Cullen pries his eyes open and stumbles his way to the bathroom. Splashing cold water on his face he smiles. He slips on a pair of jeans and tiptoes down the stairs in his leather house shoes. In the kitchen he grabs the milk from the fridge turning around he catches the outline of a person in the corner of his eye. He jumps knocking the butter tin off the counter. Light suddenly fills the room.

"What are you doing trying to give me a heart attack?" Canley whisper yells.

He breathes in a battered breath, "No you're the one that is giving me a heart attack. What are you doing up?"

"Time to feed the little one. What are you doing awake?" She raises the bottle in her hand as if to prove her fact.

He smiles, "This is my usual time to rise."

She arches an eyebrow and peers at him before shrugging and walking into the living room. He follows her after pouring himself a glass of milk. Sitting on the couch beside her he smiles at Ashley greedily sucking down the contents of the bottle.

"You want to hold her?" She asks smiling at his panicked look.

He looks her in the eyes and briefly hesitates before agreeing. She gently places the now sleeping child in his arms being careful not to bump her shoulder. Watching as Cullen gradually relaxes she smiles. He looks so natural with Ashley in his arms. His gaze lifts from the little girl and their eyes lock. Emotions run through the gaze, hurt, longing and confusion, no one moved nor broke the gaze.

"She's not so bad," He finally mutters.

"No, she's not bad and you aren't so bad either," She tells him easing herself onto the couch beside him on the couch.

He turns his head to look her directly, "I never thought I was that bad."

She giggles, "Well, you weren't that bad, just not ideal."

Any mischief or humor his face held vanished, "I'm sorry, Can I-"

She silences him with her finger against his lips, "Cullen, I understand where you were coming from and probably still are. You are scared and worried, I felt it too when I got told that I had a child that I was responsible for."

"If you acted so mature and stable about it why can't I?"

She sighs and rubs the back of her neck, "I don't know, Cullen, you are asking questions I can't answer, but does it really matter why? We are past it so do we have to dwell on it?"

"No, you are right, we are past it and I should just let it go." He wraps his arm loosely around her shoulders being sure to avoid touching her hurt one. Her head rests on his shoulder and their gaze on the sleeping infant.

Cullen smiles and glances at Canley sleeping on his shoulder. Two sleeping girls laying on him and he really has to use the restroom. He gently shakes Canley, "Can, sweetheart, wake up please."

She slowly lifts her head and her sleep filled eyes flutter open, "Yeah?"

"Can you take her? I am about pee my pants."

She bursts into a fit of giggles and gently lifts Ashley from his arms, "Go empty your bladder before you have to clean your mother's couch."

He glares at her as he scurries off. She chuckles and kisses the infants forehead, "You sure are precious."

She curls up on the couch Ashley laying in between the back of the couch and her chest. She checks her phone before shutting her eyes and drifting off to sleep.

Cullen smiles as he gazes at the two sleeping soundly. He sits down beside them and gently places a blanket over them. As he rests his head on the back of the couch her phone vibrates out of curiosity he looks at the message.

From Douglas: Hey Canley! I hope all is going well on your trip. Just thought I would give you an update on the pups. Everyone is doing good and the oldest littler has started to nibble at the puppy food.

He sighs and tries to calm the anger rising in him. Trying to tell himself it is just a friend he runs his hands over his hand and sighs. Deciding that it is no use to try an go back to sleep he goes to the kitchen and starts making eggs. He pushes the text to the back of his mind and focuses on perfecting the taste of the gravy to go with the bicicuts he found himself making. He smiles at the taste that meets his taste buds as he licks the gravy from his finger.

"You look hard at work," Canley says entering the kitchen and smelling the sweet and salty aromas.

He turns and forces a smile, "I thought I would keep busy to keep from, uh waking you," He stutters not wanting her to know he knew about the text.

"Right, more like you want to know who Douglas is and why he is texting me, huh?"

"Fine, yes I do."

"He is a friend that takes care of my pups and stuff while I am gone. He usually gives me an update every three days or so," She tells him smiling as his jaw relaxes and he smiles.

He wraps his arms around her waist, "Okay, I over reacted,  I know."

She giggles, "I wasn't going to say a thing."

"Right. So I go eggs bickuits and gravy if you are hungry."

She smiles, "Are you kidding? I am starving."

"Go sit down and I will bring you and I each a plate or do you wan to share?" He asks smirking.

She shrugs, "Don't care, food is food." 

He smiles and watches are she walks into the dining room before drawing his gaze away and fixing a big plate full of food. With two cups under his arm he grabs the milk jug from the fridge and starts toward the dining room. Then he remembers she only drinks cholate milk, he starts back towards the cabinet and manages to get the coco powder before going back to the table. He laughs at the look at her face when he begins to set everything on the table. "Amazed?"

"Maybe a little." She laughs taking the cups from his hands. "Oh! And you remembered that I like chocolate milk."

"Yes I did." He grins a beaming smile and kissing her temple.

She smiles and takes a bite of the eggs, "You know that our parents aren't going to know what is going on with us."

"Yeah well maybe that's okay." He smirks glancing at her.

She glares at him, "Right because you think keeping secrets is good?"

"That's not what I said is it?" He challenges good naturedly.

She sighs, "Doesn't matter that is what is happening if we don't fill them in somehow."

He rolls his eyes, "I know, can we just not worry about it until they are actually up?"

"Fine," She mutters before stuffing her mouth full.