks started. In fact, he steered clear of the ER completely all day.

Independence Day was his favorite holiday. Most people thought it was a random choice, but Jackson had a perfectly logical reason. July 4th was one of the only major holidays where it wasn't seen as odd not to be with family. So growing up, he didn't spend it alone with a nanny like he did most Christmases and Thanksgivings. Because it was perfectly acceptable to invite friends to 4th festivities. So friends invited him for backyard barbecues and sleepovers, and he actually begged his mother to work.

He'd made sure to make most of this day about his family, though. He and April had been having little arguments lately about his work schedule and what April called "balancing responsibilities," but it was nothing sex didn't fix, and she didn't seem angry, just frustrated.

She acknowledged that he was great with Arabella, but needed more help with the younger kids. Plus, they needed his attention too. So today he'd purposefully let Tenley pick the game they played before dinner, and made sure to remind April to pump and pack the breast milk so he could feed Brae while she ate.

He saw how much it helped her. She'd been laughing and running around with Bellie and Tee all day too. Plus, she stole and accepted tons of kisses from him, even though she didn't usually love PDA. And she seemed more relaxed at dinner, though there was nothing to freak out about. She'd brought changes of clothes, but somehow everyone avoided making a mess at dinner. Braelyn didn't even spit up, which Jackson was grateful for.

He did notice that April steered clear of the clusters of moms scattered around, but it had never been easy for her to make friends. And they had three very young children. Even if April wanted some time with a friend, it wouldn't be long before one of the girls needed their mama.

"Hey, pretty amazing right?" Jackson pecked her lips and gestured toward the fireworks.

"They're alright….i'm gonna take these two home though. Brae is normal fussy but this one is pertified." She rocked Tenley back and forth a little bit.

"Hey Tee, they're taking a break now princess. Do you want to go get an ice cream cone and then watch with me and your silly sister who should really stop spinning right now because she has a cast on and a time out in front of the whole town would be very sad." He looked at Arabella, who was spinning around in circles, fanning out her slightly muddy dress. She'd avoided mess until after dinner. and it was silly to make her change now.

Bellie stopped, eyed her father, and burst into giggles. Then she stopped, focused on her mission to get her sister to watch the second half of the show. "Daddy putted me on his shoulders up high but you can hab that spot if you want. I gotted my turn."

"No pease!" Tenley wished she could play with her sister and dad, but the bangs were too scary. She didn't even think ice cream would make it better right now.

April sighed. "That line is crazy long and she does not like this one bit. We're gonna walk home and then could you get her ice cream when you leave?" Just try not to be more than an hour. I'll give her a bath and then she can have it, it'll be late but….it's fine."

"We can all go home, babe. You shouldn't walk alone."

"Jackson, it's around the corner and you guys are having fun. I'll be home in ten minutes, get a head start on baths….by the time you guys get the ice cream the show will be close to done anyway. So bring it home and we'll all have it there together. It's not a big deal."

"OK….Tenley do you want to pick your ice cream or just tell me the flavor?" Jackson asked.

"Oh Tee there is so so so so much kinds….I looked afore and sawed princessies heads on da ice cream sticks on one truck…or dare's sprinkly cones….you shood come an' look!"

"Tell daddy," Tee sniffled, ignoring her sister's wide-eyed confusion about her choice.

"OK, tell me sweetheart. What do you want?"

She looked at her mom for help. "Well, I think we all want the big ice creams from the soft serve truck, because we don't want to choke on those silly gum-ball eyes, right?"

Tenley nodded, but Arabella shook her head. "I want to!"

"You don't want to choke, diva," Jackson rolled his eyes at his daughter. "Besides, you just told me you wanted a big kind. Only the truck mom said has the big kind.

"OK Jacksy-face,"

Before Jackson could retaliate April re-focused the conversation. "And you know your faveorite flavor. Tell him."

"Nilla."

"In a cup. With sprinkles or no princess?"

"Sprinklies pease."

"You got it. Rainbow?" She nodded. "What do you want, mama?"

"Peanut butter chocolate swirl." She answered too quickly.

