A/N: Sometimes you don't need anything but a normal day.

It was the first morning of direct sunlight that they'd had so far this spring, and her eyes fluttered open before the alarm went off, just so she could look at it. The house was silent, meaning the kids were either still asleep or they were just laying in bed too, and Adam wasn't even snoring. She sighed gently and rolled over, smiling at his sleep face that made him look like a kindergartener with a beard. He cleared his throat and she reached up to push her fingers through his hair. His nose wrinkled a little and he opened his eyes, smiling when he saw her.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"What are you doing awake already?"

She shrugged and found his hand silently inspecting it.

"What are you doing?"

"Memorizing your fingerprints."

"Worthwhile endeavor I suppose," he said, not even beginning to question her answer. "So what's on our menu for today?"

"We promised the kids the zoo if it wasn't raining. I thought on the way home we could sign the boys up for swimming lessons this summer."

"Okay. I like days off."

"Me too. Except I'm still thinking about that case."

"Which one?"

"Alan Deerhurst, the kid that was strangled in the park. It's really bugging me that we can't match that female blood sample."

"DNA takes a while sometimes."

"I know. I just feel bad having a day off where there's an open case."

"Don't start thinking like Mac or I might as well just buy you a cot and let you sleep there."

"Okay."

He chuckled and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"We would miss you. You know we can't survive without you."

"Mama, Aves is stinky!" came a yell from downstairs.

"Yeah, her diaper is so full!"

"Why do they always shout for me when the diaper needs changing?"

"I trained them that way," Adam retorted, rolling over as she stood from the bed. As soon as he said it, he wanted to take it back because a pillow came slamming down across his back.

"Mister, do you not realize the danger of saying such things before I've had coffee?"

"I do realize, however-"

"I believe you need consequences for your ignorance."

"Babe, don't-"

"And your cowardice!"

She swung the pillow again and he tried to roll out of the way, but her aim was bad and he ended up rolling right into it. In the second that she let herself laugh, he leapt forward and grabbed her around the waist, wrenching the pillow from her hands and tossing it to the floor. She let out a yelp of surprise and tried to get away before they both tumbled back to the bed, their knees knocking together painfully.

"Pillow fights aren't supposed to hurt!" he said, trying to hold onto her and tend to his aching joints at the same time.

"You're the one that grabbed me," she replied, blowing her hair out of her eyes and pressing her foot against his thigh, hoping to break his balance so she could pin him down. It was an unneeded strategy because he sneezed just a second later and she was able to gain the upper hand, pinning him down by straddling his stomach.

"Babe no offense but I can't breathe."

"Lungs aren't in your stomach Einstein."

"Stomach has to expand to make room for air, Edison."

"Insulting me with science? Don't you know how risky that could be?"

"I am pretty sure the risk outweighs the probable result."

"Ahem," she said pointedly, her eyebrows dancing. His eyes drifted to the door and he frowned, finding all three kids standing there giggling. Avery had stripped her pajamas off in the night and her hair was standing up everywhere, while the boys sported undershirts and no pants.

"As we said, sissy gots a dirty diaper," Ben announced, his hand on his hip. "And one of you gots to clean it."

"Maybe Avery should clean it herself," Adam suggested hopefully. All this did was make Avery burst into tears and shouts of "Can't! Can't!" while stomping her feet.

"Daddy, you made her cry, you'd better go change her," Lindsay sighed, letting him go. He grumbled and rolled off the bed, scooping Avery carefully into his arms and taking her downstairs. The boys hopped onto the bed and rubbed the sleep out of their eyes then bounced around on their knees.

"Ben, be careful honey," Lindsay reminded him, watching closely. It had only been two weeks since his surgery and the doctor said he could go back to school but he still couldn't play rough. Colton had been accommodating to his brother's predicament, and they'd spent a lot of time reading and drawing together. A few times Lindsay had walked into the room and heard them both speaking in serious voices, although she couldn't make out what they were saying exactly. She had a feeling it was something they deemed very important that she would probably never find out about. That was perfectly fine, she was glad they had such a close relationship, especially at a time when their age gap was so pronounced.