Suddenly the air stilled, and Jackson stared at April, asking with his eyes. She shook her head, but then shrugged and busied herself with packing up. She had no idea.

She loved all things sweet, that was not the issue here. The issue was April liked vanilla ice cream….unless she was pregnant. When she was pregnant, she seemed to be able to sniff out all things chocolate and peanut butter within a ten mile radius and pounce on them. It was a constant with all three pregnancies. But so was morning sickness and she hadn't had any.

"Bellie come here, let me fix your bow." Arabella complied quietly, letting April right the crooked red, white and blue bow on her head. That was not the norm for her, especially concerning her hair. But she'd sensed the tension immediately. Her parents weren't angry, but something was wrong with picking peanut butter chocolate ice cream.

"I wants…"

"Sperry, we know…come on give fast kisses we are just going to get the ice cream and watch the end of the show on line. Quick hugs bye, we'll be home soon."

"No dad! You not right! I wants sperry and banilla swirlied…"

"Fine, say see you in 45 minutes, Brae!"

Bellie wrinkled her nose. "Why? She jus' cry, not talk."

April walked home with the baby on her chest and Tenley holding her hand at her side. She suddenly couldn't shake a sick feeling in her stomach, but she convinced herself it was just nerves. She sang "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" to the kids as they walked, to drown out both the loud banging noises that made Tenley gasp with fear, and the paranoid voices in her head.

She had a lot of sex, and didn't use birth control because they were married. She had no right to wish not to be, or to be surprised, and if she was pregnant so soon and it was a boy he'd be the greatest blessing. But she knew a pregnancy right now would upset the delicate balance she maintained between being a mommy and a doctor.

She had a very careful system which had been working fine. She took leave until each baby was six months. Until then, she liked to keep them on breast milk and she didn't think it was fair to extremely young infants to put them on daycare. As her husband owned her workplace, this had never been a problem. She'd been transitioning Brae to solid food, only one bottle a day, and planned to go back to work in two weeks. A positive pregnancy test would change everything.

At home, April gave the girls quick baths, singing songs the whole time. She put Brae to bed and then mama and Tee waited for daddy and Bellie and ice cream in the kitchen. Tee was giddy with anticipation, and because the bangs were so far away now.

"Sorry, it might be a little melted. We had to make a pit stop," Jackson said when they walked in later than expected. He set up the girls and then put April's sundae in front of her. Then he head upstairs with the pharmacy bag to the bathroom in the master bedroom.

"Where he goin'? He didn't getted one acause he want to steal mines!" Arabella secretly delighted in the idea of playing this game with her dad.

"Oh who cares. his loss, right?" The girls nodded and April sighed. There was nothing delightful about the guessing game she was playing in her head.

But at least Jackson seemed tuned in to the situation. He did come down and pretend to be the ice cream monster, stealing a good amount of the girls' sweet soup to make sure they fell asleep quickly that night. But he never let go of April's hand, and the monster liked to steal mama's kisses, not her ice cream.

Later that night he did Bellie's bath and the girls' bedtime alone. April wanted privacy to take the test and watching her pee wasn't the important part. That came later when he held her as she cried. He didn't even need to see the positive test she left on his bedside table, he knew.

It's really hard to to TGO Math (LOL) but for the whole world to work based on Tenley's June birthday, Japril were married in January, had Bellie in October. Tee was born when Bellie was 20 months. And 19 months after that Braelyn was born in January. 15 months after that Adelaide is born in April. So she's 2 months when the hospital stuff happened, I never use exact dates on purpose, though. That would get too confusing.

So in this, Brae has to be 6 months, Bellie has the cast on/April's preggers but obviously doesn't know for sure right now. Arabella is three and change, just finished her first year of pre-school.

I know that's boring but it was maaad confusing for me to get an actual July in TGO right, bc I had to care about the date. This is actually the math I've always used though. I just never wrote it down before. So there it is…official TGO math. Just so happens a lot of stuff happened this particular June/July LOL.

*Also, really sorry this ended sad….I thought it might just be TGO Fluff but then this happened. Julian is always fluffy though. It's not written yet, that'll be up hopefully later tonight.