"I'm being careful mama. My body tells me when I need to slow down. Right now it is sayin' to me "Keep bouncin' Ben. This is fun!" So I will bounce just a bit longer."

She laughed and shook her head.

"Okay honey."

"So it's not rainin'," Colton said with a happy sigh, laying down next to her. "That means we get to go to the zoo, right? With the Messers?"

"Yeah, we're going to the zoo."

"I 'member the last time we went, when Ben was littler than Aves. You remember Ben?"

"Nope. Me and mama and Dunner goed to the 'quarium. Where the fishes live."

"I went to an aquarium with my class before, but it was not the big one you went to Ben. Last time at the zoo, me and daddy made a list of all we wanted to see. Want to make a list with me this time Ben? You could be the official check mark maker."

"I could, I really could?" Ben asked excitedly, his eyes wide. "I will do the best job, Cole!"

"I know, that's why I suggested it. Maybe you and Junior could do it together. Me and Isa could spot the animals and Sarah will show you where they are on our list. Aves will watch and learn. Do you want to do that?"

"Yes, but what will the grown ups do?"

"They'll hold our stuff of course!"

"I can't wait to go to the zoo! Mama, are you happy?"

"Yes, I'm happy. Why don't you two go and get dressed. Jeans and longs sleeves please."

They climbed down from the bed and went downstairs, talking loudly all the way about what they were going to see at the zoo.

"And Ben, we'll get to see the naked mole rats!"

"Naked!" Avery hollered, clapping her hands.

This was going to be a long day.

"Daddy may I ride on your shoulders?" Sarah asked sweetly, her eyes wide and her hands clasped together tightly.

"Sure. Up you go!" Danny said, swinging her up and onto his shoulders. She was almost too tall for this, but she definitely wasn't too heavy yet, so he wasn't going to mention it.

"Daddy, shouldas?" Avery asked, wanting to be just like Sarah.

"Okay, but only if you tell me when you have to go potty."

"Okay, okay! Up!"

She laughed as he settled her onto his shoulders and she gained a totally new perspective.

"Ah mama, see Avery!"

"Wow baby, you're so tall."

"Avery up, up, up!" she said, clapping her hands and kicking her legs. "Ben see?"

"Yep sissy, I see," Ben replied, not looking up from the list that he and Colton had made. Avery frowned, but then her attention was taken away by animal sounds in the distance and she hollered loudly in reply.

"Averylin do you think you are one of the monkeys?"

"Yes! Monkey, ooh, ooh!"

"Maybe we should leave her with her kind," Adam chuckled, holding her legs so she wouldn't kick him again. Lindsay chuckled and tried to figure out how they were going to keep track of all the kids in such a crowded place without losing their minds. Avery would probably move down into the stroller after a while and Sarah would be content to hold a hand. Colton and Isa could be persuaded to at least stay within grabbing distance and Ben and Junior didn't like crowds and would stick close without much prodding. It was the initial excitement and the afternoon crankiness where the problems would arise.

"So where are we goin' first?" Isa asked, hopping from foot to foot. "I want to see every animal you know. We'd better get started."

"Alright Ms. Pragmatic," Austin said, crouching down to tie Junior's shoe for the third time. "Are you going to get the map out and lead us somewhere?"

"Heckles yes I am!"

She tore the map out of her pocket and looked it over, turning it in her hands a few times to try and figure out where they were.

"Colt, what am I doing?"

"I don't know. Here, put it on this bench so we can see better."

They perused the map for a while and decided that the sea lions would be the first attraction. It was only about 50 yards away but getting there was slow going, especially when Ben and Junior wandered off and immediately started screaming that they were "losted."

"Ben, cay-ful," Avery admonished, shaking her head. "No go bye."

"I'll be careful, sissy. I'll hold mama's hand so I don't get leaved 'ahind."

Avery nodded solemnly as they made their way into the sea lion exhibit. There was a demonstration going on, and the kids were more than happy to sit and watch the animals perform tricks and have a feeding.

"Lookit that ma, those sea lions are kissin'!" Junior laughed, shaking his head. "They don't got no lips!"

"No, I guess they really don't."

"How come they got those longish hands?" he asked, scratching his ear and adjusting his backwards hat. "There's no fingers, how do they get things open?"

"They use 'em to swim, Dunner," Ben offered. "They don't got to open much, far as I know. I think I'd like to be like them."

"Me an' you could swim deep down in the ocean! You guys wanna come with me and Binyin when we become sea lions?"

Isa shook her head.

"I'd rather be a land lion. I want to be the man one so I could be the leader. Cole, you wanna be the man tiger so we could be best friends still?"

"Yep. Sarah, what would you be?"

"A giraffe," she answered. "They have long legs to do ballet. Averylin?"

"Avery monster. Roar!"

"No, what kind of animal do you want to be?"

"Oh. Bear! Roar!"

"Oh Averylin," Sarah sighed, shaking her head. "You are just so silly."

Avery giggled and pulled on Adam's hair.

"Ow!"

"Go daddy! Fast!"

"Avery, I'm not a horse."

"Oh horse! Avery horse!"

"Honey, do you want to go in the stroller?"

"No!"

"Okay, okay."

After a while they left the sea lions, letting Sarah pick what to see next. She picked the Madagascar exhibit, but it was pretty crowded so they didn't stay long. Ben and Junior were happy to lead the way to the monkey house, but Ben wasn't so happy when a pigeon swooped down and left a dropping on his shirt.

"Ew! Ew! Ew! Mama! That bird done left a poo on me!"

"It'll wash off," Lindsay said with a shrug. She was long past caring about dirty clothes.

"But it's poo, mama! On me!"

"Wear it like a badge of honor."

"Oh alright. C'mon Dunner, race ya!"

The boys set off at top speed, but Junior was too concerned with the mark on Ben's shirt to pay attention to where he was going, and he tripped over a crack in the ground and fell ungracefully to his knees.

"Dunner falled!" Ben shouted before Junior had a chance to take stock of his injuries. "Get 'im 'fore he gets stepped on by the tourists!"

Austin grabbed Junior off the ground checking his knees and elbows, finding lots of scrapes and cuts from the gravel.

"You okay bub?"

"I need bang-daids."

"I don't have any, honey."

"Aunt Lin gots 'em. She keeps 'em for sissy for she always fall down."

"Avery fall," Avery confirmed with a nod. "Boo-boo knee."

Lindsay handed Austin the small first-aid kit she kept in the diaper bag, and pretty soon they were on their way again, Junior clinging to his mom not because he was actually hurt but because it was an excuse to have her all to himself.

By lunchtime Avery had fallen asleep on Adam's shoulders, her arms clasped around his forehead. He didn't mind, but she produced a lot of heat when she slept and it was getting uncomfortable in the midday sun. Lindsay took their snoring daughter from him in exchange for Ben who had dirt stuck to the snot on his face.

"I think these kids need lunch and I am saying that mostly because I need lunch," Austin admitted, pulling a leaf out of Isa's hair.

They got all the kids situated at the tables while Adam and Danny went to buy lunch. Colton and Isa were deep in conversation about something and Sarah sat across from them, nodding along and chewing on her fingernail.

"As much as I love them, these kids are a lot of work," Lindsay said, trying to juggle Avery and wipe Ben's face at the same time.

"I know. Good work, but work all the same."

Avery woke up then, bursting into tears for no apparent reason. Ben reached over and patted her back until she calmed down, then gave her a little smile.

"You didn't miss too much while you was sleepin', sissy. Just when Cole an' Isa fighted over the map. But then we finded another one."

"Okay Ben. Avery have mama."

"Okay. You have mama."

She nodded and closed her eyes again, obviously not quite done with her nap. She'd fight sleep as long as she could, and she would fight waking up just as much. Adam said she had too much Lindsay in her, but Lindsay wasn't sure she was quite that stubborn.

"I'm glad you guys are staying here," Austin commented. "I have no idea what we'd do without each other."

"I agree. They did offer for Adam to come down there and teach a summer course, so he still might go do that."

"How long would he be gone?"

"Four weeks. He can try it out and get it out of his system I guess."

"You're gonna be a wreck with him gone."

"I know. I was thinking about taking the kids to Montana one of those weeks, but I don't know about doing vacation without him. I guess time will tell."

"You're so chill about it. I mean you're feigning chill."

"You know me well."

Their conversation was interrupted by the guys coming back with the food.

"I don't want that!" Ben whined, pointing at the perfectly acceptable lunch sitting in front of him.

"Benjamin, you know the rules."

"You get what you get and you don't throw a fit," he recited, resignation in his voice. "But I am not throwin' a fit, I am gently statin' my 'pinion!"

"And now you're arguing with your mama."

"Oh sigh," he grumbled, sitting down and eating his lunch.

"Where did that kid come from?" Danny muttered, raising an eyebrow.

"I think we might have taken the wrong one from the hospital," Adam whispered back.

"Hey ma!" Isa shouted suddenly, waving her hand to get Austin's attention. "Was I a Oreo?"

"A what?"

"A Oreo! Was I one?"

"Um… sure."

"That's what I thought."

She returned to her conversation while Austin and Danny exchanged a strange look.

"What in the world was that about?"

"Last night the boys asked where babies come from. Since I answered last time, I figured Adam could handle it this time," Lindsay started casting a long glance at her husband. "And somehow in the conversation they concluded, despite his fumbling attempts to correct them, that all babies start out as cookies."

"I couldn't save it!"

"Then they fought over which one of them was a chocolate chip and which was peanut butter, but agreed that Avery was one of those gigantic frosted sugar cookies."

"Really brings new meaning to the phrase Girl Scout Cookies, doesn't it?" Danny chuckled, shaking his head.

"How does that even make sense?"

"Well apparently the mom eats the cookie and it turns into a baby somewhere over the course of nine months. Apparently Jess ate two cookies at once, and that's why she had twins."

"What if you're just eating cookies because you like them?"

"Oh see, the dad has to bring the cookie to the mom. This makes the cookie magical and able to turn into a baby. If you get the cookie yourself, it's a dud."

"That is some awesome deductive reasoning your cookies have," Austin said with a chuckle.

"I blame their father."

"Hey, I did my best!" Adam defended. "Would you rather they heard the nitty gritty?"

"No. And don't go thinking you're going to be very familiar with the nitty gritty yourself for a while, okay?"

The look on his face was worth making that statement out loud and she smirked before moving Avery into the stroller.

"See Danny, I was right about her," Adam said, shaking his head. "She's evil."

"Bring her a cookie, it'll soften her up."

"I think this is going to be a running family joke for many years to come."

"Sissy's splashing all the water outta the tub!" Ben hollered into the hallway where Adam was getting towels out of the closet.

"Avery, stop splashing."

"Daddy, fun!" Avery argued, her hands slapping through the water again.

"Avery, I told you-"

His admonishment was cut short as he walked into the bathroom and slipped in the water, falling flat on his back on the floor. He couldn't stop the profanities that tumbled out of his mouth, and Avery and Ben stared at him in awe.

"Oh my daddy," Avery whispered after a moment, her splashing hands stilled.

"Mama! Daddy falled down and hurt hisself and swored! Come quick!"

Colton and Lindsay came up the stairs, finding Adam still on the floor, trying to get his breath back.

"Babe, are you alright?" Lindsay asked, carefully making her way over the wet tile floor to crouch down next to him.

"I'm fine."

"How many fingers?"

"Three."

"How about now?" she asked, pulling her hand back.

"Four. My head hurts."

"I'd say so. Can you sit up?"

He managed to sit up with her help, feeling dizzy and a little nauseous.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm good."

"You're bleeding. Go lay down upstairs and I'll be up in a minute."

He managed to stand and stagger upstairs while Lindsay cleaned up the bathroom floor.

"Who splashed?"

"Avery," she admitted, dropping her chin to her chest and letting tears come into her eyes. "Hurt daddy."

"No more splashing in the tub, okay?"

"Sorry. Oh mama, so sorry!"

"It's okay. Finish your bath, I'll be back in a minute to get you out. Colton will you keep an eye on them?"

"Sure mama."

She gathered some supplies and went upstairs, finding Adam face down on the bed.

"You okay honey?"

"Yeah. Knocked the wind out of me."

"Let me see your battle wound."

"You know, bath time should come with hazard pay," he said while she inspected the new cut on the back of his head. "Or helmets."

"Or husbands that are more sure-footed."

"Babe, I'm injured!"

"Sorry sweetie. Are you going to scream if I clean it out?"

"Nah, go for it."

She poured some peroxide onto a rag then dabbed it gently at the cut. He made a noise of discomfort and she finished quickly, figuring that there wasn't really a way to bandage him up.

"Okay, all done. Want a lollipop?"

"You're very forward, aren't you doctor?"

"I still have the peroxide, sir."

"Thank you miss, that will be all."

She giggled and leaned down to kiss him before heading back downstairs to put the kids to bed. Ben had already climbed out of the tub and was drying off while Avery sat in the water, staring at her pruny hands with a frown on her face.

"Ben, go get your jammies on and I'll tuck you boys into bed in a little while."

"Okay mama."

They boys left the bathroom and Lindsay drained the tub, then pulled Avery out of the water and wrapped her in a towel.

"What's the matter baby?"

"Avery hurt daddy."

"No, daddy's okay. It was a mistake."

"Avery naughty. Sad."

"You don't need to be sad. Everything is okay."

"Oh."

"Want to get into your jammies and I'll rock you for a while?"

"Yes mama. Nice."

They went into Avery's room and Lindsay dried her hair with the towel, then found comfortable pajamas for her.

"Mama," Avery said as they started to rock in the chair. "Pretty."

"I'm pretty?"

"Yes."

"Well thank you honey. Did you know you're pretty too?"

"Uh-huh. Avery look mama. Daddy say."

"Daddy said you look like me? Did he say something about you being stubborn like me too?"

"Yes mama!"

"That daddy of yours…"

"Mama, sing Avery. Please."

"I don't feel like singing tonight. How about you sing to me instead?"

"Okay. Twinkle star, twinkle star, E, F,G, spider spout. Twinkle star, what you are, N, O, P, rock-bye baby, diamond sky, twinkle star!"

"Oh, that was good."

"Baby 'aluga, baby 'aluga! Mary a wittle wamb school a'day. Twinkle star, twinkle star, sing with me!"

"Averylin Grace you are the silliest girl I have ever met in my life."

Avery giggled and pulled the quilt over her head.

"Like my hat?"

"I love your hat baby. Ready to go to sleep?"

"Cuddle. Mama an' daddy."

"Daddy's laying down and I need to put your brothers to sleep, but how about you come upstairs and cuddle in our bed in the morning?"

"Okay mama."

Lindsay stood up from the rocking chair and tucked Avery into bed, kissing her softly and making sure her favorite stuffed animals were securely in her arms.

"I love you baby girl. Sleep good."

She slipped out of the room and moved across the hall, finding that both boys were halfway asleep. She tucked them in and kissed them both, then picked up their dirty clothes off the floor and went upstairs.

"Feelin' okay babe?"

"Yeah. I'll be hurtin' in the morning, I know that for sure."

"Take some ibuprofen to try and head it off at the pass," she said, handing the bottle to him. He shook two out and chewed them while she changed her clothes and wrinkled her nose at him.

"I don't get how you chew those like that," she said, climbing into bed and checking the alarm clock.

"They work faster when you chew them."

"That's what the psychotic dad in The Shining did. Are you going to start calling yourself a dull boy?"

"Redrum!"

"Adam you're so dorky. Why did I marry you?"

"Because I'm so dorky."

"Oh yeah, that's right," she grinned, rolling towards him. "Guess it keeps things exciting."

"That it does."

"Goodnight dork."

"'Night, dork lover."